Digital Paper Options

The world of digital papers is endless but not all papers are created equal! Here at Panopticon we use a variety of papers with Canson and Epson  being our preference for their archival natures. While we have our favorite papers to work with we are always happy to custom order papers for you and create new printing profiles for our printers. Paper choice is a personal preference and we recommend that you come in to review the options and talk to us about what you are looking for. If you are not able to come in to the office we can provide you with test prints on a variety of papers so you can review them at your convenience.

Our price lists offer two qualities of paper: standard and exhibition. Both paper options use archival inks. The only difference is standard papers are a lighter weight than the exhibition papers. If you think about it in old school darkroom terms, standard paper is the equivalent to RC paper and exhibition paper is fiber paper (for a more in depth look at darkroom papers visit our Darkroom Details blog post!)

Here are some of the papers we offer for digital printing:

* - marks "standard" papers"

MATTE PAPERS:

Epson Hot Press Natural

Epson Hot Press Bright

Epson Cold Press Bright

Canson Rag Photographique

Hahnemuhle William Turner

Epson Enhanced Matte *

GLOSSY & LUSTER PAPERS:

Canson Platine Photo Rag

Canson Baryta

Epson Premium Luster *

Breathing Color Vibrance Metallic

Harmen Fiber Based Wamrtone

Ilford Gold Fibre Silk

Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl

Antique Pendant Restoration

We recently restored & made copies of this beautiful antique pendant. The delicate necklace was only about an inch around and held a photograph of the clients father. We were able to enlarge it to a 3x3 (seen on left) and made small copies as well.

Tech Blog: Colorspace, File Formats and Untagged Files

Have questions about digital printing? How to get images to us? What type of file to send? We have tried to start simply and move onto the more complex questions. If you have questions regarding any of this or just want to review the process with us, please call or email us! First things first… You can upload us files here and you will see this screen from Hightail. You can drag and drop your images for upload to us.

Do I send Jpg, tif or psd? Raw?

You can send us any of the above. We have provided some details below about the difference between each type of file.

Raw are the proprietary file from the camera manufacture. Some examples are: Canon (.crw, cr2), Nikon (.nef, .nrw), Sony (.arw, .srf, .sr2), Pentax (.pef, .ptx).  Raw files hold the most data from your digital camera and are the easiest file to adjust exposure, contrast, white balance and other fine tuning. We can edit your Raw files however this requires an editing charge.

JPG is best for web use, but still can be printed from if it has high enough resolution and was saved at a high enough quality. (80+ in Lightroom, 10+ in Photoshop).

PSD is an Adobe Photoshop proprietary format. It can handle all of Photoshop’s features, but has some compatibility issues with non-Adobe products and Lightroom. PSD has a 2gb files size limitation.  Due to the compatibility and size issues, PSD has been (or should be) replaced by TIF by most photographers.  We prefer TIF.

TIF is one of the most universally accepted formats. It can be opened by most image editing and page layout software. TIF supports all the same things as PSD and has a larger file size limitation (4gb).

Ultimately, just send us what you have and we’ll figure it out. Got layers, send us those too. We can always provide assistance with your files or if you want to sit with one of our Digital Technicians and review files in person.

OK, so a tif  file, 16bit or 8bit?

Either one is fine. Whatever works for you.

What color space should I sent it in? AdobeRGB98, sRGB, ProPhotoRGB

You can send us files in any of these color spaces. You should be working in either AdobeRGB98 or ProPhotoRGB to begin with. sRGB is meant as a web colorspace, anything you upload to your website or facebook should be in sRGB.

As far as AdobeRGB98 or ProPhotoRGB goes, it could go either way. ProPhotoRGB is much bigger than AdobeRGB98 and can produce more colors. However, you must work in 16bit with ProPhotoRGB otherwise you can end up with posterization effects (banding). The other down side to ProPhoto is it includes imaginary colors. Yes, I said imaginary colors. They (Kodak) made the ProPhotoRGB color space so big that 13% of the colors included do not exist in the real world and are not visible colors. This can lead to color issues when printing. Some colors will become over-saturated or will be estimated to its nearest in gamut color and can cause banding. Even the best printers in the world can’t print imaginary colors.

