Meet Lesley Eaton

By | Art From the Hills, Artist, Tweek Imaging | No Comments

It’s featured artist week at Tweek! Meet our super talented, paper-pepperin’, collage-makin’ friend Lesley Easton! Read on!

I bet you thought we’d never introduce you to another artist didn’t you?!1 Do you have no faith in Tweek? Come on guys. Ya’ll can always rely on your friends at Tweek.

Now, onto what we really want you to read about today…Peppered Paper2! We love Lesley’s clean, yet chaotic, work. How she can handle working with such tiny pieces of cut paper for long periods of time blows our minds but she loves it! And thank goodness because the world is a better place with Peppered Paper! On to the interview and more photos of her work!

TI: So, your work started with scraps of paper painted for other projects during art school correct? Are you painting paper specifically now for Peppered Paper?

LE: My “peppered paper” is a collection of butcher paper that was used as drop cloths to catch all of the spills, splatters, and brush strokes as I painted. It’s filled with haphazard markings and texture and lots of color! I love incorporating this paper in my recent collage work, but I’ve never limited myself to only using this scrap paper. I will often add other papers I’ve painted or paint on top of this paper if I want a specific color- the dinosaurs of a good example of this. I painted lots of paper for them because I knew I wanted to use specific bold colors, and the somewhat intentional by-product of painting more papers is more “peppered paper” on my drafting table.

TI: What was the piece you made that inspired Peppered Paper?

LE: Well, as typically happens, my style evolved very naturally and intuitively. I started working mostly in painted paper collage for children’s book illustration. It’s where my “peppered paper” drop cloth scrap paper came from. I painted lots of papers, lots of bright colors for this illustration work. My first official “peppered paper” piece was actually created for a silent auction fund raiser for a food pantry. I wanted to donate a piece of original art that was more accessible to the attendees at a wine and cheese art auction than children’s illustration would have been, and I had been saving all of this exciting paper from my drafting table for a couple of years. I started playing around with my x-acto knives and came up with these wonderfully sharp and delicate leaves and petals creating my first “peppered paper” collage, a blue thistle.

(Photo by Alison McQuain)

TI: What has made you choose the subjects you’ve made?

LE: The second “peppered paper” collage I made was the old-time banjo. I definitely had this vision of using some of the mostly white butcher paper with a few colorful splatters and brush marks for the white head of the banjo. So, my instrument series evolved from there. The thistle is a good example of the hard and sharp edges I’m drawn to creating with cut paper. I love the juxtaposition of the delicate and sharp, the chaotic painting and super meticulous cutting and gluing. A lot of the subjects I’m drawn to have a sharp edges or points with a kind of gracefulness at the same time: deer antlers, spiky thistle leaves, raccoon whiskers, insect antennae, crustacean claws….

 TI: How does your love of book illustration shape your work? Or does it at all?

LE: I’m really itching to get back to more narrative work. It’s not the kind of work that sells at silent art auctions ;), but visual storytelling is my true passion. So, as my style continues to evolve I’m excited about experimenting with combining more drawing with my collage work.

TI: What is your favorite part of your process? Why?

LE: That part when my logical brain turns off completely. Some people refer to this as working in flow. It’s getting lost in color a lot of times for me- just painting papers, or getting lost in drawing, when I have time. Most often it’s getting lost in design, curating and piecing together all of the perfect papers for whatever I’m working on at the time.

TI: Your two little guys are so adored at Tweek, how do they impact your work?

LE: Balancing motherhood and creative work has been a huge challenge for me. Like I just mentioned, my favorite part of creating involves letting my logical brain turn off. This can be tough when time in my studio is so limited, and the mom job is so demanding and exhausting for me at times. However, I’m starting to realize how grateful I am for the challenge, for the drive to push through and keep creating, and really for the affirmation that I should keep fighting to reconcile my calling as both artist and mom.

TI: Is your family involved in the creation or showing of your work?

LE: I loving refer my husband as my manager. And I really need a manager! I’m not so great at details, marketing, following up with people, etc. He’s also super creative and handy, so he’s built lots of displays and beautiful frames for some of my original pieces. The boys love when mom has an art show now- I’m pretty sure they think all art shows have some type of craft donut or ice cream truck around.

TI: What made you decide to make prints of your originals?

LE: I really wanted to offer a lower price point for people to purchase my artwork. I LOVE when people purchase an original, but, I completely relate to having a lower budget for art and decorating right now. We’re slowly adding to our collection of original pieces, but I enjoy the professional art prints I’ve purchased from other artists just as much, and know that it’s supporting their work as an artist too!

