August Print Offer

Hard to believe, but it's been a long time since we did a print offer—and 18 months since Ctein's last sale.

So, coming up in less than two weeks, Ctein will be having a dog-days-of-August "Big Print" inkjet sale here on TOP—three classic landscapes and the Apollo / Saturn 1 launchpad shot that you've already seen. Ironically, given that the title of that post was "No One Cares How Hard You Worked," Ctein had to work really hard to make a stunner of a print of that image. Know any Space Program buffs? Be sure to alert them.

Big prints
I chose three of the four selections. At 17 x 22", all four prints are much larger than the dye transfer prints Ctein has offered here in the past; all four are inkjet prints made from scans of medium-format negatives; and all four are exemplars of just how good inkjet prints can be, circa 2011 A.D. Oh, and all four will be very affordably priced in absolute dollar terms, more so than several of our recent sales.

Tune in on Wednesday August 24th for the sale announcement and to see the images. I've also asked Ctein to write a bit about the differences between inkjet and dye transfer printing—he's printed for several clients, including the rock'n'roll photographer Jim Marshall, in both media, so he has a lot of experience with the visual and technical differences.

Five days and a fraction of the price
As usual, the sale will last for five days only. If you're unfamiliar with our sales, we keep the cost way down by taking orders in advance during a specified period of time. Then we close the orders, and the photographer gets to work. The photographer can production-line the printing knowing that each one is already sold. We earn much less per print that way than a traditional gallery sale would bring in, but we make it up in volume, and we can sell the prints for a fraction of gallery prices.

Everybody ends up happy. And that's a good thing.

Mike

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Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Comments

[Dennis]

This blog makes me so happy. =)

Also, a stranger on the internet just sent me a Olympus Trip 35 for free (with a case & shoulder strap even!). Looking forward to shooting film for the first time =) It's also lovely that the camera corresponds to my digital setup: Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic 20/1.7. Though, I'd give up a finger to have zone focus like the Trip. =)

At any rate, thanks Mike!

[Ben Rosengart]

You might contact the boingboing.net people and see if they would like to feature the print offer. They are space buffs. A warning, though: they reach a large audience, and you might get more business than you're prepared for.

[Stephen Gilbert]

"We earn much less per print that way than a traditional gallery sale would bring in, but we make it up in volume, ..."

I thought it was "we lose money on each item, but make up for it in volume."

[clayton lofgren]

Can't make it on the 24th. That is rumored to be the day that the A700 replacement will be announced.

[Mike Johnston]

Stephen,
We make money on each item. Just not very much.

Mike

[ctein]

Dear Ben

I think that's a great idea.

After the marching broomsticks affair in the first dye transfer sale*, I'm prepared this time to handle truly insane numbers of orders, if it comes to that.

*(for those who weren't around, Mike and I didn't put a cap on orders 'cause we figured that was hubris, and 'sides I was prepared to handle three times more orders than the largest sale he'd ever had before. While that proved to be a major financial windfall, it was a serious strategic error.)

pax / Ctein

[KeithB]

"Ironically, given that the title of that post was "No One Cares How Hard You Worked"

That wasn't ironic - that was the point of the post!

[Timothy]

When I was in university I wanted a rangefinder because I could hand-hold it at 1/15. I can hand-hold my (shake reduced) DSLR at 1/6 if all is still, yet I'm desperate for a digital equivalent of my Bessa T, my Canonet QL17, my red Fed 2C. The latter of which got me hit on. A lot.

To take it back off topic, I would recommend what I did: go to garage sales and thrift stores, pick up clubs and throw them in your golf bag. When one feels "right" (you can hit it more often than not), try to track down the set. This is how I ended up playing Ping ISIs designed for people much taller than me. Just make sure you're trying clubs that look new-ish, so someone may have a set for sale somewhere.

Except that you're left handed, so what took me about two years would take you about two decades. Good luck.

[Keith I.]

I will have to break my no spending period for that Apollo print! The timing is too fitting, weeks before my position at NASA will be "no longer funded".