Tag: print

Product Review: Backlit Box

Jason3 Comments

When the folks over at www.backlitbox.com approached me about reviewing the product and participating in the initial research and design of their new product, I was happy to oblige as new products that come into the marketplace are always engaging to participate in during development. So, I submitted one print for work-up, considering the line of products (images back-lit by laser lights). I chose a shot of the moon hanging beautifully over the harbor of South Carolina. When I got the product, I was skeptical at first because there was hardly any color to the image. However, when I plugged it in, the color became quite brilliant, and lit things amazingly well – better than I would have anticipated.

I did have some notes to go back to Faxon (the owner): the back of the box had no hanging wire mechanism, which put me in an awkward position of having to nail a picture hanger into the box myself, and without knowing how it was wired up for electrical, made for a potentially damaging situation. The other thing I noticed is that a thin line of light was evident around the perimeter of the box on all four sides. As we discussed at length later, this was an unfortunate side effect of the production line, with no real professional way to mask this light spill (we both agreed that gaffers tape or electrical tape would just look rather amateurish).

Not long after that, I had an idea when noticing a piece of trim molding in my office was peeling…what if there was a thin piece of trim molding that surrounded the print…this could effectively black out the border thereby avoiding the light spillage. I relayed the thoughts to Faxon, and shortly before I left for my trip, he informed me that the 2nd generation product was ready to ship and to send another photo in for production.

After sending in another image (a sunset over Folly Beach), I got the updated product literally 24 hours before my departure on vacation, and the end of the April contest series…so the review had to wait until now.

First off, let me say that I was (and am) very impressed with the professionalism that Faxon exhibited during the entire research and development process. Not only did he take constructive criticism well, but he also was quick to implement changes where improvements were desired, including not only a photo hanger on the back now, but also the trim molding to effectively eliminate the the white line of light around the border.  Take a look:

The image looks amazing and I was surprised even that it was one from my own portfolio! Give the image quality, back-lit intensity, and visual appeal from this product, I must heartily give it a two-thumbs up rating, even though it is likely still in development. While most products usually are, this one even more so as he continues to improve upon the original design to deliver a better quality product to his client base. For the cost of printing, it almost is a no-brainer to consider these as part of your portfolio of products to offer clients. I’ve seen two different landscapes, and Faxon has shown me displays of portrait work and architecture work as well that have really rocked my socks off!

It’s a great product that will only improve with time, and is something every photographer should have both in their own portfolio, and as a product offering to their clients. For more information, and to upload/order your own images for production, please visit www.backlitbox.com

For those interested in having product reviews done on your own product line, please feel free to email me, as always. I do also appreciate the many requests for reviews of various products from the readership here, and all it takes is a request to me for a review to begin the process of communication with respective vendors for review copies, so keep chiming in with these ideas – it’s your suggestions that keep the product reviews coming, so sound off in the comments with what you’d like me to review next! Until then, happy shooting!

Framing your work

Jason6 Comments

Framing your work can be an expensive proposition.  Once you get an archival mat, conservation glass, and a custom frame created for your print – you can start spending upwards of $100 for something as small as an 8×10 print.  Depending on what it is you want to accomplish though, you could easily be spending as little as $10 per print to mat and frame.  Here’s a few things to consider, and some explanations why:

Classics are called classics for a reason – they work!

I like classic looks, and the museum style frame suits that look – a thin black border, simple white mat, and picture inside there.  Not only does it keep focus on the image, but because I can buy these easily and in bulk, which helps keep costs down.  Also, it makes ordering new materials easier (these will never go out of style…)  Even if you end up going through a frame shop, getting a classic style can make it easier to match things up down the road.  So, what if classic is not your thing?  That’s cool too – but remember, the more off the beaten path you go in framing, the tougher it can be to duplicate and repeat down the road (which can also increase costs).

Be aware of the learning curve

Buying things in bulk means you will have to do a little of the legwork yourself.   For instance, say you buy 50 mats from some online reseller and save money there.  Congratulations – but do you know how to mount a print to a mat?  You can tape a print, hinge it, or even super glue it.  Each will have pros and cons, and your results will vary depending on how much you know before dipping your toes in the water – so read up on attaching prints to mats before deciding to DIY.  (Quick tip:  You’ll ne to stockpile various supplies depending on your eventual display method including things like hinges, foam core board, low tack tape, perhaps a few cans of spray-on adhesive and perhaps a few Exact-o blades if you are cutting your own mats to custom sizes.  Heck, they even make mat cutters that you can get at hobby shops!)

