Print Offer: Mike's 'Last B&W Picture'

Told you I was going to have a hard time talking up this photographer...this is a print by, well, me.

To buy one via PayPal, please just click on this button:

[Sale ended 11:59 p.m. 11/7/2011]

As always with our sales, we take orders for five days, then close the sale and fulfill whatever orders we receive. Naturally, that means the edition is not limited, but after this sale I'll promise never to sell this picture in any size for less than $650. This sale will end at a minute to midnight next Monday.

Mike Johnston, Color Picture, 2009

I wrote about this picture back in early June, in a post called "Perfect Ambivalence." It's a digital image, taken with a digital camera*, but it purposely mimics the 35mm style I worked in for several decades—a style I loved, and miss. As we've discussed many times at this site, cameras now "see" in color, which matters to some people and not to others. It matters to me. This picture started out as a sort of joke, a play on the changing nature of photography from the time I was young till now: a picture of a bright red apple against saturated green grass, converted from color back to black-and-white but with the channels adjusted in Photoshop so the values of both colors are the same. It's all shades of gray to those who love B&W.

As I said at the link, this shot has come to symbolize the "digital transition" for me—a nice endcap of my own long period of working in B&W, but also the decline of optical/chemical photography in the present era, which is what I'm so "perfectly ambivalent" about. (I shot for many years on Kodak Plus-X, which I just learned yesterday has finally been discontinued. Ironic.) I sometimes think of "Color Picture" as my last B&W photograph. It won't be, of course, but somehow it still feels like an endpoint; if I ever publish that book (dubious—I'm not good at getting big things done), this will be the picture on the last page.

And on the other hand, black-and-white in the future will be something to celebrate, an expression of tradition harkening back to photography's glorious first century and a half!

Digital Silver Imaging
I'm not making the prints. Inkjet printing seemed wrong for this picture somehow...it didn't fit the complicated mix of old and new that the picture expressed for me.

And then I discovered the perfect printer, and the perfect printing method, for this particular shot. Eric Luden used to work for Ilford, the British B&W specialist; now he runs a company called Digital Silver Imaging (DSI) in Boston. The digital file is exposed using a Durst Theta 51 RGB photographic laser printer on traditional photographic paper—video here—and is then processed in traditional chemicals. A hybrid method for a hybrid picture: perfect. And pretty, too**.

The image area is approximately 7.5 x 10.5 inches, on 11x14 paper. I'll sign the prints.

Each print is $29o. The price includes shipping to anywhere in the world. The printing process is slow—DSI has to wash, dry, and press every print by hand—so I just don't know how long fulfillment will take, but I'll post regular updates here on TOP so you'll know how we're coming along. I've hired my son to do the packing and shipping, so a bit of every sale will go into his car fund. He's very psyched about that. As for me, the proceeds will go into the inkjet printer fund so I can start doing inkjets again (I don't currently have a working printer). That's kinda ironic, too.

For payments by PayPal, if the ship-to address is different than the address on your PayPal account, you must make sure any alternate shipping address in included in the comment field of the PayPal payment. Unfortunately, I cannot collate separate e-mail messages with orders—there's no easy way to do it, and I get too confused—so please make sure the proper address is with the order.

If you'd prefer to pay by check, you can order simply by

[Link removed].

Thanks for your interest—and, as always, thanks very much for reading and supporting TOP!

Mike
(Thanks to Richard E. for the video link)

*Pentax K-20 and Pentax 35mm ƒ/2.8 DA Macro.

**Here's what Ilford says about the paper: "Ilford Galerie FB Digital is a real Baryta/Fibre base photographic paper based upon traditional B&W silver halide technology. It has panchromatic sensitivity optimised for tricolour laser enlargers such as Durst Lambda and Océ Lightjet.

"Galerie FB Digital has excellent contrast, sharpness and surface finish that will give superb continuous tone black and white images or text from digital files prepared from either black and white or colour film negatives or positives, prints and digital originals. The results are equal to those seen when using conventional black and white printing materials and exposing equipment."

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

Comments

[Karl]

Is this the same Mike Johnston who did "Boy with antlers,smiling?"

Man,you certainly have range!

Kidding,just kidding. "Color Picture" is very good.

[D]

Mike,

Is this the same picture?:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=7659622

Not sure what to say, but I noticed that someone in the "Perfect Ambivalence" thread, thought it would be nice to see the original…

I prefer the mono version… Don't like red apples.

I am seriously thinking about a punt though.

Best,

Steve.