AdobeRGB98 is larger than sRGB, is easily printable by commercially available printers and includes no imaginary numbers. Its not perfect, nothing is, but it is the standard most of the photographic world uses.

If you have a gray scale file, that is fine as well. Gray Gamma 2.2 will do just fine.

What about CMYK?

Leave that to the offset printers. If you send us a file with a CMYK colorspace we will convert it to AdobeRGB98.

What about an untagged file?

If you send us a file with an untagged colorspace you will get a call from an angry elf… just ask Ron Cowie. Again, you can just send us what you have and we’ll figure it out. Following our recommendations makes it easier, but we are happy to help in whatever stage you are in!

Steps of a Photo Restoration

We see a lot of vintage photos here at Panopticon Imaging. They range from wedding portraits to family photos throughout the years to military portraits, the list goes on!  Here are the steps we go through for a photo restoration: STEP 1: Bring in your old photograph to the office. We will review the image with you & give you an estimate of how much & how long it will be to digitally restore. We DO NOT restore the original photograph. We scan it and digitally correct the image through Photoshop.

STEP 2: We scan your image. Using our high resolution Epson scanner, we create a digital copy from the original photograph.

STEP 3: We make adjustments in Photoshop. Here we fix cracks & damage to the image. This takes time and each photograph is different, it can take as little as 5 minutes or as much as 3 hours. We also adjust the contrast of the image, making faces lighter or certain areas darker. We can adjust the tone and make it black & white, sepia, or brown tone. The sepia is our most popular option, it makes the image still feel like an old photograph.

STEP 4: Time to print! We use all archival inks and papers here. This means your new print will last as long as it is treated properly (keeping it away from moisture & direct sunlight). When we meet with you we will tell you the sizes we recommend printing. Most vintage photographs are small to start with so they look the best staying in the 5x7 to 8x10 size.

These were the adjustments made to this image:

Whatever happened to your photograph, we are happy to help bring it back to life! Stop by the office or give us a call at 781-740-1300.

Artist Spotlight: Fern Nesson

Fern Nesson is a fine art photographer living in Cambridge, MA. She practiced as a lawyer for twenty years and taught history at the Cambridge School of Weston and, for the past ten years, she was the College Advisor at the Commonwealth School. Fern is currently in her first year of the MFA program at Maine Media College. Her abstract work is rooted in the elegance of light and line and is currently on display in our gallery until May 14, 2016.

"Light Lines 1"

• You have a background in law, how did you transition into the art world?

FN: I have taken a long journey through many, varied careers – lawyer, American historian, fiction and non-fiction writer, history, math and law teacher, college counselor -- but the spine of photography has run throughout my life. My father gave me my first camera when I was 8 and he taught me to develop my photos in the darkroom not long after. Since then, I have been engaged in looking at the world through a camera.

Until recently, photography was my hobby. I knew several great photographers (my father included) and followed their work with interest. About ten years ago, I interviewed my father and we published a book of his work. I have also collected photographs for many years. I am proud to own photographs by Michael Kenna, Ansel Adams and Bruce Cratsley, among others.

Several years ago, I decided to pursue my own photography more seriously. My initial goal was to learn to take better photos. I began by reviewing my past work and publishing several books of my photographs. Then I took a workshop in photography at the Penland School in North Carolina. Finally, last year, I quit my counseling job to do photography full-time.

It’s taken me a long time to accept the challenge of pursuing life as an artist but I am so thrilled to be doing it! Photography provides, as always, a wonderful way to experience the world and the improvement in the quality of my work as a result of studying and practicing it full-time is immensely rewarding.

"Morning Light 1"

• You are currently attending the low residency masters program at Maine Media, tell us a little bit about the program. How has your work changed since starting your studies there?

FN: For my first semester, I am completing synergistic studio and academic projects, both entitled “An Exploration of Seeing.” Since November, I have taken over 20,000 (!) photographs, read a dozen of the great books about “seeing ” and written three lengthy papers describing the evolution of my own artistic vision. As an intellectual and artistic experience, a Maine Media education can’t be beat!

