Photography/Printing Experiences

[LarryB]

I just wanted to share my general printing experiences from the point of view of a teacher/chemist. I first learned of this site through the Nikonians site. After learning about Jon Cone inks, I purchased an R3000 which has produced fantastic prints. My daughter just loved a print I made of the Lonsdale Quay on Red River Aurora Art Natural, and has it hanging in her room. My son liked the print of the new Port Mann bridge.

My chemistry background piques my interest in pigment and dye based printing. There is so much secrecy in the formulations, but learning here and elsewhere about inorganic based vs organic based dyes and pigments, along with understanding the workings of encapsulation pushes my desire to learn more and experiment. When I got into this earlier this year, I felt I would be happy with simple inexpensive Red River papers. However, since I got interested in using a second printer for matte prints, I’ve experimented with a clogged R2880, and learned a lot from IJM, and Brian, and my own experiments with this printer. (I’ve probably horrified the IJM staff with this experimenting, but I’ve learned a lot in the process…)

Now, recently, with my looking into the Artisan 1430, my decision has been aided by Brian, Kelly, and Jeff. Funny how so much help and knowledge is coming from “down under”, or am I the down under? After reading Jeff’s threads regarding the 1430, I’m beginning to think about experimenting with better papers.

And all this started with my desire to make archival quality photo albums.

Sorry about the rambling, but I wanted to thank Dana, Kelly, Brian, and Jeff. They’ve all played a role in pushing my interests.

Larry