Make Spectacular Reflection-Free Framed Prints
By Al Warfield– After you’ve gone to the effort of taking the perfect shot, making the perfect print, and choosing the perfect frame, why spoil your image by framing it under glass where a myriad of reflections will wreck its beauty? It’s easy to eliminate reflections on framed prints made with Red River Matte and Fine Art Matte papers; you’ll also have the added advantage of displaying an image as large as the frame size instead of a...
Back To Basics: Quick ‘n Easy Print Framing!
By Peter E. Randall— Based on nearly sixty years of experience, I believe there are two major elements to photography. The first part is the making of an image, whether on film, digital or smartphone. The other aspect is what to do with it. Today, internet programs such as Instagram or Facebook appear to be the prime destinations for digital images. This may be momentarily satisfying, but it does nothing for the long-term appreciation...
Documenting Maine’s Penobscot River Wilderness. Part 2
By Zac Durant— The first half of my trip was leisurely paced down the West Branch of the Penobscot and I had time to enjoy and photograph much of the river’s wildlife including an industrious beaver who simply ignored me, an inquisitive moose, and low flying eagles that soared by. And then there was the peculiar jack rabbit who paddled out in the shallows and hopped onto a protruding rock. As I approached, he seemed unconcerned by my...
Texture, Deckle and Float Your Flower Images!
By Christine Pentecost— Living in Montana, where the winters are long, I decided to give myself a photographic challenge, so I could enjoy my flowers year round. I wanted to photograph fresh bouquets of flowers, but in a way that I could have unique backgrounds, which could easily be changed. I also wanted a new way to present them at the many shows I exhibit at. Here’s an overview of three techniques to make your flower...
Unique Frames Give Images Extra Pop
By Arthur H. Bleich— Frames are fantastic for making your images stand out, but rather than going for traditional plain ones, here are some unusual options (and the stories behind them) to make your pictures shine. We’ve even obtained some special deals just for Red River Paper blog readers should you be interested in purchasing some of them. Ross and Kristen Hunter live in Edinburgh, Scotland and have always been attuned to things...
Photos Overlooked For 35 Years–Found!
By Peter E. Randall— Sand and surf. Babes in bikinis and babies in diapers. Muscular teenagers and spry golden agers. Boardwalks and arcades. These were among my subjects in the summer of 1983 at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire’s largest tourist destination, where I set out to document tourists relaxing, playing, and romancing. I like challenges so when a friend gave me a small Olympus XA camera, I thought it would be a fine tool for...
Kaitlin Walsh– Merging Art With Anatomy
by Arthur H. Bleich– Kaitlin Walsh is a biomedical artist– a rarity in the art world. Her beautifully crafted, abstract anatomy watercolor paintings celebrate the wonders of the human body in ways so imaginative it’s sometimes hard not to fall in love with her deadly cancer cells or even mundane parts of the human body, like an ankle, so beautifully are they executed. These are not those sterile pictures you see hung on the walls in...
Fine Art Inkjet Printing
By Jim Nickelson– I’m often asked from friends, family, and even other photographers about why I bother printing my work when the whole world seems to be moving digital. For me, the reason is simple: creating a fine art print is my primary purpose in making photographs. As is likely becoming obvious, I am a strong proponent and champion of the fine print. If you are a photographer, I think it is essential to eventually print...
Frank Hamrick– Handcrafted Photobooks
By Arthur H. Bleich– When Frank Hamrick was ten he traded his sister an old hat for a plastic 35mm camera she’d gotten from a kid on the school bus who’d gotten it from his father who’d gotten it from an auto dealer as a premium for test driving a car. And so began an illustrious arts career for this now-40-year-old “superstar of southern art,” an accolade bestowed by the prestigious Oxford American Magazine. His work mixes...
Make Big Images With Small Desktop Printers
By Christine Pentecost– I have a beautiful, scenic image in my collection that begged to be displayed larger than could be output by my desktop printer– which only can use letter-sized paper. Surely, I thought, there must be some way to solve this problem and, as it turns out, there is. Image Splitter is a very simple-to-use (and free) software program that takes an image and quickly divides it into sections which can then be sized to...
Exhibit Your Photos for Prestige and Profit
By Peter E. Randall– For most photographers, the chance to have a one-person exhibit is an exciting opportunity. Then reality sets in and it’s apparent that having an exhibit is more stressful and difficult than making the photographs in the first place. The most ideal opportunity is to be invited to show by a major gallery or a museum, but for most of us that’s not an option. We don’t have the reputation or the following...
New Palo Duro Etching Paper Makes “Botanica Spectrum” Bloom
By Shamsy Roomiani– I photograph natural textures and specimens that inspire me using my digital SLR camera and my iPhone camera. These photos are used as reference for my sculptures and drawings, as well as sources for my digital collages. When constructing my digital collages, I work with a collection of photos and then pair them to create a unique conversation within each composition. I then manipulate the piece to create intense...
Fuse Your Photos to Stone and Tile for Unique Gifts and Stunning Displays
By Christine Pentecost– Finding a unique niche in today’s world of photography is not the easiest thing to do. Fortunately, something as simple as making your own coasters, trivets or hanging wall decorations using inexpensive tile, Mod Podge and Red River photo papers is an easy yet wonderfully creative way to share your photography. I begin by sizing my images to fit the stone or tile I will be using. For a 4-inch square...
Frame Your Images for Maximum Impact!
By Arthur H. Bleich– Throughout history, great works of art have been showcased in frames and your best images deserve no less. It’s amazing how they’ll stand out and gain stature; a framed photograph seems to announce: “Look at me, I’m worthy of viewing!” But how do you choose the right frame? For years I’ve put off framing my best images for two reasons. First, I wasn’t up to learning how to frame from scratch; for example, making...
Nothing Says it Better Than A Photographic Print
By Drew Hendrix– I have a friend whose daughter died when she was a teenager but he still greets her every day with: “Hi kiddo, how’s it going?” And he says she always replies with a smile from within her picture frame on the wall. He told me that when he views her image on a computer or cellphone screen, it just doesn’t seem as real. Nor would many of our memories be as pleasurable to recall if they had to be dug out from...
How Well Do You Know Your Aspect Ratio?
By Shelly Katz– Recently, a puzzling question crossed my desk – yes, it was a Monday. Question: Do you have a chart of what is the most standard actual print sizes to fit on a certain paper size. EX: 17×22 paper size – renders a 18×12 print Thanks! My Reply: At first all I could say is that any size image up to the size of the paper would surely fit, and although I wasn’t quite sure what the writer was...
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