"Light Lines 3"

• Your abstractions of light and shadow show a playful & insightful side to subjects we see everyday. How do you choose what you point your camera at?

FN: Light is the theme in all of my work. I don’t shoot objects for themselves; I shoot their interaction with light: are they illumined from within? Are they transparent? Are they reflective? Are they suffused with light? Do they glow? Are they in shadow? Do they sparkle? My subjects are quite varied but it’s all about the light.

"Morning Light 5"

• What inspires you as an artist?

FN: I am drawn to elegance. In choosing a subject or a scene, I seek elegance in pattern, line, color and shape. I prefer the intricate, small detail, over the panorama. My photographs are abstract but not in the sense of removing detail; just the opposite. I focus on an element and I abstract it through the use of an unusual perspective or point of view.

"Light Lines 5"

• Your current exhibition in our gallery space is a selection of images from various portfolios. How do you feel the individual pieces interact with one another as a whole?

FN: The photographs in my show, “The Light Dances,” are selected from three different series, which I shot in 2015-6. Although they are of radically different subjects – trees at night, a Calder stabile, and the curtains in my bedroom – they have certain underlying and essential characteristics in common.

First, they are each about light: light as it illumines and ennobles a dark object, light as it enhances a sculpture by throwing off shadows, light as it sparkles and brightens a cold winter landscape.

Second they are multiples. Varying the point of view on a single object takes advantage of all angles of the object and allows maximum concentration upon its interaction with light. The multiplicity of views points up what is so great about our existence: we all see things differently from each other and it is that very diversity that makes art and life so interesting.

Third, they use the power of black. Light as a subject shows up so beautifully when it is contrasted with black. Color can seem sometimes to be cheating; it can make even a dull picture interesting but black is a challenge. If you use it well, you get drama; if you use it badly, you get nothing.

"Stabile 1 - 4"

Artist Spotlight: Molly Lamb

"In Their Purse Pockets"

Molly Lamb holds an MFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a BA in American Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Her work has been exhibited nationally, most recently at the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Center for Photography at Woodstock, the Houston Center for Photography, the Annenberg Space for Photography, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. In 2015, she was named one of Photo District News’ 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch as well as one of LensCulture’s 50 Emerging Talents. She was awarded an Artist Fellowship grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, she was a finalist for the New Orleans Photo Alliance’s Clarence John Laughlin Award, and she has been a Critical Mass finalist the past two years. She currently teaches art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and she teaches photography at Simmons College and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She is represented by Rick Wester Fine Art, New York. Her solo exhibition “Ghost Stepping” is currently on display at the Danforth Art Museum in Framingham.

"He Asked Me To Name Him, Red Bear"

• How did the series Ghost Stepping begin? Do you remember the first photograph you took for the project?

ML: There wasn’t a specific point at which this series began. It was a long, gradual process. I started photographing ideas related to it before I realized that’s what I was doing. Because I had been working as a newspaper photographer, I was so used to thinking about photographing the lives of others that it took a while for me to think about photographing aspects of my own life, or to understand that I was doing it without realizing it.

When I started graduate school at MassArt, I knew that I wanted to focus on photographing ideas about my family history. It was at MassArt that I really began to flesh out all of the ideas that went into this series. My first pictures were mostly of my family’s belongings and they looked as if I had just found them and photographed them that way. Over time, I began to experiment with bringing myself more into each image and including my own ideas and emotions about my history in the way that I worked.

"Tissues"

• What artists influence you and how do they influence your thinking, creating and career path?

ML: It’s difficult for me to name specific artists who influence me because there are so many and I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out. Because of social media and online publications, I encounter and am influenced by visual ideas constantly. I love that. I also attend as many artist lectures, exhibitions, and opening receptions as I can.

