What do you do with your pictures?

[Andy01]

Silly question perhaps but seriously, we're all doing our best to take these amazing images, and its great to share them here, and learn from the experienced masters of the process- but what do you mdo with them afterwards?

Sure there's lots of places to share them online, to get feedback here and in other forums, FB groups, FB pages, Yahoo groups, Astrobin etc. but what then?

Ie: Do you print them for display on your walls or perhaps in a gallery?
Limited edition print sales?
Short run or on demand coffee table Books?
Calendars?

Seems a bit of a shame to invest in thousands and thousands of hard earned dollars and all that time and effort in search of high resolution perfection for them to just sit on one's HD. :question:

Thoughts?

Cheers
Andy

[cometcatcher]

I print them out and show interested visitors that I get once every 10 years.

[SimmoW]

haha, funny reply Kevin!

I save my pics on the ipad and show the general club members and friends and listen to them go oooh, aahh!

I print the best out on the home printer, then my son takes them to show his grade 2 class, he's very proud :-)

Finally, I sit and obsess over them, wondering how I can improve next time. Never happy!

I'm quite a ways away from doing a permanent hardcopy record. For now Flickr will have to do, as a permanent suppository (to borrow a TA term...) for my pics and a history of my progress.

[raymo]

You're lucky Kevin; my interested visitors are not that frequent, and even
my wife is totally disinterested.
raymo

[Andy01]

So here's an idea then - how about a print swap? Once your image is as good as you can make it - rather than leave it lying lonely on your HD maybe we could start a swap group amongst IIS members.

[Octane]

Which reminds me, a while back, I was going to start offering a print service to IIS members. I have a large format 24" wide Epson professional system (can do 36x24" prints) with museum quality paper.

H

[LewisM]

I process the snot out of my images so that they look like carp.

:D

[SimmoW]

both good suggestions, a swap arrangement and a reliable printing service. Ha, give me a few more months to get better so I can justify printing out those masterpieces!

Not being a pro photographer, I am wondering what would be a good reputable, accessible printing service. Many I've seen only work with pros, which is a pity for them...

Now where did I put my spyder screen calibrator?!!

[leon]

It is an interesting question, and i do print my own, however the general public and friends and family, say, oh, that is nice and really don,t care, so i expect we are just stuck with them, knowing how hard it was to get that perfect image in the first place.

Leon

[ZeroID]

I view on screen and sometimes print. Then I try to get a better one next time. :P
Seems to be an endless pursuit .... :rolleyes:

[rogerg]

Years ago I started selling my astrophotography at a successful little local market stall I used to hold to sell my landscape & macro photography. The market store ended due to my time constraints but I persisted selling photography online because the demand was still there:
astrophotography.com.au (http://www.astrophotography.com.au)

That was the early 2000's, with the market stall ending in ~2006.

Since 2010 the demand for physical prints has dropped, and that rate of drop has exponentially increased in recent times, to the point that now I sell very few. I know it's not just me, it's an industry wide situation. Demand for digital rights still exists but not something to bank the house on when only doing astrophotography. As a result I can't encourage anyone to go down this route - it is a lot of effort and there simply is no longer the desire by individuals to buy photography and it is individuals who you get the most gratification from as opposed to corporate's wanting digital rights. [the situation is a little different if you intend to pursue photography in general as a major income source]

I do get involved in exhibitions now and then, which are good fun but can not be expected to ever profitable. If you have the time and money to get involved in exhibitions, and a local exhibition space, it is emotionally rewarding and good fun to do exhibitions, just not profitable:
http://astrophotography.com.au/photography-exhibitions/

Generally these days I am very much enjoying the realisation that I shouldn't push what won't sell, and so am enjoying places like IIS with renewed passion for simply sharing work with like minded individuals and concentrating on what astrophotography I enjoy as opposed to what might sell.

Also, the kind of comments in the original post of this thread is the kind of reason people such as myself often go down the research line after several years of "pretty image astrophotography". Research can be more rewarding than repetitive pretty pictures.

I enjoy putting prints that don't sell up in my observatory, and putting up prints of significant achievements (the ones that mean the most to me personally) as opposed to the "most pretty" results.

:thumbsup:

[Andy01]

Also, the kind of comments in the original post of this thread is the kind of reason people such as myself often go down the research line after several years of "pretty image astrophotography".

?

Do we have a problem here ... are you having a go at me Roger?

Andy

[rogerg]

:question: not sure what you're misinterpreting Andy or if you're Joking but certainly not having a go at you.