(detail)

TI: What is your favorite aspect of getting your art reproduced?

LE: As much as I love selling original work, I still sometimes have trouble letting go of some pieces. Having my work reproduced and printed feels like I get to keep a little part of the art, so it’s easier to see it go, ha! It’s just reassuring to me to know that I have my art documented and saved in that way.

TI: Why work with Tweek?

LE: Attention to detail! My work is super meticulous, so you might correctly assume I have pretty high standards for its reproduction, for myself, but also for anyone purchasing my work. I want the reproductions to reflect the quality and craftsmanship I put into each piece. The photographer/printer always gets lots of compliments at show because he does such a good job making sure the three-dimensional aspect of my work is captured. My work is so unique because it’s all cut paper, so it’s pretty important that this is evident in the prints as well. Tony’s also always been great to work with me if I need a quick turn around, and to make sure the colors are “tweeked” just right.

Current inspiration: The Unmistakable Creative podcast with Srini Rao

Current musical obsession: not sure I’d say obsession, but The Hamilton Soundtrack, The Lumineers, and The Tallest Man on Earth are getting lots of play time lately

Favorite meal of the day: Breakfast

Coffee or chocolate: Coffee! but, pregnant lady gets to say both, right?

Footnotes:

1 How much did you love learning about Matt Day the other month? Yea?! Us too.

2 Remember us talking about art reproduction? Well, here is an artist that allows us to reproduce her work!

Giclée you say?

By | Art From the Hills, Services, Tweek Imaging | No Comments

We’d like to start today with some vocabulary. Then we’ll move on to some thoughts about selected vocab. There will be a test.

Art reproduction: an accurate representation of an original piece of art (not just a copy, but with the depth and feel that the artist had in mind)

 

Giclée1: a word coined by printmaker Jack Duganne of Nash Editions (according to wikipedia) in the early 90s originally referring to prints made with Iris printers back in the 80s we now use inkjet printers for the same process.

So, sometimes thinking of art reproduction for Giclée printing makes you think of a Monet or Van Gogh that you can buy in the poster form at MOMA or online from one of those terrible ‘art poster’ dealers. Ugh…don’t even…ok. Sorry. When Tweek does art reproduction and Giclée printing we are working with artists to digitize their work to create prints of the original. You’re sitting there thinking…yeah, that’s exactly the same as buying a Monet or Van Gogh print. Yes, you’re right. However, most current artists are making limited amounts of a print. This allows those of us on a smaller budget the ability to have fine art in our homes. Imagine your favorite moderately-known artist makes 15 Giclées…then say 40 years from now is considered a creative genius and there was only one original piece and 15 Giclées and you own one! Does that help a little with perspective?

Now, let’s talk about how that fine art reproduction gets in our homes. The images with this post are of Tony2 during the reproduction process with one of our artist’s, Lesley Eaton3, work. Here’s how our process works:

  1. The artist’s work arrives (big or small we can handle it all!4).
  2. Depending on the size, we can scan, set it up on the copy stand or in a horizontal setup5 to shoot.
  3. Now we’ve got a high resolution file ready to move on with…
  4. We then take the image on to color correction.
  5. After color correction the artist reviews the corrected file for printing approval.
  6. The file is then set up for printing and is, well, printed of course.

During this process we keep in mind what we know artists are looking for:

  • Color matching or color deviation, such as brighter, more saturated or even less contrast6
  • Texture/dimensionality to be accurate to the original.
  • Quality result with a good value.

Tony says, “You know you’ve done it right when someone almost has to touch it to see if it is real or not.”

How are we different from a big box office/sign printer in art reproduction? When an artist brings us their work, it stays in the same building for the whole process. We don’t have to farm any piece of the process out to any other vendors. We are working directly with the artist post shooting to make sure the prints will be exactly what they want to sell. When an artist decides to sell more of the same print we have their color match proof on file and can recreate exactly what they fell in love with the first time. And just because we do everything ourselves this doesn’t mean we can only print 20 or so prints at a time…we can do large runs of prints if that’s what an artist is interested in.

That’s enough for today. We’ve got to get back to our Giclée-making. Or retouching. Or photo restoration…we’re busy making our clients happy. *winkwink*

Footnotes:

1 Want more info on Giclee (zhee-klay)? Check these resources out: one & two. Pretty helpful.

2 Fearless leader

3 Can you keep a secret? You may or may not be learning more about Lesley in an upcoming artist spotlight. Shhh

4 Couldn’t resist

5 Scanning: up to 11×17 (flat art, example watercolor); Copy Stand: up to 20×24

6 Some clients want richer or brighter coloring. As we learn what the artist leans toward in proofing we can make the proofing quicker for future pieces.