As I was working on this series, I spent a lot of time looking at the work of photographers who were thinking about family history, memory, and loss as well as photographers who were photographing objects and photographing the landscape as metaphor. I was inspired by Rebecca Norris Webb’s book My Dakota,Susan Worsham’s series “Bittersweet on Bostwick Lane,”Jitka Hanzlova’s series “Forest,” and David Favrod’s series “Gaijin.”Rinko Kawauchi’s work always inspires me as well.

A little more than a year ago, I began teaching art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. It’s been an amazing experience and an incredible influence on me. I’m able to absorb artwork gradually and consistently because of spending so much time in the galleries. I think a lot about how light is portrayed, about how much emotion is held in a gesture, and about how ideas are visualized. I’ve also learned a tremendous amount about the artwork and the history of art.

“In The Wake: Japanese Photographers Respond to 3/11” was a photography exhibition at the MFA that affected me deeply. Seventeen photographers were included and each responded to the earthquake, the tsunami, and the Fukushima disaster in such different ways - so beautifully, so movingly. The wall text with each photographer’s work was also very powerful because it included the artists’ thoughts and experiences. I spent a lot of time in these galleries yet each time felt like an entirely new experience. Lieko Shiga’s photographs in that exhibition really stuck with me and have been on my mind as I’ve been making new work.

I also love words - books, stories, poems, and conversations. And I love how words and photographs harmonize. I read as much as I can and it has become very important to me to include poetry with the photographs that I’m making. The words and photographs exist simultaneously for me but each brings something different to the story. I think of “Ghost Stepping” as a chapter, the first in a larger body of work that explores my family history and the influence that it has on me. Each chapter incorporates poetry and my hope is to compile a larger story about my family history with many chapters, each a vignette of photographs and poems.

"Waiting"

• Your color palette is mostly soft & subtle – what influences you as you photograph to make these choices?

ML: I think the color palette has developed because I photograph intuitively. As I’ve been working on these ideas about my family history, I’ve realized that I think of the light and the colors as characters in the stories that I’m telling. I look for them and recognize them like long lost friends. And I think a lot of that also has to do with my own personal memories and history. I spent a lot of time outside or wishing that I could be outside as I was growing up in the South. I was always watching the light, the plays of the light, the gestures that the light graced, and the colors of it all. And I still do.

"Unraveling"

• You recently attended the portfolio reviews at Photolucida can you share a few of your experiences from that weekend?

ML: I’ve been to two portfolio reviews so far, Review Santa Fe and Photolucida. Both have been incredible experiences that have broadened my world. We’re so lucky as photographers to have gatherings like these - to be able to meet photographers and reviewers whose work we love, to hear their thoughts about our work, and to be able to talk about life with others who think about and express ideas about it visually. My life has changed and grown in so many positive ways because of both of these portfolio reviews. I can’t recommend them enough.

"Their Feathers Seemed Like Omens"

• You currently teach at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Simmons College, and at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. What do you enjoy most about teaching?

ML: Teaching is another layer of experiences that influences me as a person and an artist. It’s also a way for me to give back. Art has always been a resource for me for thinking about the world and processing my ideas and experiences. My hope is that I’m able to help, even in some small way, those who are looking for ways to visually express the ideas and experiences that are important to them.

"Christening Dress"

• What are some tips/advice you would give to someone just starting out in photography?

ML: One of the reasons that the portfolio reviews and photography festivals that I’ve attended have been such positive forces in my life is the community of creative people around me that they have helped develop and foster. I think that nurturing one’s artistic community is crucial - supporting and encouraging each other as well as exchanging thoughts and ideas that inspire us and help us grow.

I also find it helpful to remember to simply be true to myself. Everything is a process. Life is a process; we’re always learning. Being open minded and curious to learn and grow, even when I am uncertain and wish everything was crystallized in my mind, is incredibly important to me. Otherwise, life would feel stagnant and pale instead of vibrant and lush.

"The Suitcase"

Artist Spotlight: Tytia Habing

"Wild Onions"

Lets start this off right: her name is pronounced Tie-shuh, and she has definitely been making her name known in the photography world. Originally from the Watson, Illinois area, Tytia grew up on a small working farm and then spent the majority of her adult life in the Cayman Islands. She holds degrees in horticulture and landscape architecture and is a self-taught photographer. Tytia’s black and white photographs are full of mystery and child like wonder that keeps the viewer coming back for more. She has been published in Shots Magazine, Fraction Magazine, Lenscratch, and National Geographic (just to name a few!). Her most recent and exciting news is her work is shortlisted for the Black and White Photographer of the Year 2015 sponsored by Leica.