[robert]

does anyone know of a bw digital printer for individual use? minus the processing machinery? there's nothing on the durst website. Seems like a niche that could be filled but maybe its just too obscure.

[robert e]

I remember this image--very well done, and still fun. I'll dare to say: a nice example of "conceptual" photography.

[hugh crawford]

Ceci n'est pas une pipe?

[Richard E.]

I had never heard about digital direct to photo paper before; I found this promotional video from his company which explains it, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyWx-QrtNXk

There might be others as far out in the woods as I am ...

[Harrison Cronbi]

Always loved this shot, Mike. It's a fine choice for a print sale, and I applaud your selected print method. I'm excited in anticipation of seeing it in the flesh.

This worked out as £187 using PayPal's exchange rate. And I was just about to pull the trigger on an old Polaroid camera for £185. I took that as a numerological sign, and plumbed instead for the print.

[Peter Turnley]

Hi Mike,
Your photograph is beautiful. I will be delighted to have it on my wall and as part of my collection! Many thanks for offering us this opportunity. Warm regards, Peter

[Nigel]

I can't wait until mine arrives.

[Ronny Nilsen]

Interesting picture, story and process. Hope the sale goes well for you! But not so well that you can retire from writing TOP! I need my daily dose of TOP with my coffee. :-)

[Terry Clair]

Mike I am often asked "Why did you take that photo" I rarely have an answer. Each photograph means somthing to me but I often find it hard to put into words. Thanks for all of your postings and photos.

[Jing]

Talking about seeing in b&w and colour. I love the look of black and white but I suffer from a condition I like to call selective blindness. I could almost swear that your apple has the slightest tint of red and the background is green although i "know" it is a b&w image. Obviously my brain is filling in the missing colour information based on experience. On the other hand, I recently did a beach photoshoot and although I remember that the bikini the model wore was red, i don't suffer from the same effect.

Sometimes knowing something too well gets in the way of seeing something that is right in front of you.

[Steve G, Mendocino]

Mike:

An excellent image - wish I could participate in the print sale, but my budget is currently devoted to paying off my collision deductible. Hit a deer on the way to work the other morning. So, note to Zander - I can personally attest that the MINI Cooper is one small, fun car that's very safe in a head-on collision. My best wishes for your car fund.

For Mike re: digital B&W: I just bought (made the purchase just before the accident...) the Epson R3000. Your results will vary, of course, but I'm finding the 'Advanced Black & White' mode on Ilford Gold Fiber Silk to be scary good. I'd struggled with my old Epson 2200 to consistently get black & white prints that pleased me. I'd get one image I liked, then struggle with another. With this printer, I'm getting graduation and tonality consistently enough that I can concentrate on the picture.

And it's flat on the top. I can put stuff on it when I'm not printing. Love that.

[Mike Johnston]

"Talking about seeing in b&w and colour. I love the look of black and white but I suffer from a condition I like to call selective blindness. I could almost swear that your apple has the slightest tint of red and the background is green although i "know" it is a b&w image. Obviously my brain is filling in the missing colour information based on experience."

Jing,
I do that too--and I've done it all my life. When I was four or five, I was *convinced* that I saw colors when I watched "Yogi Bear" on TV--he was brown, the sky was blue, the leaves of the trees were green--and we had a B&W TV set. I got mad if anybody told me there were no colors there. [g]

Mike

[Martin Doonan]

You know, it doesn't matter that you tell me the tones are equalised, nor that it's monochrome: it is still a red apple on green grass.
Makes me wonder, do we need colour to see colour?

[ian]

and FB is a good paper, and all...might even be worth it JUST FOR THE PAPER alone!

[John Camp]

The photograph strikes me as a profoundly important lesson for people who work in color.

[ctein]

Dear Mike,

What I really like about this photograph (aside from it being a beautiful photograph, which is what matters most)is much what hugh crawford noted.

It's a completely "realistic" B&W photograph that forcefully reminds me that the world is in color.

Much like the Ignobel Prize motto-- first it makes you laugh. Then it makes you think.

Worth every penny. Check's in the mail.

pax / Ctein

[Roberto C.]

"I saw colors when I watched "Yogi Bear on TV"

I was watching the same, although I was in Italy. And I have no memory of seeing colors. And there is no way I can see colors in your beautiful photo. A B&W apple on B&W grass. If we are so different on basics, no wonder people has different opinion on "art", despite all the cultural background you can have.

[hugo solo]

It´s an american apple?

