Finally got around to ordering prints for my office

Wall space is at a premium.
They don't have to all be on the wall all the time. I rotate what I have on the wall, especially the stuff I have in the "four seasons gallery" (two images of each season in the corners) in our dining room. And I constantly print anything I find even a semi-keeper from my trips at A4 size for archiving. I find making these smaller prints for hand viewing has made a real difference in how I view my pictures and also made me more critical of my work.
 
As an aside, anyone looking for frames should check out their local thrift shops. I have purchased brand new quality 8 x 10 wood frames still in their wrapping for anywhere from $1-$4, some with matting. Occasionally there will be an 11 x 14 or larger. My best buy was a brand new 16 x 20 unfinished frame for $6. Some would've cost $20-30 at the original store. In the US, the Goodwill and Salvation Army seem to have the best selections, and it seems like there's always a stack to choose from. Good used frames are a dollar or two.
 
For those of you who haven't printed in a long time, or maybe some who've never printed and have only seen their photos on a screen, get something printed. And no, I don't mean 5 x 7 or even 8 x 10, get something big. The satisfaction of holding them in your hands is fantastic. 11 x 14 at least!
I quite agree with you, if you have the space, get something big.
This is my 90x50 cm each "Four Seasons" panel I put up in the staircase as a welcome greeting for my guests:
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I preferred posters here to framed versions.
 
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TA DAAA! Just some crappy cellphone shots, glare and all. Three of the 8 x 10s turned out darker than I'd like. I haven't figured out yet whether it was me or them. They have a guarantee, so I'll contact them once I figure it out.

The clock was a gift from my daughter. The photo is my shot, looking out past the bombardier's seat on a B-17. The whale tale was from a trip to CA to visit her when she was in school. These are the only two that made the trip from my old office. Fun Facts: Whale Tale photo from a Kodak 612.

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The autumn barn shots. I had a poll up last year here in the forum to vote on which of 8 or so would get printed. The only one I changed my mind on is the smallest, and I'm glad I did. Fun facts: All photos made with a Sony A7IV, an LA-EA5 adapter, and a Minolta Maxxum 28-135.
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Some shots from the drag strip. Tough to choose with thousands from last season, these were some favorites. To be honest, I could fill up a room with favorites.

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The above in a single view.
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The corner opposite above. The lower shot is one that's too dark.

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A shelf. Fun Facts: The Red Bellied Woopecker in the upper left was with a Sony A7RIII, LA-EA4, and a Minolta Maxxum 100-400 APO.

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There are a few more, but I won't bore you further.
 
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TA DAAA! Just some crappy cellphone shots, glare and all. Three of the 8 x 10s turned out darker than I'd like. I haven't figured out yet whether it was me or them. They have a guarantee, so I'll contact them once I figure it out.

The clock was a gift from my daughter. The photo is my shot, looking out past the bombardier's seat on a B-17. The whale tale was from a trip to CA to visit her when she was in school. These are the only two that made the trip from my old office. Fun Facts: Whale Tale photo from a Kodak 612.

View attachment 358630

The autumn barn shots. I had a poll up last year here in the forum to vote on which of 8 or so would get printed. The only one I changed my mind on is the smallest, and I'm glad I did. Fun facts: All photos made with a Sony A7IV, an LA-EA5 adapter, and a Minolta Maxxum 28-135.
View attachment 358631

Some shots from the drag strip. Tough to choose with thousands from last season, these were some favorites. To be honest, I could fill up a room with favorites.

View attachment 358632

The above in a single view.
View attachment 358633

The corner opposite above. The lower shot is one that's too dark.

View attachment 358634

A shelf. Fun Facts: The Red Bellied Woopecker in the upper left was with a Sony A7RIII, LA-EA4, and a Minolta Maxxum 100-400 APO.

View attachment 358635

There are a few more, but I won't bore you further.
Nice
 
TA DAAA! Just some crappy cellphone shots, glare and all. Three of the 8 x 10s turned out darker than I'd like. I haven't figured out yet whether it was me or them. They have a guarantee, so I'll contact them once I figure it out.

The clock was a gift from my daughter. The photo is my shot, looking out past the bombardier's seat on a B-17. The whale tale was from a trip to CA to visit her when she was in school. These are the only two that made the trip from my old office. Fun Facts: Whale Tale photo from a Kodak 612.

View attachment 358630

The autumn barn shots. I had a poll up last year here in the forum to vote on which of 8 or so would get printed. The only one I changed my mind on is the smallest, and I'm glad I did. Fun facts: All photos made with a Sony A7IV, an LA-EA5 adapter, and a Minolta Maxxum 28-135.
View attachment 358631

Some shots from the drag strip. Tough to choose with thousands from last season, these were some favorites. To be honest, I could fill up a room with favorites.

View attachment 358632

The above in a single view.
View attachment 358633

The corner opposite above. The lower shot is one that's too dark.

View attachment 358634

A shelf. Fun Facts: The Red Bellied Woopecker in the upper left was with a Sony A7RIII, LA-EA4, and a Minolta Maxxum 100-400 APO.

