The release of next year's PDML Photo Annual will coincide with an exhibition of photos from the book at the Dank Haus gallery in Chicago, Illinois, USA, May 7th through June 12th, 2010.
After much planning and discussion, the PDML's own Christine Aguila succeeded in facilitating an agreement between Dank Haus Gallery in Chicago and the editors of the PDML Photo Annual (and considering that the "editorial staff" includes myself, Bill Robb, Doug Brewer and Scott Loveless, that's quite an achievement!) for an actual exhibit of physical prints to celebrate the publication of the next book. As you'll see, this wasn't as simple as one might think. Read onÂ… First, the book itself. The last book was quite a rush project, and having the image submission period extending through the Thanksgiving-Christmas holiday season didn't make it any easier. So we've decided to push it back this time around, which will also get the book release closer to the time-frame of the gallery exhibit (which was slotted in the only workable dates the gallery had open). Image submissions will be accepted (via a web site as before) from January 1st through February 28th. Any PDML member in good standing of January 1st will be allotted one photograph in the book. Members will be permitted to submit up to three photographs for the book, to give the editors more latitude for creating a cohesive presentation. Those who want to be the sole determinant of what image they get into the book can do so by submitting just one image. Those who make the editors' jobs easier by submitting two or three images will receive our undying gratitude, at the very least :) The book is slated to be edited and completed electronically by the middle of March and the editors should have proofs in hand about two weeks later. If the proofs look good, the book will be available to PDML members immediately. (If revision is necessary there will be a delay of another two weeks or so.) "Official" publication will be on May 7 when the exhibit opens. The Exhibit The exhibit curator will be Sue Barton, curator of Dank Haus Gallery and chair of the Dank Haus Fine Arts Committee, who will select approximately 40 images from the book for display. Obviously, we expect to have more than 40 photos in the book so, equally obviously, not everyone will have their photograph represented in the exhibit. Much as we'd like to show everyone's photo, it just isn't physically possible. The final arbiter of photos chosen for the exhibit will be Sue Barton of Dank Haus. To insure consistency and quality of prints, I will be making all the prints here. We can't be shipping prints all over the planet and, more importantly, Sue Barton isn't willing to put on an exhibition of prints based on web images unless she knows the prints will be consistent and is familiar with work of the printer. (The only alternative would be for people to ship prints to her for evaluation/selection and that's clearly a non-starter.) I'll print on either Hahnemuehl Fine Art Pearl or Ilford Gold Fibre Silk paper. Sizes will be approximately 8 x 12 or 12 x 18, as decided upon by the curator based on technical quality and artistic considerations. Framing will be done in Chicago. Christine Aguila has been doing a lot of leg-work on this and has succeeded in getting several framing shops to bid on the honor of doing the job. No kidding. This will assure us of getting very good pricing. Yes, you're going to have to pay for the printing and framing if you want to be in the exhibit. But the good news is that what you pay will be less than you could possibly get the same quality work done for yourself. A lot less. (I'm paying over $200.00 per 12x18 print for good framing these days. I expect the PDML price will be about half that, possibly less.) Prices will be definite by the time the image submission period begins. Sales of prints at the exhibition: Yes, you might even make a profit from this deal. Those whose photos are selected for the exhibition will have the option of offering the print for sale at the gallery. This will be subject to the gallery's standard terms (most importantly, their commission!), which Sue Barton will describe in detail before this whole thing goes on line. In lieu of signing the prints that are offered for sale (not possible with this centralized printing scheme), artists will be able to provide a "Certificate of Authenticity" for their print. This will be emailed out as a PDF or JPEG, to be printed out and signed by the photographer and mailed back. The price PDML members pay for printing & framing will not include return shipping after the exhibit (for obvious reasons: Varying size, weight and destinations, as well as the possibility that the print might sell at the exhibit). You will be able to pick up your print in person when the exhibit ends or make arrangements with the gallery to have it shipped to you. If any of this seems unacceptable to you, for cost or some other reason, fear not: There's no requirement that you participate in the exhibition part of the project. When you upload your photos for the book, you will have the option of making them eligible for the gallery exhibition (or not). Either way, you'll be represented in the PDML Photo Annual. (Oh yes, the 2008/9 book is still available: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/573542) -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
