Like most amateur photographers, the vast majority of my shots end up deep in the digital archive, never to be seen again, but for the last ten years or so I’ve been producing a calendar for my friends and family. Choosing the theme and the images makes me think about my work much more deeply, and is actually a great learning experience. I have 50 calendars printed each year, and they make great Christmas presents. Often during the year when I visit friends or family, I see my calendar on their wall, and I must say it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.
Thank you very much for your comments Alistair. That sounds like a great way to use your images and I am not surprised it gives you a sense of achievement as it is always good to see your work printed. The process of selecting 12 images for a calendar is never easy but it is a good learning exercise and as you say makes you think about things more deeply.
This is so great! I am inspired by this and Gil Moon Photography essay. Thank you!
I too have taken pictures over the years and have done two showing in my life. I would like to do it again. The calendar idea is a great way to get back in!
Alistair - I’ve started doing the same - and for a challenge with a bit of a theme as well (eg geography, subject, B &W) - I’ve also made a couple just for my own pleasure - a great way to really test what I think is any good. Where do you get yours made? Whitewall are amongst the best printers but at £19.99 that’s OK for a couple of calendars but not more?
I’ve used several printing firms including Photobox, but I haven’t tried Whitewall. In the last few years I’ve been most fortunate to get a special rate from a friend, but I’m sure he makes a loss on my order! Even so, it’s quite expensive to have 50 printed - but you know I think it’s worth every penny!
Agree about printing Gill. There’s a learning curve to climb to do it, but seeing your own image in print is very rewarding. Entering club competitions has nudged me to learn it. I have a frame in the living room which I display my latest favourite and revolve to something different monthly. Some of my photography friends may put an image on their wall if we’ve had a judge score it lower than we feel did it deserved, just to remind ourselves that we feel it’s something good. I enjoy making the odd photo book but find I need to do it very soon after a trip or it never gets done.
Thank you very much for your comments Terry. I think printing is the natural end point for a photograph. It allows us to spend more time with an image. I love the idea of a photo frame where you rotate the image inside - a great way to get better acquainted with different images.
I am a photographer who takes images just for my own enjoyment. This year I have taken a number of pictures that I would like to make prints of for my own use. I hear other photographers talking about printing their work and they talk about different types of paper to use and getting the right colour palette, can you do a blog to demystify this?
For some years now I have been making cards with my photographs which sell in my local library. Often I am asked about my photography and receive some very positive comments. I also receive orders from some of the people who purchase them. Each Christmas I make calendars for family and friends as well as making photograph books. I always get great pleasure from making these and also going through them from time to time bringing back some lovely memories.
I am sorry I cannot make your exhibition Gill. With best wishes. Mo Willis
Lovely to hear from you Mo and thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I am glad you are still taking images and making cards and calendars, it is a lovely way to get your images out there for others to enjoy.
Keep up the good work and have a happy Christmas. 🙂
Hello. I have a Canon Pixma printer IP8750, I use XL cartridges which are more cost effective and good quality photo paper. My PC is custom built with emphasis on printing photographs. Hope this is helpful.
Thanks Mo W - that is very helpful - I don't think the frequency or quality of my photographs justifies buying a printer yet - but something for the future.
Yes Gill, I agree about the importance of printing one's work. I started off many years ago with film and a 'wet' darkroom so if I didn't print my work it remained as a negative and was never seen anywhere. I changed to digital many years ago and actually enjoy digital printing more than the traditional way. I have much more control over the process with digital. I've been scanning negatives and the resulting prints are of a much higher quality than any prints from my darkroom. Having exhibitions can be a bit daunting but is very satisfying when you take the plunge. I've had exhibitions in my local pub, a cafe and several at the Beyond the Image gallery at Thornham Walks. I'm just starting to pull together images for a potential exhibition next year ad well as hand-making simple zines (or chapbooks if you prefer) which I give to friends and family. Sorry I can't get to you exhibition. We're going to Gibraltar to see family on Thursday and life has just been too hectic - roll on the New Year!
All the best
Mick Cant
ps - I've started a separate Instagram account for my colour work - @mickcant_colour.
Thank you very much for your comments Michael. It was interesting to read about your printing and exhibitions. I will definitely check out your colour page on Instagram. Have a great Christmas.
Gill, beautiful work! I'm happy to hear that you are having success selling prints. I print mostly for myself and a few select clients, now that I am retired. Its so rewarding to make, or have made, a large print of a special place. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for your comments. It is good to hear that you enjoy printing as I don't think you can beat the feeling of seeing your work in print.
Gill, I planned to print more this past year, but didn't do nearly as much as I had hoped. But it's definitely worthwhile, if only to become more discerning (critical?) of my images - while I produced some really nice prints, I had a few misses as well.
