Buying prints

Jim Goldstein is currently running his annual "Buy Prints" project. He is encouraging photographers and others to contact their favorite photographers and buy one or more of their prints. He sums up the project better than I could:

One of the unique aspects of digital photography is that we’re now able to enjoy photographic work with out viewing it in printed form. More so now than ever before supporting a photographer is shown almost exclusively online through photo forums, blogs, and other online communities. While viewing photographs online is easy and relatively inexpensive it is a hollow experience by comparison to holding an actual print from a photographer you respect and admire.

The goal of this project is to introduce fine art photography, photography books, print exchanges, and other photography related products to photography fans of all walks of life. It is also to spur photography fans to think in terms of financially supporting talented photographers so they can continue to do what they love.

I wasn't able to participate in the project last year, but I'm hoping to this year. A brief look through my Flickr Favorites turns up quite a number of photos that I would be happy to hang on my wall. And even if I pick something that my lovely wife doesn't approve of, I have 3 and a half walls in my cubical at work that are open for photos :).

Real prints are a different beast then digital photos. It's one thing to have a photo as your desktop, but something entirely different to have a tangible photo handing on your wall. A well printed photograph can evoke emotions that a digital one can't. It's not that digital photos are inferior, just different.

I don't know how many of the photographers represented in my flickr fav's are professional photographers. The ones that are probably have photos out of my price range (the range isn't huge to begin with). But it doesn't hurt to ask, and it can only help the photography community if people start recognizing talent with more than just a comment about the photo.

While it may seem like it, this isn't a request for people to buy my photos. Buy art that you like, that speaks to you, that makes you feel warm or challenged or reminiscent. Don't buy art out of some ill-conceived duty to the artist. Buy it because it speaks to you.

Photo above by I, Timmy.

RIP Fez

We put Fez down today.

It wasn't an easy choice but it was obvious. He hadn't been eating much lately, he hadn't be moving around much and he was getting sick to his stomach more and more frequently. We had done everything we could for him and further procedures would have only prolonged his discomfort for our sake. It was time to let go.

Fez was the youngest of our cats. He was another rescue from the Humane Society; scheduled to be put down the day Tara brought him home to 'foster' him. He quickly became a member of our family, bossing the other cats and owning the joint. He ate whatever was dropped on the floor often before he could tell what it was. He never learned to hiss. He frequently came to the door to greet you after a long day of work (although, that may just have been him wanting to be fed). Always a great photographers subject, I have over 200 photos of him at last count.

Goodbye Fez. You will be missed.