TOP Print Sale: Paris, Venice, Havana

This Cyber-Monday morning I'm happy to announce The Online Photographer's exclusive seasonal print sale for this year: three beautiful prints of recent new photographs taken by Peter Turnley in three countries.

France, 2018

Italy, 2018

Cuba, 2018

Proceed to the order page now [Sale ended 10 p.m. 11/30/2018]

Orders will be accepted from now through Friday evening at 10 p.m. Eastern U.S. time. If you're not familiar with our print sales, we do things a little differently. First, we collect paid orders for only a limited time—in this case, five days. The photographer can then make the prints to order and do everything in one large batch, knowing the prints are already sold. What that means is that we can sell fine art prints for prices way below what galleries would have to charge, but the photographer still makes money because what we lack in profit per piece we make up in volume. It's a nice model because everyone wins.

However, you have to order now. Once the sale is over, it's over. We can't take orders past the deadline.

These prints are on the European collector size 12x16 inch (roughly 30x40 cm) paper, with an image area of approximately 9.5x14 inches. As seen in these JPEGs, the prints are signed on the front outside the image area. They match the size and quality as the prints we’ve offered in our very successful previous TOP sales of Peter’s photographs; I assume some buyers will be adding to their already existing collections. Peter says, "I photograph currently using a Leica M10 camera with a Summilux 35mm ƒ/1.4 lens. The files from the M10 are among the best files I have ever seen in digital photography, and the conversions to black-and-white offer an amazing range of tone and detail in both highlights and shadows." The prints are traditional silver gelatin fiber prints made from the digital files.

We can ship both domestically and internationally. All orders will arrive before Christmas. Purchases can be made with PayPal or credit or debit card.

This offer is being made exclusively through The Online Photographer and a portion of every sale goes to benefit yer favorite blog. We know you care! And thanks.

Paris, 1991

As an added value, a FREE bonus print of Paris, 1991 (arguably Peter's most famous photograph) will be included as a gift to anyone who orders three or more prints. This print isn't available separately.

To me, Peter's personal black-and-white work shows the life of the world in a gentle, romantic spirit. There's an immediacy and an honesty to the personal connection that always seems to show through, no matter what the subject matter. It's an indelible marker of Peter's style, which at this point I feel I can always recognize. I really hope you like these latest pictures as much as I do and I hope they'll continue to enrich your visual life as you live with them.

Here, again, is how to order. [Sale ended 10 p.m. 11/30/2018]

Mike

Original contents copyright 2018 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Paulo Bizarro: "I think it is an appropriate choice: Paris—a shot depicting love; Italy—a shot that reminds me of fashion; Cuba—a shot illustrative of music and joie de vivre."

bourquek: "Re 'The prints are traditional silver gelatin fiber prints made from the digital files.' Have you covered this before? How do you make a traditional wet print from a digital source? I can think of a couple of ways but I wonder about the particulars."

Mike replies: I don't know if we've "covered" it per se but I offered an example quite a while back (in 2011). Conventional printing paper is exposed by laser light and developed normally. Digital Silver Imaging was the company I used for my "Color Picture" print back then. That type of print is generically known a "lightjet" print after the LightJet company, which introduced the first LightJet laser printer at PMA in 1995 (it cost $200k and made prints 11x14 or smaller). LightJet printers are no longer made but there are many still in service and there are (or were) several other brands such as Chromira by ZBE and Lambda by Durst. It's a digital printing method but it offers two advantages, one being that it's true continuous tone and the other that it allows the use of fully archival traditional fiber printing papers, the same papers used for enlarger prints.

Speed: "Turnleys on '60 Minutes.'"

Mike replies: I always enjoy watching that. Remember that book I recommended a few weeks ago, Grit? David and Peter practically define the term.

Peter Wright: "You made a great choice here! I just need to work out what I can afford and my order will be in (I’m tempted to get the lot!). These pictures demonstrate that photography is both utterly simple, and extraordinarily difficult. All that is needed is a bone simple rangefinder type camera (even a film one will do, as ‘Paris, 1991’ shows), and one basic fixed focal length lens. No need for auto focus, zoom lenses, multiple fps, etc. Oh, and being at just the right place, at the right time and seeing the shot! No problem!

"I very much like Peter’s style of photography. When I took a course with him in New York a few years back, I was taken aback when he started by stating gently but firmly that we keep it simple and use just one moderate length non-zoom lens for the whole week. But in fact I got many of my all-time favorite pictures that week, even when I was entirely on my own. As you say happens on his courses, and as others have pointed out—it was the most educational week of my photographic life."

Dave Karp: "Even though I have not participated in all of your sales, I do appreciate each one of them."

Comments

[robert e]

"Cuba, 2018" is a knockout! Great job on the set, and best of luck on the sale!

[Mark Kinsman]

Stunning images, each really does capture the spirit of the print’s country. Unfortunately, the pricing is way beyond my budget. I was really looking forward to getting one, hoping they would be priced at about half of this sale’s listed price.

[Nature Lover]

I have
Brasserie de l'Isle Saint-Louis, 1993
Paris 1991 as above
Paris 1982- the toy sailboat just shy of the pedestrian bridge and
Métro, Saint Germain-des-Pres, 1980,
and books,
McClellan Street, Turnley and Turnley and
French Kiss by Peter.

