How Color Theory Can Help You With Your Framing

Color plays a pivotal role in a visual artist’s work. Having an understanding of the basics of color theory can help create a logical structure for color and help to understand how color is formed. There are three main categories in color theory: The color wheel, color harmony and the context of how colors are used. In this blog post, we will be focusing on color context.

Color context is how color behaves. Meaning, how it is represented in relation to other colors (and shapes). Looking at certain different colors can affect the way we perceive other colors. For example, the way you view the brightness of a mid gray (hue and tone) is altered when placed adjacent to other colors.

Observing the effects that colors have on each other is a starting point in better understanding the relativity of color. One of the ways understanding color can help you is when you are framing your work.

The mat you choose for your work can change the look of your image based on its relationship to the values, saturation and the warmth or coolness of different the hues. Lets look at a couple of examples of how you can use your understanding of color when framing your work.

Nick's Favorite Framing projects from 2017

As we start the new year I wanted to review some of my favorite framing projects from last year. If you see any framing techniques or styles that you would like to replicate with one of your own pieces, stop on down for a one-on-one framing consultation!

Vintage David Bowie Poster

Hand Painted Kenyan Rug & Pillowcase

A Mark Hamill Signed Star Wars Poster

Stephen Sheffield's Hand Sewn Collage

Andrew Seguin's Cyanotypes for Panopticon Gallery's First Exhibition

A Selection from Newport Art Museum's 'be of love and other stories'

College Series: What to Spend Your Money On

Its back to school time and we have decided to introduce a college series on the blog. In this series we will discuss issues related to students who are interested in photography and the arts. Welcome to the first of the series: What to Spend Your Money On!

You are in college, You are strapped for cash, but you need some gear and some software in order to make work. Well first off, you are in luck. Most colleges with art/ photo programs, have a "cage" or "lockup". These are places that you can visit to "rent" or check out/ barrow equipment from. You usually need to be enrolled in a related class to have access so check with your school for their particular policy.  That said, these places are great and usually filled with cameras, lenses, tripods and various other gear that you might want to try out. While you can, rent everything and save your money,  don't buy anything you don't absolutely have to. If your college does not have a place to rent items, you can always try to borrow as much as you can from your friends or classmates. Remember you can do a lot with a little!

Freshman year, you shouldn't commit to a camera or equipment that you might grow out of or realize isn't for you. Your first year is a time of learning and exploration. During this time you will be figuring out what you like and what works for you. "Renting" and or borrowing equipment is the best way to try out different things without losing your money.  In most programs there is usually a computer lab staffed by upperclassmen / work study students who are there to help with any questions you might have. These computers labs are usually restricted access like the "lock ups" and are a great resource.  They should have all the software you need so there is no need to pay for a license either.  The message here is just don't spend your money.

Another thing that many students worry about is the cost of printing and framing work. In the beginning, don't bother spending money  printing on fancy papers. Use inexpensive paper to make smaller work prints. Until your work calls for larger sizes, there is no reason to shell out your hard earned money. If you get into a show and need to frame something, simple is usually best. Ask around. The people at the photo "cage" and your instructors will have some recommendations on places that will have what you need, either for do it yourself or full service framing. Don't be afraid to ask if they have  a student discount. We here at Panopticon have a 15% discount with valid current student ID.

So, if you really want to purchase your own gear and software; make sure you will use them. Think of the 80/20 rule. Will you use it 80% of the time or 20% or the time? Do not buy it if you will only use it under special circumstances or just for one project. Most gear, if treated right, will last you a long time, take care of it and it will take care of you. If you feel you must purchase something, make sure you have tried it out for a while before you purchase. If your school doesn't have something there are  brick and mortar and on line rental houses that probably do. They often have a weekend deal on rentals. Usually if you pick up on Friday and return Monday they don't charge for Sunday. Now with these places you are spending some money. This can be a good investment what if that piece of specialty gear just wasn't what you expected? or that camera really didn't make the images you wanted? some money spent but more saved.