Paper Pickin’

By | Tweek Imaging | No Comments

Choosing which paper is right for your project can be tough! We wrote this post to make it a wee bit easier for you. Read on for our favorite papers, tips and more.

So, you’ve found the images you’d like to print. Now you’re stuck on the window that is asking you to choose from our huge paper selection. Good luck! I hope that works out for you. Order one in every paper. It’ll be fine.

Just kidding! Guess what!? We’re going to share some thoughts and helpful images with you today. We’re even going to tell you what our staff picks are. Of course we’d love for you to order one of everything but what we really want is for you to come back and order more! A true documentation of your work/life. Don’t break the bank on your first order.

When you are placing your order1 you’ll notice we have over 20 paper options. And that isn’t even counting our canvas options2. Ordering prints online when you aren’t familiar with paper types or brands is difficult. Hopefully, this post and our images will help you. And if after all of this you still have questions…give us a call or shoot us an email and we can get3 you a paper sample booklet4!

Ok, you’re on our site looking over our paper options…they are divided into three tiers. This is based on the pricing of the paper. One way to look at making a choice is to decide your budget and then go with a paper within that tier. Now you’ve chosen your tier and you can look at a shorter list of paper types and descriptions. One thing you can count on with all choices is acid-free, archival5All of them are such.

Here is where our helpful photos come in:

These images are here so you can see the true coloring and textures of the papers. You may be thinking, what in the world is that brown French Paper doing in there?! Well, let us just say, Tony printed a black and white image on that paper the other week with a floating border in a black frame…winner for sure! We strive to always think creatively and outside of that stuffy box. Does it always work? No, but sometimes it REALLY works and those times are worth it!

Sometimes the choice is easy. You’re a portrait and wedding photographer and your clients want a handful of 4x6s, a couple of 5x7s and an 11×14…Premium Lustre Photo is your classic choice. Or, you need some of your own family photos printed…again, this is your choice. Maybe you’re a printmaker like Diane Fox   and you choose a paper that transforms your photograph into art like German Etching. Maybe you’re Britton Sharp who loves their art to have added character and dimension just like the original sketches looked and you choose LexJet Velvet. Or, maybe your photograph speaks completely for itself and you choose a very smooth paper that doesn’t distract from your image like Sunset Photo Matte chosen by Clifton Barker for his Sphynx on Film.

Here are our staff picks for a little more insight:

Tony: Hahnemuhle Bamboo Fine Art

“I love the texture, so different than any other paper, especially the ones we are currently offering. The eco friendly makeup of this paper makes it an easy choice when printing black and white photography or even fine art prints of artwork. It would be so cool to brag about this at an exhibit, you would be the shining star in a room full of everyday paper users. Most of my work is contrasty black and white film photography and it presents my vision very nicely.”

Emily:  Sunset photo matte

“I tend to be a paper snob, coming from a printmaking background, and most of my personal work is black and white film photography. This paper reminds me of ilfords matt6 fiber paper that’s used in the darkroom. A bit soft, but I find that it lends a certain atmospheric feel to a photo.”  

Kevin:

Paul Revere Textured Watercolor

“The texture of this paper is perfect for a reproduction of an original watercolor”

Alison:  Premium Lustre Photo 

“This is perfect for my photography clients. It isn’t glossy and it isn’t a boring matte. It’s just right.”

Colleen:  French Construction

“I really love the texture of the paper, and the colors that are available. High contrast black and white prints look so cool on this paper. I also really love the company. French is family owned, and also very environmentally conscious. I feel really good about using their paper.”

Lynne:  German etching

“I like the German etching paper and the texture it adds to photos. It can be the perfect paper to print on if you have a great photo that is slightly out of focus as the texture disguises the error.”

Whatever you are printing we have no doubt that we’ve got the perfect paper option for you. Don’t forget that we are one phone call or email away. We would love to help you make the decision.  

  1. As you have done, will do and will continue to do soooo often…
  2. Have no fear…we will talk about that soon too.
  3. Had to correct the spelling of git to the actual word, get…the southern accent comes out in our writing in ways we’d never imagine and never want to admit. You’re welcome for that insight.
  4. Sample booklets include a sample of every paper type as seen in our post. They are FREE with any printing purchase and are shipped straight to you along with your order.
  5. What does acid free archival mean?  According to Wikipedia: Often, cotton rag paper is used for archival purposes, as it is not made from wood-based pulp. Thus, “archival paper” is sometimes broken down into two categories: Conservation-grade — acid-free, buffered paper made from wood-based pulp. Archival-grade (also Museum-grade) — cotton rag paper made from cotton pulp.
  1. Ilford calls it MATT others call it MATTE…who do we listen to?