View attachment 358635

There are a few more, but I won't bore you further.
Looking awesome, wish I had so much wall space fur hanging prints 😄 thank you for sharing 🙏
 
I opted for "enhance" and was that ever a mistake. "As Is" is the way to go. After "Enhance" the prints are muddy.
Costco is closing down their facility in favor of Shutterfly. I reordered the three images, this time "As Is" which means no "Enhancement." I will see how they compare. I am not sure I will use Shutterfly. The NY Times Wirecutter reviewing service recommends Nations. Anyone have experience with these two?
 
You will never get the quality out of Costco, CVS, Walmrt, etc. as you will a professional print place like Nations. I've mentioned Nations five times counting this post, plus posted a link to their site.

So, no. No experience. :whistle:
 
You will never get the quality out of Costco, CVS, Walmrt, etc. as you will a professional print place like Nations. I've mentioned Nations five times counting this post, plus posted a link to their site.

So, no. No experience. :whistle:
First, I am with you on the digital K1000. I still have my K1000 from ~'81. A stone ax that can take photos.

I will have to try Nations. I am mostly shooting 4 x 3 now so that may be a problem. Whitewall has that as a standard print aspect ratio. Shutterfly sounds like a no-go. So it is Nations or Whitewall. Nations 18 x 24 is $32, Whitewall is 38.95. Whitewall offers several 3 x 4 sizes. They cost more but how many times am I ordering the same print? Yeah. So, anyone done Nations vs Whitewall?
 
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OK, ordered three prints, 18 x 24, lustre, no color correction and a 35% discount because I am so damned good looking. Shipping is projected at 4 to 10 business days. I also have an order in at Costco for the same three photos, this time without color correction. I am content with what the camera is doing with color now and do not need them to fuss with it. Nations also offers the option of a border which I opted for as I am slapping them into just plain black frames without matting. The slim border of the frame, black, and then the white border on the print should be fine. That border deal is a nice option and costs nothing. It shouldn't as they are using less ink at the same price. ;o) Checking my mail. Thanks for the advice.
 
First, I am with you on the digital K1000. I still have my K1000 from ~'81. A stone ax that can take photos.

I will have to try Nations. I am mostly shooting 4 x 3 now so that may be a problem. Whitewall has that as a standard print aspect ratio. Shutterfly sounds like a no-go. So it is Nations or Whitewall. Nations 18 x 24 is $32, Whitewall is 38.95. Whitewall offers several 3 x 4 sizes. They cost more but how many times am I ordering the same print? Yeah. So, anyone done Nations vs Whitewall?
Yes, did Whitewall once a ways back. Experience was positive, results about the same as Nation’s, just more expensive.
 
Get on Nation’s mailing list to keep informed. I just wait for a sale I’m happy with. They have one about every week. I think the cheapest I bought 8 x 10s was around $0.85.
 
I opted for "enhance" and was that ever a mistake. "As Is" is the way to go. After "Enhance" the prints are muddy.
I don't know what the printers usually mean by "enhancing", maybe that's something meant for smartphone pics or whatever. One thing, though, to keep in mind when getting prints is the fact that anything you edit on the screen for the screen is almost bound to be too dark for wall mounting. My generic step for that is to apply a 15-20 point brightness increase in the Canon printing software. But if you're ordering prints from a service this might be a thing you'll have to do in the editing phase.

Printing in general is a rabbit's hole. Once you get past managing colours and brightness to an acceptable level, there's the whole la-la-land of different papers to discover and choose from. Forget the cheap plastic (resin coated) papers and try a fine art paper! Matt papers are excellent for wall mounting since they have zero sheen. Doesn't have to be a cotton rag, alpha cellulose based will do just fine. Barytas and mattes are what I usually use. Canson Baryta Photographique is a very nice paper. As is Canon's Premium Matte, nice paper and relatively cheap.
 
If I hadn’t ordered from them before with no issues, and if some weren’t fine and others too dark, I’d think the difference between screen and paper was the problem. However, that’s not the case. Additionally, I thought maybe my monitor is set too bright (even though it’s been calibrated), so I put the question to others. Without exception no one found them too dark on their own monitors. I also reprocessed some of the images and allowed software to apply auto levels just as an added measure. The result was that most were a little brighter, but not so much as to have enough of an effect on printing. Based on that I’ve asked them to reprint those that are too dark.
 
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So, we've gone back and forth a few times. Their last communication from the printer is interesting. In the future if I want them to check brightness, contrast, etc., I am to check 'color correction'. Huh? I don't want the color 'corrected'. That feature is for family snapshots. Basically, they do what a camera or software program does with a jpeg. They try and interpret what you want. Skin tones, contrast, brightness, 'warmth' (their words) etc. No thanks. What if I chnged the white balance on purpose, or desaturated, or anything else? If I'm going to let them choose what it'll look like I may as well just shoot jpeg.

Their second option is to download some ICC files for soft proofing. I can download them to Affinity (if I even need them, Affinity has 30 or so already installed) This sounds more like it, so I'll look into that. In the meantime they're reprinting the images I asked for, but I told them to NOT adjust the color. One of them is a matched set of autumn photos and I don't want the color changed.

One thing that occurred to me is that these are the first images I've had printed that were processed on my 4K monitor. Makes we wonder if that had anything to do with it, or if it's just coincidence.
 
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