What if it was all that and you have to have it? Well the used market is the place to start. Again ask around at your school. Chances are some one has something they bought and no longer need. If not those same instructors and "cage" staff know of the local or on line camera dealer where you can pick up what you need with a warranty at a fraction of the cost for new. Oh and those rental houses, they often are selling off gear they don't need any more some give them a look as well. Remember in a few years you might be the one putting up flyers to sell that piece of gear you needed so badly. It happens, what you thought you would be doing for the rest of your life in freshman year might be very different from what you are doing in your senior year. This is what college is for figuring all this out, finding what it is you want to do and growing as an artist and person.

Our best advice is to save your money for food, rent, and / or experiences that you would like to have in your college years before you graduate and lose access to all the wonderful things in the "lock up/Cage" for ever. Rent before you buy, and buy used from a reputable dealer if you do decide to buy. That and make lots of work!

We are going to FILTER!

What is Filter Photo Festival?

“Filter Photo is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois.

Filter Photo’s mission is two-fold: first, to serve and support the photographic communities of Chicago and the Midwest; and second, to highlight Chicago as a vital center of the national photographic community.

Since 2009 Filter Photo has organized the annual Filter Photo Festival, a multi-day celebration of photography that includes workshops, lectures, exhibition receptions, artist talks, and other diverse programming. A primary component of the Festival is the portfolio reviews, through which photographers are able to connect with national and international curators, gallery directors, editors, and other elite professionals.”.

How do I apply to Filter?

You can register here. Sign up for 5 or 8 portfolio reviews and/or workshops. Reviewers included Paul Tagnorelli of the Griffin Museum of Photography and Kat Keirnan of Don’t Take Pictures. Workshops are presented by artists such as Keith Carter, Brandon Thibodeaux, Karen Irvine, April Wilkins, and S. Gayle Stevens. Also, artist talks by Alice Q. Hargrave, Patty Carroll,Leonard Suryajaya, Ross Sawyers, exhibition receptions, and much more. Some of the workshops have already sold out so make sure to get your spot!  Joel-Peter Witkin is this years keynote speaker and he will be giving a lecture on Thursday September 22.

What to expect from us at Filter?

This is our first time at Filter and we are very excited! This means a lot to our small business and we can't wait to meet the artists, speakers and the Filter Team in person. You will get a chance to meet our talented staff members Elizabeth Ellenwood and Nick Schietromo.  They are thrilled to visit Chicago and share Panopticon’s photographic printing practices and knowledge.

We will be including details on how to prep for a portfolio review within the next few weeks so stay tuned!

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!

Custom Wood Frames

We love these custom wood frames from a local wood worker. The details and precision are amazing! Each molding can be made with Ash, Cherry, Maple, and Walnut woods with the option of staining or painting.

Here is Tony King's photograph we framed with the clear lacquered ash & maple splines:

Assembling the matte, glass & frame

Finished framed photograph

Detail of the maple spline

One hanging option: french cleat

Second hanging option: wire with d-rings

Darkroom Details: What is a RC Print, Fiber Print & more?

We have three working darkrooms here at Panopticon Imaging. Each room has its own specific purpose. One houses the printing lab, one our film processor and the third is where we create LVT digital negatives. In our printing lab we hand/tray process each print to ensure the consistency throughout the printing process. The film processor darkroom details are listed here. Our LVT darkroom is where we can create new negatives from digital files (more details below). We are happy to share information about these processes that we know and love. Video by: Frank Hegyi

rccombo_ver1.2

What is an RC Print?