Meet Matt Day

By | Artist, Photographer, Tweek Imaging, Uncategorized | No Comments

Hey you guuuyyys!!1

New regular occurrence happening here today. Starting now every month or so you can expect to get a look into one of Tweek’s artists’ lives on the blog! Pretty cool huh? This month we are starting that new trend with Matt Day.2

One thing we love about Matt is that he often allows Tweek to make prints for him. But even more what we love is the dedication Matt has to his craft and the community at large. After reading and doing a little more digging on this guy you’ll learn he never puts his camera down. And he has done so for so long that his camera has just become a part of him. Oh gosh, we’ve already said too much! We will stop talking so you can move on to the good stuff below. Read on my friends! Huge thanks to Matt for spending some time with all of us!!

TI: Where did this all start for you? What made you pick up a camera?

MD: It’s a bit of a long story, so I’ll try to keep it brief! In April of 2004, my brother was 17 years old and working on a local farm. He had been working there for years, but one day, he was attacked by one of the bulls on the farm, paralyzing him. While he was in the hospital recovering for some time that spring and summer, I was living with friends and family, back and forth. My mom was staying at the hospital with him, my dad was making trips to the hospital and working on getting our house adjusted to accommodate a wheelchair. They had to add on a room to our house. So their hands were full and I was still finishing up the school year, so I was staying different places. My aunt and uncle flew in from Florida to visit my brother and when they got here, they had a camera for me. They knew I was always playing around with video cameras and enjoyed that kind of stuff. They told me to take the camera and document his recovery and also document what I was doing so that when I see my parents and brother, I could show them photos of what I had been up to. Hanging out with friends, being a 13 year old kid. That sort of thing. So that’s what I started doing and 13 years later, I’m still doing the same thing.

TI: Are you shooting only film or a mix? Is there an obvious choice when you choose one over the other?

MD: I’m shooting a mix. For years, my only camera was a 35mm Minolta XG-M. Then I got a DSLR in 2008 and started shooting a mix of the two. Back in 2012, I became completely obsessed with film all over again. I was shooting every film, every format, every camera, etc. Since then, I’ve always had a mix of different cameras, film and digital, but this year I’ve slimmed things down just as a personal exercise. I wanted to simplify and focus on the work rather than the tools. I have a Leica M6 and Leica M262. They’re as similar as you can get, but one is film and one is digital. Those are my two cameras that I use for my daily documenting. When I’m shooting portraits, working with artificial light, I use a Nikon D750. I prefer using an SLR for portrait work and I also use this camera to record my YouTube videos. I enjoy shooting with my Leica cameras more, but there’s a tool for every job.

TI: Color or black and white? First thought! Don’t think about it! Now, why?

MD: Black and white, no doubt about it. Being a film shooter, I love the darkroom. I love developing my film, scanning my film, printing my film in the darkroom. It’s just a special process. But even when shooting digital, I try to shoot with the mindset that it will become a black and white edit 99% of the time. It’s just what I’ve grown to know and love. Color can be too distracting. Composition and light can quickly be overlooked because “Wow, look at the color of that sky!”

TI: We love your YouTube Channel. Lot’s of helpful tips there. Did you sense a need in the community that led to creating these videos? Just too much knowledge in that head of yours to keep it all in? Brief plug for your artist spotlights on your Podcasts as well. Equally enjoy that outlet.

MD: Thank you! I have a lot of fun with the YouTube channel and the podcast as well. And that’s exactly why I started it. I couldn’t find the videos I wanted to see so I made them myself. It started with just sharing info on film cameras because at the time, there wasn’t anything like that on YouTube. There are a ton of YouTube channels about film photography nowadays and I think it’s great. The more exposure film photography gets (pun fully intended) the more people that will be buying film. That’s a great thing. But now that there are so many film channels on YouTube, I’ve tried to structure mine differently. The videos I couldn’t find back in 2014 are now everywhere, so now I’m trying to make other videos that I can’t find. I just want my channel to be my own and share things from my perspective. That’s why I love other certain channels, they all have their own style and presentation.

TI: It looks like your favorite youtube subject is film photography with a smattering of other things – does subject matter get influence from what you are doing day to day or are you getting questions and requests?

MD: I try to take in requests as much as I can. Sometimes I get requests for things that just aren’t feasible or too time consuming, as I have a lot on my plate with family, work, etc. But I try to always be listening to the feedback so I can improve the channel. At the end of the day, I still want it to be a reflection of me. So if I’m shooting something entirely different than usual, I want to share it. I try to be as transparent as possible and just share my experiences as a photographer. To me, that’s relatable for people and gives them something they can hold on to.

