Today I’m pleased to announce a new product on the webstore – Limited Edition Folios. Basically a cross between a traditional portfolio and a book, the Folios consist of 10 8.5 x 11 archival prints together with a cover page, a full page introduction with text and photos, and a print list with detailed notes about each image. All 14 pages are enclosed in a die-cut folder that creates the finished package. The advantages of this type of presentation are that though the Folio is meant to experienced as collection of prints that can be can be held in-hand, each print can also be framed and hung on a wall. Similarly, the Folio can be shared between family and friends in a living room setting and stored on a bookshelf like a book. My first collection is of course, the Hudson Valley!
I’d like to give credit for this ideas to Brooks Jensen of Lenswork, who inspired me to try and create my own Folios of favorite subjects and themes. Brooks has a whole series of black and white Folios which are quite beautiful, as well as being the publisher of the excellent Lenswork magazine , the best of its kind in my opinion. Do yourself a favor and pick up the latest issue at your favorite magazine hang-out (Barnes & Noble for me)!
As many of you know, I consider a print to be the final expression of a photographer’s vision, and I’ve always enjoyed holding prints in my hand. This is an experience that is mostly absent from the general buying public, so I really wanted to select a paper that would bring the prints to “life”. After trying many different choices, and countless side by side comparisons, I selected Canson Edition Etching 310gm weight fine art paper for its absolute luxurious feel and texture. It contains no optical brighteners, has a 100% cotton base, and just feels and looks fantastic.
I sign and date each print on the back, and the Folio is numbered for each edition. These will be limited to a total of 50, and I have several other editions in the works including “Trees“, “Acadia National Park” and “Black and White“. I’ll have these up on the website as soon as the writing and editing is done.
Another motivation for making these Folios is that they are sort of a prelude to my most ambitious project in the works, a coffee table book of the Hudson Valley. I’m still at least six months away from a preview version, but I’ll have more info and updates here as I get closer to finishing.
In the meantime, I’ve gotten great feedback on the Hudson Valley Folio, and look forward to having them available at all of the upcoming art shows. Of course they are available online with free shipping within the US. They make great gifts as well!
I’m a big fan of Seth Godin and all of his great books. He also has a great blog which I read regularly, and recently one of his posts made me think about fear versus determination and how it relates to success in any endeavor.