Some Supplies
Some Supplies

Don’t Go Overboard

Much like the mat work, framing can be tricky in and of itself.  Making your own mats can be initially be pricey to get all the tools you will need (see above) .  Framing is no cheap project either.  Making your own frames involves getting long lengths of the borders, cutting at precise angles, and making sure it all seams together cleanly.  It requires patience, attention to detail, and specific tools which can be a drain on the wallet (Have you priced a miter saw at Lowe’s or Home Depot?  Even the cheap ones aren’t real cheap!)  So, if you want to go the DIY route, know that some startup costs will be associated with it.

Storage Issues

Physical prints, physical mats, physical frames, physical glass pieces – all of these take space.  How do you store all this stuff and in some semblance of order?  First off – find an understanding and encouraging significant other?  Don’t have one?  Make that a requirement if you do!  The amount of space that is involved in storing not only the obvious stuff, but the not-s0-obvious stuff, can be staggering!  I have so many boxes of materials it really is ridiculous.  It helps to have a system though, and labels are always a good idea.

Shoeboxes make great sizes for lots of things
Shoeboxes make great sizes for lots of things

Never have enough storage
Never have enough storage
Never have enough storage
Never have enough storage

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So, there’s my trifecta of tips for framing your work. It’s just a starting point, but will hopefully help when you decide to start framing your work for display.  The results can be rewarding, but like anything else,  with a little work, pre-planning and preparedness, you will be well on your way to having a gratifying gallery of imagery!

Some Prints on the Wall
Some Prints on the Wall

Some More Prints on the Wall
Some More Prints on the Wall

Keep in mind though – I certainly do not have a corner on the tips and tricks associated with matting, framing, and displaying your work…there are many other elements to consider and be aware of.  Just peruse the comments here to see a sample of what I am talking about – oh wait, that means you gotta share your own tips, tricks and ideas in the comments too!  So, sound off – what else do people do when preparing prints for framing?  Any styles that work?  Any vendors to recommend?

That’s it for today…thanks for stopping in, and be sure to stop back again tomorrow for more photo goodness.  Happy shooting and we’ll see you then!

MPix Pro: Review

Jason3 Comments

LIke many other serious hobbyists and enthusiasts, I had heard a great deal about Mpix and their new featured printing options for professional and serious photographers under the umbrella of Mpix Pro.  I recently had a chance to sit down and go through the application process.  it was pretty painless, and as long as you have a website for photography, and a decent stable of work, you can opt for the Mpix Pro option.

After submitting your name and website for review, you will receive an email with a link to upload 5 images for print.  These 5 images are then printed as 8×10 photos and sent back to you – free! That’s right, you get 5 8×10 photos for free.  Basically though, these are intended to be used to check your monitor and color work flow for accuracy because they do not do color correction on them.  All 5 of the photos I got back printed very well, and I am happy with my color work flow at this point.

So, now the Mpix Pro printing options are available to me which includes many additional printing options for things like calendars, tickets, sports cards, mugs, and pretty much anything else you can think of – at some pretty impressive prices too.  This work flow for printing is also excellent if you tend to batch print a lot of photos at once (say for wedding photographers, portrait photograpers, etc.)  You can order multiple quantities of any size print you want and any specialty prints all through their downloaded Rhoes printing services.

Another cool part of this is that you no longer have to go through the website – it’s all done through this software download.  Think of it kind of like the Flickr Uploader service, as it works on the same principles, but instead of uploading for publishing on a website – it’s uploading for printing.  No fuss, no muss, done in record time and you are right back in the studio or on the road, doing your work, and not waiting on websites, and sitting behind a computer when not needed.  It was pretty slick – I literally did just what their catch phrase says:  upload one night, they shipped the next day, and I received it the following day!  (It helps that I am in Colorado and their facilities are in Kansas – right next door!)

Finally, the last neat little feature about the Mpix Pro service is that they send you basically what I would call a swatch wheel of their various paper types, with photos printed on them so you can see what each looks like to get the exact results you want, how you want and when you want.  Great products, great pricing, and great service!  What else could you ask for in a printer?  Check them out today!

On a more blog-centric note, the next week or so I may not be on as much as I do have a few things coming up, but will check in and post when I can (the whole quality over quantity thing…)  In the meantime, I’ll drp a few not-so-subtle hints about helping to get the word out about both the blog and the podcast – completing a Digg review at PLM site is always appreciated, as are iTunes reviews.  Other ways to help the show including making your B&H purchases through the link on the sidebar and donating through the Paypal link further down.  The cool thing about the B&H link is that your price is the same regardless, but a few pennies come back here to help offset the cost of overhead, hosting, and all that goes into putting the CB/LDP content together.

Last but not least, the September contest is underway, and you can win BIG – a thinktank Bag system and a Topaz Labs Plugin bundle all for participating in the Flickr thread, so don’t delay, and join today!

Have a great weekend everyone and we’ll see you back here on Monday!

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