Love them all. I have a soft spot for the toy sailboat for its composition and masked humanity.
Not bragging just an unasked for editorial comment.

[Tim Bradshaw]

I really, really hope that the person photographed in the Italy print had given permission. I'm sure she had, but I couldn't own a print like that simply because other people would look at it and not know.

[Herman Krieger]

Another Havana street photo-

[Eolake]

Lovely work, I predict another success.

[Eolake]

How does he print on silver paper from digital files??

[Bob Stout]

Unfortunately out of my budget. I have too much holiday financial needs. I spent some serious cash on photography this year that the Mrs would cringe if I bought a $350 print. Especially from someone she does not know. good luck!

[Tim Bradshaw]

This is a response to Mark Kinsman's comment. While I won't be buying one of these prints for reasons I think I've made clear in my other comment, I think it's important to be realistic about the price: these are not expensive prints.

I make prints, from film, usually on fibre-based paper and I've occasionally had cause to try to work out what they're worth. I spent some time on this and I worked out that, if I paid myself minimum wage then at £100 for a 12x16 print (more for mounted or framed), posted to someone in the UK (where I live) I would either be breaking even or losing a little money. Things get better if you are making a lot of prints, but not that much better: making fibre-based prints in the darkroom just takes a fair amount of time.

Well, Peter Turnley shouldn't be paying himself minimum wage, is presumably paying someone to make the prints who also, I hope, is not getting minimum wage, and TOP needs a cut, too. As I said: these are not expensive prints.

[Chester Williams]

I am wishing that "someone" buys me all three of his excellent images, especially as my favorite image of his is the "free" one offered! Good luck on the sale..

[Rob Campbell]

Those Italian legs are lovely, as are the heels.

Less is often more, heels being an exception.

Rob

[Richard Parkin]

I’m genuinely puzzled by Tim Badshaw’s comment that “other people would look at” but not know whether a subject had given permission to be photographed. Isn’t that true of any photo unless permission is being challenged is the reason for discussing the photo?

[For the record, the woman was being photographed by another photographer at the time. Peter asked her if it would be all right if he made some photographs too, and she said yes. He later emailed this picture to her and she replied that she liked it and thought it was very nice. Hope this helps! —Mike]

[Brian]

It would be helpful to have some idea of the shipping cost, especially for international orders, without having to start the order process. International shipping is usually the killer for book sales, as it typically doubles the cost.

[Mark Kinsman]

RE: Tim Bradshaw's comment-"... Well, Peter Turnley shouldn't be paying himself minimum wage, is presumably paying someone to make the prints who also, I hope, is not getting minimum wage, and TOP needs a cut, too. As I said: these are not expensive prints."

My Reply:
I completely agree that the price set for this sale for a signed silver gelatin print from Peter Turnley is VERY reasonable, I should have stated a bit more detail as to what I had hoped would be offered. I was hoping that a smaller print would be offered for about $175.00 as part of this sale.
For example, MAGNUM just had a print sale offering signed prints from several of the Magnum photographers. They were 6x6" prints - signed or stamped by the photographer's estate for $100.00 each. I made a purchase from those prints and will proudly mat, frame and hang the Harry Gruyaert photo.
So, the price on Peter's print is quite reasonable, just not in my budget. A smaller version - say 8x10 or 5x7 might be priced in a range more people could afford. To further offset Peters costs, perhaps they could be inkjet prints too, which, in volume, could offer a cost saving to produce. I sincerely do hope that the print sale is an overwhelming success. I own a few of Peter's books and hope to someday add a print to the collection.

[GenoD55]

Interestingly, I visited Peter's brother's site (David) after viewing the 60 Minutes clip above - and I am truly enamored with his work as well - - - and they [prints] are also on sale!

Are there any possibilities of doing any TOP sale prints of David's newer work [hoping he has not allowed the brotherly competitive spirit to fade] in the foreseeable future . . . ? [there is a pull-down on his site indicating a "referred by TOP" choice; hope you garner a ducat or two if I opt to pick up one of his prints during the season].

Mike, thanks for all your hard work and diligence over the years for doing what you do!

[Rob Campbell]

Taxation is always a horror tale tacked onto the tail of buying and selling outwith national arrangements.

Someone in New Zealand asked me to check whether a guy in Spain was conning him when he advised that an extra 40% was going to be charged on a used lens he was trying to sell to the Kiwi. I checked with a local lawyer here in Spain, and yes, that's the case...

Not to turn this into deeper political woes, but I wonder how many Brexiteers have thought that through in depth, and how it will affect everything we buy from the Union. The figures they bandy about are a mockery of the reality, affecting everything from food through clothing to medications.

And some think the advent of mirrorless a major problem!

Rob

[mikegj]

I love Peter's work, and his brother's, as well. " Paris, 1991" is a particular favorite.

But I can't become a collector now, late in life, when divestment and downsizing are necessary. I was tempted to buy all three, simply to get a copy of "Paris."

I was trying to imagine myself explaining to my wife my potential purchase of "Italy, 2018." This came to mind:

https://youtu.be/v_TzzcjRHWo

Anyone else?

Gorgeous, "precious" work!

Fine blog, too. GLWTS

- Mike