RC or Resin Coated Paper is darkroom paper with a base that is sealed between two polyethylene layers, meaning it has a plastic base. Since the base is sealed between the two layers it does not actually absorb the chemicals, greatly reducing the amount of time RC prints need to be washed. This is the most affordable darkroom option, however, the least archival. There is developer in the paper to increase speed of development. Over time this will deteriorate giving your print a lifespan of 20-40 years depending upon storage conditions. This is used for contact prints of negatives and prints. This paper was popular with press & newspapers as they needed images fast for breaking news. The RC paper we print on is Ilford Glossy or Pearl with a weight of 190 gsm (Medium weight) paper.

fiberprint_combo1.2

What is a Silver Gelatin Fiber Print?

Silver print, Fiber prints, Gelatin silver as they are commonly referred to and are one and the same. This is a museum quality, tray printing process (not machine processed). Fiber paper is a paper base that is coated with photographic emulsion. The base of fiber prints are not sealed like the RC paper, this makes for a slower process with washing and drying. These beautiful, archival, exhibition quality, black & white, silver gelatin, fiber prints have superior tonal range, durability, and resistance to fading for over 200 years. All prints are finished with a Selenium bath to assure archival permanence. There is the option of warm tone, glossy or matte Ilford Papers. Fiber paper is 225 gsm which is a double weight paper.

Selenium_combo

What is a Selenium Bath / Toning?

We use a Selenium bath to increase the permanence of our Silver Gelatin Fiber prints. For this process we use a combination of diluted Selenium, Fixer Remover and water for a short bath prior to a final wash. Selenium converts some of the original silver image to silver selenide, a more stable form of silver. The Selenium also increases the tonal range available in the paper, deepening the blacks and brightening the lights just a touch. If it is desired, Selenium can also be used to change the color tone of the print. A diluted solution of only Selenium and water will give you a red-brown tone. While a stronger Selenium solution with result in a purple-brown tone.

lvtneg

What is an LVT Negative?

LVT stands for Light Valve Technology. This process which is also known as a Digital Negative or Digital to Silver process is used to create a new negative from a digital file. We have several machines that can create these beautiful negatives on 8x10 sheet film. We have many clients that have damaged negatives that need to be digitally restored and then new negatives made. Also, if you are shooting digitally this give you the option to have prints made in the darkroom. Film is not dead!

LVT negatives: Stephen Sheffield

Artist Spotlight: Michaela Harlow

"Rain in September" 2015 - Graphite, Pastel and Polychromos Pencils

We have had the privilege to scan and digitally reproduce Michaela’s pastel & oil paintings and are delighted to share her beautiful work with you.

Michaela has exhibited her paintings and drawings in galleries and juried shows throughout the United States since 1994. Her work has been featured and reviewed in various publications —including Vermont Arts and Living, Santa Fean Magazine and Pasatiempo— and is included in public, corporate and private collections here and abroad. In addition to her work as a visual artist, Michaela is also a landscape designer, published garden writer and photographer, as well as a licensed pilot. Inspired by nature and the complex relationship between human beings and their environment, Michaela Harlow’s contemporary oils, pastels and mixed media works incorporate both figurative and abstract elements. Her work is now represented in New England at West Branch Gallery in Stowe, Vermont.

"Song of the Solstice" 2015 - Oil, Graphite and Polychromos Pencil

• First off, we have to ask about you being a licensed pilot! It is such a fun fact about you that we did not know – when did you learn how to fly a plane? Does it influence your art in anyway?

MH: I began flying in the summer of 1999 and earned my private pilot certificate in January, 2000. I've always loved images taken from above earth and once I started flying, I quickly developed an interest in aerial photography. However, flying an aircraft requires undivided attention, so for more than a decade, I simply observed while airborne, and collected books by well-known aerial photographers such as Arthus-Bertrand, George Steinmetz and Bernhard Edmaier. Just recently ---over the past two years or so--- I've begun making photos when flying with another pilot. I absolutely love it. That process ---seeing and documenting abstract land shapes and patterns --- has definitely informed my painting as well as my work in landscape design.

"Fog of Memory" 2015 - Oil and Graphite

• You are a gardener, a photographer, and a painter – do you think all of your art forms relate to one another?