"Anna"

• While your degrees are not in the photography field, it still feels like they play a part in your photography. Can you tell us a little about how they influence you as an artist?

TH: I feel like it’s all very intertwined: my upbringing, my degrees, my photography. I’m not sure how or what I would shoot without the background I have. I love the outdoors, plants, animals, the earth,….pretty much anything nature related. My upbringing on a farm and being surrounded by fields of corn, soybeans and wheat and living on the edge of a large woods, I was always immersed in nature. That led me to seeking out degrees in both horticulture and landscape architecture, which I both dearly love, but neither of those degrees clicked with me the way photography did. As soon as I started photography, I knew, I just knew it’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life if possible. If you have a look at my portfolio, my images are mostly nature related. Even when I do portraits, I try to incorporate nature into them somehow. Both degrees gave me a deep knowledge of how man relates to nature and the many hurdles we need to overcome concerning that relationship. We try and fight nature, to conquer it. That isn’t our path. We’re on the wrong path. One day we will all come to our senses whether it’s from our own accord or we’re forced into it. I truly believe we take care of what we love, and if we can all love nature again, all of nature, even the unlovable parts of it, we’ll get on the right path. If my photography can help even the tiniest bit to make even one person appreciate nature more, I’ve succeeded. One of my favorite quotes is “Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors.” Jonas Salk

"Saved"

• How did you become involved in photography?

TH: It was a happy accident really. I never had any interest in photography previously even though my older brother graduated with a photography degree. I was in my last year at university working towards my landscape architecture degree and I had some electives I needed to fill. I happened to find an intro to photography class that fit into my schedule and it was in a building very near the architecture buildings so it was convenient. I thought it would be a fun, easy class to round out my schedule. Little did I know I would almost immediately become obsessed with it. I spent ever spare minute in the darkroom and my other classes kind of fell by the wayside. My intro to photography class suddenly had first billing! My last semester I took the follow up class as well, and that ended my official training in photography. Everything else has been self taught.

"Rhubarb"

• Your photographs of your son and his friends capture the excitement and discovery we all had as children. When you are photographing them how much of it is instinctual versus planned? Do you set up the scene or do you always have camera handy & ready?

TH: I always have the camera ready. Planning a scene with my son doesn’t work and trust me, I’ve tried. I finally realized my folly and gave that up long ago. Plus, the things he does on his own are so much more interesting than anything I could come up with. That’s not to say I don’t facilitate the photographs. I’ll take him for a walk or we’ll go down to the river, because I know he’ll always do something interesting. I plan a lot of the trips in the late afternoon so I have good light. From time to time, he’ll do something that I’ll miss and I’ll ask him to do it again. He doesn’t do it for my photo though. He does it because it’s fun. I’ll also gently suggest he play where there is beautiful light. Sometimes he’ll oblige, sometimes he won’t, but I don’t push it. When it comes to playing, he does what he wants to in the end, and that’s how it should be.

"Go"

• What motivates and inspires you to create art?

TH: Three simple things: family, nature and hope. I hope I can make some sort of difference in the world through my photography. Grand aspirations, I know, but why not dream big right?

"Wishing Weeds"

• What do you think makes a memorable photograph?

TH: I can only speak for myself, but what makes a photograph memorable to me is if it makes me feel something. It could be happy, sad, perplexed, whatever, but if I feel something, I’ll more than likely remember it.

"Eye Spy"

• You recently attended Filter Photo Fest in Chicago; can you share a few experiences you had while you were there?