Thank you very much for your comments James. I agree with you, printing definitely forces us to be more critical about our images. I have been looking at all my shots on the gallery wall for a week now and it has been nice to really have time to contemplate them.
Great post. Indeed I have lots of great images that only I have seen. I have 15 or so hanging in my house. And as others have mentioned, I have been doing a calendar for the past 5 years that is given as a gift to friends and relatives. So each year 12 of my best images over the past year see the light of day and are given as gifts.
Couldn’t agree more. After two joint exhibitions this year with Dylan Nardini and David Queenan, I’m already thinking about what comes next. I’ve not written in here yet but I have half an article penned about the experiences of exhibiting. I’m looking for others who exhibit to express their thoughts and you have certainly contributed.
Thank you very much for your comments Grant. I would have loved to have come to your exhibition with Dylan and David; they are two photographers I really admire.
I look forward to reading your article when you have finished it.
Thanks for this informative post, Gill! I haven't shown my work in recent years, but I have done some shows including a 6 month one woman show with 35 pieces back in 2019. I sell prints locally and online via my social media. Books are something I have been toying with but have not done!
Thank you Gill! I enjoyed doing the 6 month show. Right after I finished that show the world shut down and then health issues cropped up. I’m in a fairly rural area so it can be hard to find a place to show your work. I think this coming year will be my year of the “book.”
Hi Gill....I would love to visit your exhibition...too far ... maybe another time... You've raised an interesting subject...I am in the process of putting all my favourite images into a specific folder...Then hopefully will start to print them...maybe storing them in an art box .. People keep asking me to print a calendar.... One thing i've been doing for a wee while is transferring my images onto my Samsung TV ... Seeing them on a 30'' TV screen really brings them alive... Pete
Thank you very much for your comments Pete. That sounds like a great way to view your images and its lovely to be able to show a few rotating in one frame. I hope you get to print some too as it a lovely alternative to digital viewing.
Good luck with your exhibition Gill. I've exhibited in group and solo shows, enjoying the experience of showing my work and of people engaging enough with an image that they want to buy it. It is hard work though! I haven't done so for a while and there is a trend that photobooks or zines are a more popular, cost effective and accessible way for people to invest in photographers work in the current financial climate. I have also visited many exhibitions now with photographers showing work unframed to make an exhibition more cost effective for them which is understandable. Me - I love and collect books and am currently working on a zine or book of a long running project, yet there's nothing like seeing the image on the wall in a frame!
Thank you very much for your comments Lin and I agree with everything you say. Putting on an exhibition is expensive and sometimes it is hard to justify the cost. But I love interacting with everyone who visits and I learn so much about how my work is perceived. I also love making photo books from different projects. They are more cost effective and I love collecting them. Good luck with yours. 🙂
I am working towards my second exhibition with 2 other photographers, we have a very strong vision on how we want it to come across and look. Our initial exhibition was to "show off" our images to friends and family and anyone else that was interested, we very soon realised that those and others liked our art enough to make a purchase. It is hard work putting an exhibition together but the so rewarding to see ones images in print and hanging in a gallery. I print and mount my own images and there is something quite special about seeing the image emerge from the printer and then finished in a frame and mount.
Thank you so much for your comments Zoe. It is definitely hard work putting an exhibition together and I think the first one can be nerve-racking but ultimately good for confidence- it is lovely when people want to buy your work.
Your images are lovely and I look forward to seeing your next exhibition.
Interesting read. Every month I have printed a selection of photos of each of my grandchildren and mount them in traditional albums. Whenever we all have a day out I print 36 7x5 photos for an album. With 4 grandchildren there are quite a few albums!
I've never had any interest in printing and displaying my work, although I do have a website that I put very little effort into. For me, the experience of going out with my camera into the landscape and nature is the important thing, not so much the photos I bring home. Most of them never see the light of day, unless I happen to make a YouTube video and share them there.
I should add, I do landscape photography for fun, not to make money. I can understand and respect the viewpoint from those who want to monetize their work. It's an incredibly competitive and saturated genre, so I guess one needs to do do everything possible to get their work out there and sold.
Thank you very much for your comments Simon. I can appreciate what you say - being out in nature taking images is an important driver for me too. There is nothing like being in a wild landscape surrounded by nature.
Like most amateur photographers, the vast majority of my shots end up deep in the digital archive, never to be seen again, but for the last ten years or so I’ve been producing a calendar for my friends and family. Choosing the theme and the images makes me think about my work much more deeply, and is actually a great learning experience. I have 50 calendars printed each year, and they make great Christmas presents. Often during the year when I visit friends or family, I see my calendar on their wall, and I must say it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.
Thank you very much for your comments Alistair. That sounds like a great way to use your images and I am not surprised it gives you a sense of achievement as it is always good to see your work printed. The process of selecting 12 images for a calendar is never easy but it is a good learning exercise and as you say makes you think about things more deeply.