[Steve Smith]

I had never heard about digital direct to photo paper before

Ilford offer their own black and white only develop and print service. They process your film then use a Fujifilm minilab which they have modified in conjunction with Fuji to work with their black and white paper. They will also take digital files and print them on real black and white paper.

[Ed]

Well Robert, and Océ Lightjet 500XL goes for around a measelly 225.000 dollars (and is not for sale anymore if i'm not mistaken). What a Durst Lamda costs I don't know but I guess it's one of those products in the "if you have to ask you can't afford them anyway" price range.

Greetings, Ed

[Mike Johnston]

Hugo,
It's possible it's a Canadian apple. I buy Michigan "Honey Crisps" quite often too, but this doesn't look like one of those (little-known secret: Michigan has the best produce of any state). It's also possible I went to the grocery store and picked a Red Delicious (which I don't usually eat--too bland) purely for its deep red color.

Mike

[BrianW]

>> does anyone know of a bw digital printer for individual use?

Robert,

wouldn't that defeat a big plus of this system - that all the per-image tweaking is done in the digital domain, and hence a lab can do just as good a job of the printing and processing as an individual could? A lab would be more likely have the economy-of-scale to support owning and running such a machine.

I'd be tempted to go this route myself if I knew of a lab in the UK running the same process. But then I haven't looked very hard, probably because it would mean admitting to myself that I'll never be a darkroom (or inkjet) wizard.

[Mike Johnston]

"What a Durst Lamda costs I don't know but I guess it's one of those products in the 'if you have to ask you can't afford them anyway' price range."

It's also something you don't want to own yourself because of throughput requirements and maintenance cost & labor. Unless you make several dozen prints a day, I'd let DSI do it for you.

Mike

[Ed]

Steve,

No it is not, look carefully. Mike cut off about 1/9th of the image to the right part of the picture. Good job Mike, you avoid a little sag to black on the right side thus making the picture a lot more harmonious to the eye! And in the glorious black and the white. I which I had 290 to spare but allas I guess my priorities ly elsewhere (a good drum scanner for instance since film has not croked where I live).

Greetings, Ed

[Doug R]

Re: seeing colors in b/w:

I remember watching Gomer Pyle USMC (I was just a kid!) on our b/w TV, and commenting on Sarge's "red" convertible. My family scoffed, but a few minutes later in the show, Sarge exploded because someone had hit his "new red convertible."

Pity that now as I age, my color-blindness is becoming quite significant.

[Rusty]

It seems to me there is a self portrait there in the reflection. Nice.

[Andrea B.]

If a digitally made image is printed on photo paper using this laser method, does the print then have the same "3-dimensionality" - don't know the proper term - of a film-based print?

I bought the paired drive-in movie prints in an earlier sale and was so blown away by the "depth" - maybe a better word - of the chemical print as compared to the inkjet twin. Not that the inkjet print wasn't stellar, it was. But the the two prints of the same scene were just so very different. It was an important lesson.

[Ed]

@Mike,

Absolutely right, btw, most of the Gursky prints were made on an Océ Lightjet (at least up until 2007) at Grieger in Düsseldorf. They own a 500XL and it's at anyone's disposal. I'm thinking of sending a couple of my 6x8 negatives in that direction. They Diasec them then at 75cm x 100 meter. Look at their site:

www.grieger-online.de

and you see all kinds of famous photographers slide by. I recognise an Elger Esser, a Gursky and a Thomas Demand. But for my personal and business needs an A2 inkjet (probably a 4900 or a 3880) will do the trick. Anything bigger would be wastefull since pigment based inks don't last for ever (about 6 month to a year as Uwe Steinmuller states).

Greetings, Ed.

[ctein]

Dear Ed,

That's a good size for a printer unless you're really into LARGE prints, but I'd not worry about the shelf life of the ink. Epson warranties them for 2 years unopened and 6 months opened, but that's just the warranty. My experience is that they're good for considerably longer times. Certainly for well over a year for opened carts.

I can't think of a reason why there should be a difference in the life of an opened vs an unopened cart. The ink is contained in airtight pouches-- it's no more exposed to the outside world after you start using a cart than before. I suspect what Epson is much more worried about is printers sitting fallow for long periods of time, which can lead to clogged heads.

The solution to that is to make some kind of small print at least once a week. Anything that keeps the juices flowing, as it were. If you're really paranoid, pull the carts every several months and give them a good shake, just as you do when putting a fresh cart in, to ensure things are stirred up.

pax / Ctein