MH: That is an interesting question. To be honest, until recently, I hadn't given the connection between my interests much thought. I've simply pursued passions. I am only now beginning to see the complex ways that they interrelate. Like the study of languages, I think the more forms of art you practice, the richer and deeper your understanding of each becomes. My formal training as a painter has given me confidence when experimenting with a camera. It has also assisted me greatly with aspects of landscape design; especially when it comes to color, form, shape and texture. I see more and more connections each day.

"Black Birch Cross" 2015 - Oil, Graphite, Polychromos Pencil

• How long have you been working with pastels & what is your process in choosing colors for each piece?

MH: I first experimented with soft pastels as a kid when I was given a small box of them by a family friend. They move and flow like paint and blend easily with bare fingers or tools. Almost immediately they became my favorite medium for drawing. Later, I worked with a private instructor and learned how to use oil pastels. Over the years I've experimented with soft and hard pastels, pastel pencils and combinations of these with other materials. I still love their portability and ease-of-use.

Often, I choose colors based on the mood I'm trying to capture. Color is a great way to stir emotion. But I also draw my palette from nature and/or my surroundings.

"Sweet Water" 2014 - Pastel on Paper

• How has your career path as an artist changed over the years?

MH: Oh, my, my my. If I were to map it out on paper, my career path probably looks more like a complex labyrinth than a sensible road map! Economic necessity coupled with varied interests has resulted in many professional detours. However, I will say that all of my work and life experiences have lead to artistic growth. Switching focus from two dimensional work to the three dimensional practice of landscape design has proven very beneficial.

And just this past year, I gave myself a season-long sabbatical from landscape design, to focus on my painting career. I'm very pleased with what I was able to accomplish in 2015, and I plan to strictly limit landscape design projects ---adding one or two per year--- until I find the right balance.

"In The Still" 2014 - pastel on paper

• How has digital reproductions affected your work? -– do you print bigger sizes? Do you have open or closed editions?

MH: By having my work professionally documented and digitally archived, I've been able to offer signed, limited edition prints on demand, making my work available to a much wider audience. Archival prints are very popular with art consultants and interior designers; particularly when working with the hospitality industry. Original artwork isn't always the best choice for a hotel, restaurant or cruise ship. High quality, archival prints offer designers a beautiful, affordable solution when security concerns or budget constraints rule out original paintings.

"Amphibious" 2015 - Oil and Graphite

• I found on your blog your post about Thirty in Thirty. I absolutely love this project – thirty straight days of making art! Can you share with us your end experience with this challenge? Do you recommend other artists try this challenge?

MH: The Thirty-in-Thirty challenge began when I was working full time in landscape design. I had very limited hours for art making during the growing season, but months of free time in winter. The idea was to kick start my process during the quiet month of January with a daily work schedule and goal. I discovered that by aiming to complete one small work of art per day, that I inadvertently freed myself from the perfectionism and self criticism; enemies of experimentation and process. The end result for me is that I no longer wait for inspiration before going to work. I just get up, go to the studio and set to work. Usually, when I'm in my studio, surrounded by materials, inspiration finds me. If I feel stuck, I start with sketching to loosen up, or prime a few panels. I find it's a lot like running: lace up your shoes, stretch a little and just get moving.

I think Thirty-in-Thirty can be a very liberating exercise for artists. I believe Andy Warhol said "Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” If you want to critique and edit your work, fine. But make a separate time for that. The making is your practice.

"Between Showers" 2015 - Oil and Graphite

Packing Tips: Safe ways to wrap & handle Your Artwork

Here at Panopticon we have seen it all for packing material; Blankets, towels, trash bags or worst of all nothing. Framing is expensive and we have some tips on how to keep your frames and artwork safe!