It is often when people start thinking about what to do with their astrophoto's, that they've taken a bunch which are accumulating, that they try their hand at dabbling in research etc, often to have more of a "purpose" to their astrophotography. Just an observation, not a bad thing and not a certain thing, just a direction some people take that that point :shrug:

[malau]

I forced my colleagues to use it as their computer wall paper :P actually only if it is a hotdesk

[raymo]

A friend of mine is a fine water colour artist, and he makes his pics into
beautiful birthday and anniversary cards that he sends to his rellies and friends on their special occasions. Some of us could do the same.
raymo

[JohnH]

Contribute them to this project?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/22/software_blends_amateur_astropics_i nto_huge_virtual_telescope/

[Andy01]

I'm now curious about your Research comments, if you don't mind my asking, what does that entail?
Cheers

Andy

[strongmanmike]

I think the term "pretty pictures" always sounds condecending and suggests what we astroimagers do is somehow trivial and of no value so why do it :shrug:...where as, looking for supernovae in other galaxies is somehow much more legitimate..? Now if we described the latter activity as "looking for faint dots while you sleep" it might sound equally condecending and very boring :lol:

Of course both activities are valid worthwhile persuits :thumbsup:

I do all sorts of things with my images, hang'em, sell'em, enter'em in competitions or just enjoy look'in at'em...oh and I nearly forgot the funnest thing...reprocessing them!! :lol: :D

Mike

[rustigsmed]

Hi Andy,

I think Roger is talking about using his astro gear for amateur astronomy (scientific) purposes rather than astro imaging for the purpose of art.

This may entail searching for supernova/comets etc to providing data of minor planet occultation of stars :thumbsup: which can be used to refine minor planet sizes / orbits etc.

As for me, I have blown quite a few printed on canvas and hang in my house (on rotation). I also made a calendar last year that i circulated to my family and friends. Just a couple of tips from my experiences ...
1. On the canvas thing, good for planetary and rich nebs, but not so good in a rich star field.
2. Printing on gloss finish paper makes it way too hard to what's on the page!

Cheers,

Rusty

ps i'll add that scientific photo's/data generally ain't pretty!!

[Andy01]

Oh ok, that sounds a bit dull to me but then I'm wired more artistically than scientifically so each to their own. Plenty of room in AP to explore differing directions, styles and techniques. ;)

It's been my experience that processing and prepping an image for a high res print is much more complex than doing it for the screen, but the results are well worth it.

I was fortunate enough to win several silver awards with my AP images at the Victorian AIPP Pro Photographer of the Year Awards recently, and those prints look great on the wall at home. :thumbsup:

I think Roger's point about diminishing print sales is valid though, which is a shame but that's how it goes I guess.

Interesting replies, keep 'em coming!

Cheers

Andy

[astronobob]

From a poor fellas pocket, I have been collecting frames from 2nds shops etc even the local tip shop. making the most of these opertunities because they price them for what pitcher is already in them, Im known to have a real weird taste in art, grunge style - the ones with the odd tear, scuffing and faded etc :P little do they know that the frames also a little worse for ware with glass and the boarder board to keep prints from the glass are actually rather expensive - ive pcked up some 4 & 5 footers for $5-10, rather fancy ones too, with a little paint and pollish, they could do the job well :thumbsup: Have about 80 ATM, just have to get some good photos for them

Maybe in a few yrs Ill direct some energy to it - re-vamp the frames etc. Tho wont be all astro photos going in them, I think I have a few storm, sunset and other photos that might cut the mustard aswell !

As far as going exibitioning, not this duck - more like a local car boot & trailor week end sale arrangment - something I dont have to Commit to being there every week end as in regular markets ect; Car boots are good 'cause can just go when I feel like it. If I sell a few, then a little spending money for more astro gear,, if not, by then ill have plenty of holes in walls from processing them to cover up

[lazjen]

So far, other than sharing my images around various places on the net, I've done a special 1-off calendar for my father-in-law. That was mostly done as a "thank you" gift for the help he's given me with my gear (power break out box, cables, etc).

If I ever get a chance to do some more decent images, I might do another version for other family members.

[DavidLJ]

An excellent question. Maybe donate one or two images to your local GP and dentist to hang in their reception areas / waiting rooms. They may value the change of scenery. And given that the waiting patients are pretty much a captive audience who are probably bored out of their minds they might be particularly receptive to gazing at something new – especially if you include some explanatory notes with the images. Including your name and the fact that the images were taken locally might help the patients to better identify with them and make astronomy more accessible. Who knows? You might even create some new enthusiasts. Lots of “mays” and “mights” I know but it's worth a thought

[LewisM]

Actually, I printed some of mine last year and gave them to my daughters childcare class. I also gave a talk to the kids, as well as a viewing night, showing many kids and parents Venus, Neptune, Antares, Omega Ventauri and Saturn.

The prints are still on the wall.

[graham.hobart]

I hang mine in my office (GP office ) and it always sparks a conversation.
I also produce a calender each year for the relatives O/seas. That's about it - the calender always goes down well and have had more requests each that I have done it (and got better piccies!!)
cheers
Graham