This is so great! I am inspired by this and Gil Moon Photography essay. Thank you!
I too have taken pictures over the years and have done two showing in my life. I would like to do it again. The calendar idea is a great way to get back in!
Thank you very much for your comments Nicole, I am glad you enjoyed the post.
Alistair - I’ve started doing the same - and for a challenge with a bit of a theme as well (eg geography, subject, B &W) - I’ve also made a couple just for my own pleasure - a great way to really test what I think is any good. Where do you get yours made? Whitewall are amongst the best printers but at £19.99 that’s OK for a couple of calendars but not more?
I’ve used several printing firms including Photobox, but I haven’t tried Whitewall. In the last few years I’ve been most fortunate to get a special rate from a friend, but I’m sure he makes a loss on my order! Even so, it’s quite expensive to have 50 printed - but you know I think it’s worth every penny!
Agree about printing Gill. There’s a learning curve to climb to do it, but seeing your own image in print is very rewarding. Entering club competitions has nudged me to learn it. I have a frame in the living room which I display my latest favourite and revolve to something different monthly. Some of my photography friends may put an image on their wall if we’ve had a judge score it lower than we feel did it deserved, just to remind ourselves that we feel it’s something good. I enjoy making the odd photo book but find I need to do it very soon after a trip or it never gets done.
Thank you very much for your comments Terry. I think printing is the natural end point for a photograph. It allows us to spend more time with an image. I love the idea of a photo frame where you rotate the image inside - a great way to get better acquainted with different images.
I am a photographer who takes images just for my own enjoyment. This year I have taken a number of pictures that I would like to make prints of for my own use. I hear other photographers talking about printing their work and they talk about different types of paper to use and getting the right colour palette, can you do a blog to demystify this?
Thank you very much for your comments Andy. I will try and write something in the new year about this as its something I get asked about a lot.
For some years now I have been making cards with my photographs which sell in my local library. Often I am asked about my photography and receive some very positive comments. I also receive orders from some of the people who purchase them. Each Christmas I make calendars for family and friends as well as making photograph books. I always get great pleasure from making these and also going through them from time to time bringing back some lovely memories.
I am sorry I cannot make your exhibition Gill. With best wishes. Mo Willis
Lovely to hear from you Mo and thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I am glad you are still taking images and making cards and calendars, it is a lovely way to get your images out there for others to enjoy.
Keep up the good work and have a happy Christmas. 🙂
Mo - can you recommend a good card printer that gets you quality at a price you can make money on when selling? thanks
Hello. I have a Canon Pixma printer IP8750, I use XL cartridges which are more cost effective and good quality photo paper. My PC is custom built with emphasis on printing photographs. Hope this is helpful.
Thanks Mo W - that is very helpful - I don't think the frequency or quality of my photographs justifies buying a printer yet - but something for the future.
Yes Gill, I agree about the importance of printing one's work. I started off many years ago with film and a 'wet' darkroom so if I didn't print my work it remained as a negative and was never seen anywhere. I changed to digital many years ago and actually enjoy digital printing more than the traditional way. I have much more control over the process with digital. I've been scanning negatives and the resulting prints are of a much higher quality than any prints from my darkroom. Having exhibitions can be a bit daunting but is very satisfying when you take the plunge. I've had exhibitions in my local pub, a cafe and several at the Beyond the Image gallery at Thornham Walks. I'm just starting to pull together images for a potential exhibition next year ad well as hand-making simple zines (or chapbooks if you prefer) which I give to friends and family. Sorry I can't get to you exhibition. We're going to Gibraltar to see family on Thursday and life has just been too hectic - roll on the New Year!
All the best
Mick Cant
ps - I've started a separate Instagram account for my colour work - @mickcant_colour.
Thank you very much for your comments Michael. It was interesting to read about your printing and exhibitions. I will definitely check out your colour page on Instagram. Have a great Christmas.
Gill, beautiful work! I'm happy to hear that you are having success selling prints. I print mostly for myself and a few select clients, now that I am retired. Its so rewarding to make, or have made, a large print of a special place. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for your comments. It is good to hear that you enjoy printing as I don't think you can beat the feeling of seeing your work in print.
Gill, I planned to print more this past year, but didn't do nearly as much as I had hoped. But it's definitely worthwhile, if only to become more discerning (critical?) of my images - while I produced some really nice prints, I had a few misses as well.
Thank you very much for your comments James. I agree with you, printing definitely forces us to be more critical about our images. I have been looking at all my shots on the gallery wall for a week now and it has been nice to really have time to contemplate them.