1. Cardboard Corner Protectors

You can always DIY them yourself using scrap cardboard, buy them from Amazon in small batches or order bulk from Uline. This will prevent any rubbing / scratching of the frames. Corners are helpful if you have multiple frames that are all the same size. However, this will not protect the whole frame or the glass/PlexiGlas.

1. Properly Stack them

Make sure to stack your frames vertically and to place them glass to glass and back to back while storing them. This will prevent the hardware from rubbing against your frame. The metal hardware and wire will ding the wood or scratch metal frame very easily. This goes for when they are wrapped or unwrapped.

1. Bubble Wrap

Keep your towels for the beach! While towels might be helpful at home this is not a good or effective solution for preventing damage, as there is no spring to the towel. Foam wrap or bubble wrap will take the impact and prevent your frame from getting damaged. You can order bubble online, pick it up from Uline or your local office supply store.

1. Use Two Hands

Always pic up your frame using two hands! If it is a large image and you grab it by the top it can pull and your glazing can pop out of the frame. Ten and two just like driving school.

1. Have us wrap it for you!

If all of this material is too much to handle we can ease your burden! Wrapping images properly is fun for us. We take care of your beloved artwork and make sure it is safe for handling and transport. If it is local we can deliver it for you or even ship your images. Let us know!

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!

The bling bling frame

We recently framed a piece for a client in a beautiful water gilded frame and wanted to share the intricate process the frame makers go through to create such stunning frames. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67LM4Iovll4

The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold.

Here is the frame we used:

Artist Spotlight: Stephen Sheffield

"Descent (ladder series #35)"

Stephen Sheffield, a native of the Boston area, is an alumnus of Cornell University, where he obtained a BFA in painting and photography. He received his MFA in photography from the California College of the Arts, in Oakland/San Francisco. He specializes in photography, mixed media and photo-montage and has exhibited nationally for over 20 years. Stephen creates large-scale commissions for private collectors, institutions, restaurants and hotels, as well as images and photographic illustrations for magazines and advertising agencies across the US.  In addition to being a full-time artist, Stephen runs the black and white photography major at the New England School of Photography in Boston and is adjunct faculty at the New Hampshire Institute of Art MFA Program. Stephen Sheffield is represented by Panopticon Gallery in Boston, MA.

• Your work has a sense of storytelling and a slight twinge of humor to it. Walk us through your process – do you sketch out the scene ahead of time or is more a spur of the moment?

SS: Ideas pop into my head almost at random. I then make sketches and do research as far as location and angle, props and “feeling”. Once things are set up and planned I get to work. Of course that is when things go wrong and I have to wing it. There have been very few shots I have taken that have ended up looking exactly as I imagined them. I think much of the humor comes from the “winging it” aspect of the actual shoot.

"Small Business"

• How has social media played a role in your photography?

SS: I use social media less for personal and more as a way to lead people to my work and to keep my work on their minds. It is also in a small way becoming a reminder to continue to make new work. You cannot show the same work forever.

Mixed media installation at Union Beer Company in Red Hook, NY

• You recently moved from Kenmore Sq area to the suburbs of the south shore. Has this changed or impacted your art making?

SS: The move has made a major impact on my work flow mainly, not the work itself. Good and a little more difficult. Good for space and my kids and my wife. It was tough moving my studio out of the Fort Point Channel after 20 plus years, but now the studio has been replaced by a carriage house and a darkroom in the basement. No more rent payments and no more commuting, but it is tough to find a good cocktail and quick access to galleries and museums. Making the work itself has the potential to be easier as I move forward. Time will tell.

"Smoke 1"

• What artists influence you and how do they influence your thinking, creating and career path? Because you are a mixed media artist do you look at more painters & sculptors than photographers?

SS: I am still mainly influenced by the masters. Minor White, Edward Weston, Imogene Cunningham, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Duane Michaels, I could keep going. As far as career path? There is no path anymore. These days it is every artist for themselves and ever-changing. I’m old and I need to stay quick on my feet. For my mixed media I am also still influenced by the masters, mainly non-photographic, but the Starn Twins and Gilbert and George are big ones. The biggest go-to influence who has never let me down has got to be Robert Rauchenberg.

