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 on…
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)