Great post. Indeed I have lots of great images that only I have seen. I have 15 or so hanging in my house. And as others have mentioned, I have been doing a calendar for the past 5 years that is given as a gift to friends and relatives. So each year 12 of my best images over the past year see the light of day and are given as gifts.
Thank you very much for your comments Paul, I am glad you enjoyed the post.
Calendars are a lovely way to display your work and I am sure your friends and relatives really appreciate them.
Couldn’t agree more. After two joint exhibitions this year with Dylan Nardini and David Queenan, I’m already thinking about what comes next. I’ve not written in here yet but I have half an article penned about the experiences of exhibiting. I’m looking for others who exhibit to express their thoughts and you have certainly contributed.
Thank you very much for your comments Grant. I would have loved to have come to your exhibition with Dylan and David; they are two photographers I really admire.
I look forward to reading your article when you have finished it.
Thanks for this informative post, Gill! I haven't shown my work in recent years, but I have done some shows including a 6 month one woman show with 35 pieces back in 2019. I sell prints locally and online via my social media. Books are something I have been toying with but have not done!
Thank you very much for your comments Pamela, it is always interesting to hear what others do with their work. A 6 month show sounds amazing!
Books are one of my favourite ways to show my images and I really enjoy producing them. Good luck if you decide to go down that route.
Thank you Gill! I enjoyed doing the 6 month show. Right after I finished that show the world shut down and then health issues cropped up. I’m in a fairly rural area so it can be hard to find a place to show your work. I think this coming year will be my year of the “book.”
Hi Gill....I would love to visit your exhibition...too far ... maybe another time... You've raised an interesting subject...I am in the process of putting all my favourite images into a specific folder...Then hopefully will start to print them...maybe storing them in an art box .. People keep asking me to print a calendar.... One thing i've been doing for a wee while is transferring my images onto my Samsung TV ... Seeing them on a 30'' TV screen really brings them alive... Pete
Thank you very much for your comments Pete. That sounds like a great way to view your images and its lovely to be able to show a few rotating in one frame. I hope you get to print some too as it a lovely alternative to digital viewing.
Good luck with your exhibition Gill. I've exhibited in group and solo shows, enjoying the experience of showing my work and of people engaging enough with an image that they want to buy it. It is hard work though! I haven't done so for a while and there is a trend that photobooks or zines are a more popular, cost effective and accessible way for people to invest in photographers work in the current financial climate. I have also visited many exhibitions now with photographers showing work unframed to make an exhibition more cost effective for them which is understandable. Me - I love and collect books and am currently working on a zine or book of a long running project, yet there's nothing like seeing the image on the wall in a frame!
Thank you very much for your comments Lin and I agree with everything you say. Putting on an exhibition is expensive and sometimes it is hard to justify the cost. But I love interacting with everyone who visits and I learn so much about how my work is perceived. I also love making photo books from different projects. They are more cost effective and I love collecting them. Good luck with yours. 🙂
I am working towards my second exhibition with 2 other photographers, we have a very strong vision on how we want it to come across and look. Our initial exhibition was to "show off" our images to friends and family and anyone else that was interested, we very soon realised that those and others liked our art enough to make a purchase. It is hard work putting an exhibition together but the so rewarding to see ones images in print and hanging in a gallery. I print and mount my own images and there is something quite special about seeing the image emerge from the printer and then finished in a frame and mount.
Thank you so much for your comments Zoe. It is definitely hard work putting an exhibition together and I think the first one can be nerve-racking but ultimately good for confidence- it is lovely when people want to buy your work.
Your images are lovely and I look forward to seeing your next exhibition.
Hi Gill, I’d really love to sell my photos at a market but unsure if anyone would buy them. What paper type do you use for your exhibition?
Thank you very much for your comments Philip. I use Hahnemühle Photo Rag paper because I love the matt finish and the painterly look that it gives.
Interesting read. Every month I have printed a selection of photos of each of my grandchildren and mount them in traditional albums. Whenever we all have a day out I print 36 7x5 photos for an album. With 4 grandchildren there are quite a few albums!
Thank you very much Tom, I am glad you enjoyed it. Printing images for a family album sounds perfect and will provide lovely memories in the future.
I've never had any interest in printing and displaying my work, although I do have a website that I put very little effort into. For me, the experience of going out with my camera into the landscape and nature is the important thing, not so much the photos I bring home. Most of them never see the light of day, unless I happen to make a YouTube video and share them there.
I should add, I do landscape photography for fun, not to make money. I can understand and respect the viewpoint from those who want to monetize their work. It's an incredibly competitive and saturated genre, so I guess one needs to do do everything possible to get their work out there and sold.
Good luck with the exhibition!
Thank you very much for your comments Simon. I can appreciate what you say - being out in nature taking images is an important driver for me too. There is nothing like being in a wild landscape surrounded by nature.