"Lust"

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

SS: It is super tough out there these days, and and like I said before, there is no clear path for success. My advice is to try to be good at all of it! The technical, the creative, the marketing, the social, the hustle. Go to everything, (openings, museums, lectures) meet everyone and talk to anyone. Always be making art, but don’t show everyone everything. Edit! Edit what you show and edit what you say. Also, never forget to be a good and generous person. That last bit will get you through more doors than interesting or clever art.

"Eddie 2"

Jaime Johnson - Same print, Different presentations

"Spine" Courtesy of  Jaime Johnson, Tea-toned cyanotype on Japanese rice paper

Don't Take Pictures Magazine is a biannual print, online & tablet-ready magazine run by Kat Kiernan who is receiving this years Rising Star Award at the Focus Awards hosted by The Griffin Museum of Photography.

The online magazine also sells an exclusive limited edition images by an artist featured in the magazine. Working with the artist, they select an image, which is then hand-printed by the artist, signed, numbered in an edition no higher than five, and priced below $200. Because they believe in helping emerging artists build their careers, the full amount of the sale goes to the artist!

First, let us say that this is a FANTASTIC print program that not only helps the artist but opens the door to smaller or new collectors. Liz & Shannon from the office recently purchased the same beautiful print by Jamie Johnson through the program. Since presentation is a big part of what we do here at Panopticon, we wanted to show the way that each print was framed to suit the collector's taste.

Shannon's Frame:

- 8ply mat board

- slight bottom weight

- decorative brushed silver & gold wood frame

Liz's Frame:

- 4 ply mat board

- heavy bottom weight

- dark natural wood frame with a silver beaded fillet

About the artist:

Jaime Johnson grew up in Mississippi where the sounds of wild animals outside her window became her daily melody.  Jaime received her BFA from the University of Mississippi in Imaging Arts and her MFA in Photography from Louisiana Tech University. Johnson was awarded Honorable Mention for her experimental short, Flutter in the 11th Annual Oxford Film Festival in 2011.  Jaime was named a finalist for the 2015 Clarence John Laughlin Award and her work has been shown nationally in venues such as the Center for Fine Art Photography, The SOHO Photo Gallery in New York, The New Orleans Photo Alliance, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art . Her work has been published in Shots Magazine, Don't Take Pictures, Light Leaked, and Seites, and her series Untamed recently won the Grand Prize in Character: Portraits and Stories that Reveal the Human Condition, sponsored by Maine Media Workshops.

Make sure to check out Jaime Johnson's website and Etsy shop!

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.

Flash Forward- Container Show & Fence

Flash Forward Festival Boston and the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway invite you to the Festival’s closing party. Six shipping containers featuring the work of Gregor Schmatz, Daesung Lee and David Magnusson will be on display, along with the Photoville Fence and a special New England Photographers Fence on Cross Street. We are proud sponsors and printers for the Flash Forward Festival. Check out these great local, national and international photographers featured!

Yeah, You Missed It

YEAH, YOU MISSED IT! which opens next Friday features the work of Panopticon staff member Nick Schietromo! Make sure to see it before it's too late.

Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts

April 17th and 18th, 2015

Curated by Robert Moeller

Opening Reception: Friday, April 17, 6-9pm

About the Exhibition:

And perhaps, that’s the point. You missed it. This exhibition continues to explore the very temporary placement of art in both traditional and nontraditional venues. The show, part of an ongoing series, features a rotating group of both artists and curators, organized by Robert Moeller, who work together to program very brief pop-up exhibitions. These can range from informal backyard events to the embedding of new work into an existing art collection in someone’s home for an evening. This exhibition at the Mills Gallery, lasting only two days, has in its title the most likely response to questions about its brief existence: Yeah, you missed it!