ROBERT CAMERON

              The Photographic Print

A photographic print is produced by the use of energy from a light source projected onto a sensitized emulsion placed onto a substrate such as paper with a coating of plastic.  The exposure is made in the dark and then the substrate is placed into a chemical developer.  The image is “developed out” from the latent image produced by the light energy focused onto the photographic emulsion.

 The photographic print has been around for almost 200 years, and in its present form, is an excellent form of image reproduction – in both color and black and white.  It is accepted in many galleries as an art piece.  Its image stability is excellent and its archival properties are well known and accepted if the print has been properly made.  The collector of fine photographic prints has been amply rewarded by his early investment into this art form.  With the prices of paintings skyrocketing over the years, purchasing fine photographs has allowed many to delve into art collection with the added advantage of owning and viewing the artwork while it appreciated in value.

The Ink Jet Print

 The ink jet print is a relatively new product in comparison to the photographic print.  Devised with the help of digital technology, it is a print produced with colored ink “jet-sprayed” onto paper.  The maturation of ink jet technology has made it possible to produce outstanding prints with much more ease than with the photographic process. 

 Commonly referred to as Giclee prints, ink jet prints are accepted in many art galleries, and many art houses offering only ink jet prints refer to them as “photographic prints made on double weight paper.” The investment into making ink jet prints is much less than the investment necessary to set up a photographic laboratory; there is no need for darkrooms or chemistry or processors and no need to have the skills of a trained technician. 

 When made with the correct equipment and materials the ink jet print is archival (as much as photographic prints are), and many cannot tell the difference between an ink jet print and a photograph.  With the advent of the ink jet print many photo houses have closed their doors.  It is probable that in the near future photographic prints will become rare enough that they will yield a higher value at the time of resale (as compared to ink jet prints, or giclees).

Robert Cameron and the Photographic Print

 Mr. Cameron, to my knowledge, has never ordered an ink jet print.  Although they were available during the last 20 years of his life, he only ordered photographic prints.  All of the prints that I have made, that Bob signed, were photographs; none were ink jet prints.  Since his passing I have decided to offer ink jet posters of his best images.  This is in response to the many requests from people wanting to have reproductions of his images but were unable to afford the prices Bob was charging.  In his defense I have to say that Mr. Cameron spent well over $1,000,000 in helicopter and airplane fees alone during his professional life in order to capture the many fine images that CameronFolio now has in its possession.  He often told me that he paid at least $1,000 an hour when hiring a helicopter and pilot.

 Please note that the ink jet poster prints are not inferior in quality or look in comparison to the photographic print.  They are just less expensive to make.  You don’t need a lab to make them.  Some cannot tell the difference between them and in some cases would prefer the ink jet print over the photograph not only because of its price but because of its “look.”  It does have a different look; they tend to look cleaner and brighter.  In both cases (photographic and ink jet) the key is in the image itself and the balance of its tones and colors.  All of the prints offered at CameronFolio.com are produced to allow the flow of form and design, color and nuance.  Above all, a successful photograph is packed with feeling and distractions in all images are subdued or eliminated so that this feeling comes through.  In a manner of speaking, a successful image is one that conveys the original feeling that the photographer felt through his eyes/lens at the moment that he/she squeezed the shutter.  Alfred Steiglitz, the father of modern photography, called a photograph the equivalent of this feeling.