TH: Filter was my very first photo fest and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t recommend it enough. It was totally out of my comfort zone since I’m a major homebody, but it was great. I was finally able to meet many photographers I’ve known only through social media and admired from afar. It was very cool to put a real face to a profile picture! I took two amazing workshops, one by Aline Smithson and the second by Elizabeth Avedon. I learned more in those two days than I’ve learned in the entire last year! Great classes and great instructors. I also did the portfolio reviews, which was fairly scary, but nothing horrible happened like my mind had imagined would. All the reviewers were very kind and helpful. I do have to add that everyone absolutely loved my black and white prints and wanted to know who printed them…..I have the BEST printer!

Photographing and Matching a Painting

At Panopticon we work directly with many mixed media artists, painters,  and watercolorists. Depending upon your medium we have many ways of capturing your artwork for reproduction.

We recently received and image from the Hingham Historical Society for photographing. This image is an original oil painting titled "Marsh Homestead". The original date of production and artist are unknown.

Chris, one of our Digital Techs, went to work meticulously adjusting lighting to create the ideal conditions for capturing the image. Then begins the process of color matching. We will create as many test strips to ensure the color is exact.

We work our way from the test strips adjusting the color and contrast to the final file. From the finished digital file the client now has a high quality digital representation of their work as well as the option to make an edition of archival pigment prints. At Panopticon we try to give each piece of artwork the same amount of time and attention that the artist put into the original.

Johanthan Hansen- Cuba From a Different Angle

We recently had the wonderful opportunity to print and frame Jonathan Hansen's entire exhibition! His work will be on display the Belmont Gallery of Art. The exhibition run from April 10 – May 15, 2015. There is an upcoming Gallery talk with the Artist, April 30, 7:30pm.

Jonathan Hansen is a Senior Lecturer on Social Studies and Faculty Associate, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University, is currently working on a biography of Fidel Castro (Young Castro, to be published by Simon and Schuster). Research for the book provides frequent occasions to travel to Cuba. While on these trips, he has become inspired by Cuban people and culture, and has taken many intriguing photographs which are shown in this exhibit.

What is an Inkjet, Pigment, Iris and Giclee Print?

Question:

What is the difference between  Archival Inkjet prints, Pigment Print,

Iris

Print and

Giclée

prints?

Answer: Nothing! They are all the same printing process.

We call our prints Archival Inkjet prints. However, they are also known as a Giclée, Iris or Pigment prints. Giclée is just a fancy word for "spit ink". Pigment prints get there name from the archival pigment inks used. Iris prints were named after the printer used which was manufactured by Iris Graphics. Ultimately, they are all the same. Some labs or galleries like to use fancy words to charge more money or make it sound more specialized.

Image Courtesy of

Stephanie Goode

Now that we have demystified the print names. What are some things you should be asking? The most important question to ask are the following.

Is this paper archival?

One of the papers we prefer is Epson Hot Press Natural.  It has a smooth natural white surface with a high Dmax, beautiful tonal transitions and no optical brighteners. This paper is acid-free,

lignin

-free, 100% cotton fiber, 330gsm weight paper. They are printed on an Epson printer with "

Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta

" inks.

Another paper is Canson Platine Fibre Rag. It has a pure white surface with an extremely high Dmax and no optical brighteners. Internally buffered to resist gas fading. This paper is acid-free,

lignin

-free, 100% cotton fiber, 310gsm weight paper. They are printed on an Epson printer with "

Epson UltraChrome HDR

" inks.

Image courtesy of

Brenda Bancel

Does the paper contain optical brighteners?

Optical brighteners

are chemical compounds that absorb light in the

ultraviolet

and violet region (usually 340-370 nm) of the

electromagnetic spectrum

, and re-emit light in the blue region (typically 420-470 nm). Basically, they make paper brighter in the sunlight. But over time they can degrade and this will affect the your image and makes it non-archival.

Are the inks archival?

We have two different printers which use two different types of inks.

Epson UltraChrome HDR

and

Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta

. They are both pigment inks with high pigment density and feature a resin coating for each particle for more stability to produce prints of an even surface and gloss and that are highly stable on a wide variety of media including fine art, specialty and plain paper. These inks can deliver twice the density of our conventional pigment inks. As a result, they reproduce a larger gamut of color and deeper blacks.