Michael's artist friend, Ctein (one name only; like "Cher") is a master die transfer print maker and photographer and he's selling off his collection (built over decades of hard work and mastery) of gorgeous prints on Michael's blog. A look through the work is a fun way to spend time on a post-Thanksgiving Friday. Sitting in front of a nice, warm monitor with a hot cup of coffee in your hands while taking in the results of what might have been the most beautiful print process every invented for color photography....now very rare.
Can you say, "collectible"?
I don't want to compete, visually, so I'm tossing up a black and white print here just to stay with my tradition of always putting a visual image in the blog post.
If you don't know Michael Johnston's site; https://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/
You should. He's a great writer and one of the few writers on the web who understands both the art of photography, the art of art, and the art of writing about photographic art. His past experience also makes him a steady hand when it comes to discussing and dissecting cameras and (especially) the lure of lenses. Try his site. It's free. You'll thank me. He's a better writer than me but I hope you'll come back here, at least sporadically, after you've discovered his work, just to see what new camera system I might have changed to in the interim...
Seriously though, a sale of die transfer prints like this, by a master printer, is a rare thing and worth a look. Costs nothing to browse...
Here's my somber photograph from today's walk:
Ooops. I snuck in a second shot. (Below).
Both with a Lumix S1R and the adapted 50mm Carl Zeiss 50mm 1.7
https://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2019/11/master-dye-transfer-print-sale-one-week-only.html
I have to agree with you Kirk. Dye transfer has to be one of the most beautiful print processes for photo (although Carbro and Cibachrome also yielded beautiful prints). So sad they are just about gone. As a teenager I used to help my father both on location, in the studio, and in the lab where he produced spectacular dye transfer prints.
ReplyDeleteMore to the point - I own some of Ctein's dye transfer prints. Having seen many prints in production and in their final state, I also agree with you that his prints are gorgeous - the product of great photographs and a world class master printmaker.
Anyone reading this post: I have no connection to Ctein other than as an owner of some of his work. If you do not know about this final sale or about Ctein, I thoroughly recommend you follow Kirk's link and see what you are missing.
Jon Maxim
This print sale is going to make some very special Christmas gifts for my family, cannot wait to see them in person! Two years ago I purchased some of Peter Turnley's black and whites from Paris which the Master Printer Voja Mitrovic created and each of the girls received one of those. With this purchase I feel like I at least got them exposed to some of the best work available in both genres. Portrait sale Kirk?
ReplyDeletekirk, i really like the photo you took of yourself in the mirror. Not a big fan of B&W, but that one WORKS!
ReplyDeleteI bought a picture of the aurora borealis from Ctein's previous most recent sale through TOP, a few months ago - it is now framed and hanging on my living room wall, next to a Peter Turnley print of Paris from a previous TOP sale. Alas, I've blown my print budget for the year and will have to pass on the dye transfers, but even his digital aurora print is spectacular.
ReplyDeleteKen
Actually, it's not a cold and rainy day where I live, which apparently isn't in the center of the known universe. Or Austin, Texas for that matter.
ReplyDeleteOne of your recent posts made me buy a Zeiss 50mm 1.7 like the one shown in the bottom picture of this post. The C/Y to E-Mount adapter arrived yesterday and I have tested the lens throughly. I have had a lot of adapted lenses, mostly Leicas from my M6 and M7 days, but also several Zuikos which I remember fondly from my OM1, 2n and 4ti days. And some other brands too. As I was an early E-Mount guy, I have seen a lot of mediocre, to say the least, adaptors. The one I just bought is, however, a marvel of mechanical engineering. And it looks good too, brand name URTH.
ReplyDeleteAnd the lens, it is the best of all adapted lenses I have ever tried. I paid € 103 for a like-new copy. Not everybody thinks this lens is top notch. But at least we two agree.