TI: Speaking of film…where are you sending your film? Are you developing and scanning it yourself? Favorite scanners?

MD: I develop and scan everything myself. For about a year, I was sending everything to theFINDlab because I was working there at the time. Quick shoutout to them because they are absolutely incredible at what they do. Seeing an entire crew, top to bottom, working so well together was such an eye-opening experience for me. They care about their customers and they care about film. Because of those two things, they’re working tirelessly around the clock to help them both. It’s amazing. But now that I’m scanning at home again, I’m working with an old Epson V600, nothing fancy. I used to use a Pakon f135+ for my 35mm film and that thing is amazing for the speed, but prices skyrocketed and I took advantage of it and sold mine. Something about us film shooters, we’re always buying, selling, and swapping.

TI: So, you carry your Leica with you everywhere. You document most everything. What in the world are you doing with all of those images? You’re a closet scrapbooker aren’t you? Cardstock, special scissors that cut fancy edges, paste…that’s what you’re doing. How do you archive?

MD: My mom would love it if I was a scrapbooker because that’s her world. Haha. She’s got a room at her house that is specifically for scrapbooking and sewing. It’s wild. But for me, I’m just collecting the photos. Every day life, that’s what I’ve always gravitated towards and I think it’s because of how I started shooting. It’s what I learned to do. So I archive my images by year. Every year, I start a new film binder and I just add to them as I develop and sleeve the negatives. It’s a little daunting when I need to find a certain image, but I have a pretty good memory so I can usually remember by season or month and it doesn’t take me too long. For digital images, I archive by folders from each import. So at the end of the day, if I’ve shot any digital images that day, I add a folder of that day and import. THEN I BACK THEM UP ONTO ANOTHER HARD DRIVE. That’s an important step. Sorry for shouting.

TI: Do you feel like always having a camera is an extension of you? Do you feel like it creates a barrier from experiences in your life? Have you ever felt differently than you do now?

MD: Absolutely. It’s what I’ve always done and it’s just how I operate on a daily basis. I don’t think it creates a barrier because it’s something I’ve always been mindful of. There’s a time to take the photo and there’s a time to just let it be. To me, it’s entirely instinctual so I don’t have to think about it each time I grab the camera, I just trust my gut and go with it.

TI: Of course, Tweek wants to know, how do you feel about making prints of your work? How often are you doing that for yourself or your clients?

MD: Making a print is crucial. Whether it’s personal work or client work, holding the photograph in your hand is a big part of the process. There’s something special about it that you don’t get from viewing it online. For myself, I try to print as frequently as I can, as you guys know! I print big and small, it all depends on the photo. Even if I don’t plan on framing it and displaying it, there are some photos that I just want to see big in person and hold a huge print. I have boxes and boxes of prints to look back on.

TI: Do you sleep these days? How do you manage a family, family business, photography clients…? Do you have any secrets?

MD: My wife always jokes with me that I’m always tired and she’s not wrong. Haha. I have a full plate, but I like to keep it that way. Free time makes me anxious. I want to stay busy. I like to work, I like to learn, and I know how precious time is. Also, coffee.

TI: Why work with Tweek?

MD: I’ve worked with big box labs before, and while I was okay with the quality, there was never anything more than that. It was like going to Wal-Mart. I was just another customer and they were just another store selling the same stuff as the other big stores. Ever since working with Tweek, it feels like I’m going to my favorite local coffee shop and seeing friends there. The communication, the customer service, it’s an actual relationship. I get excited to place an order, to receive a call or email, it’s working with friends. To me, that goes a long way. On top of that, the options for prints and the attention to detail is top notch. I never had prints like this before I started working with Tweek.

Current inspiration: I’ve been studying more and more of Danny Clinch lately. Particularly his studio work.

Current musical obsession: The Dead South

Favorite meal of the day: Late night bowl of cereal.

Coffee or chocolate: Coffee!

  1. Goonies? Anybody?
  2. So many links could be used to connect you to his work. Like his YouTube channel, his Podcast, his Instagram, other interviews by big media outlets like this one

Float that Image!

By | Artist, Photographer, Tweek Imaging | No Comments

Not sure how to float your images on white? This post is dedicated to teaching you our floatin’ ways. Read on!

Hey ya’ll! Way to keep up your blog reading. You’re doing such a fine job!

So a couple of weeks ago we mentioned how much we loved Emily’s folio prints floating in a sea of white space…now you’ve got the itch to do something similar. We know. We do too. In honor of these creative desires we bring you another helpful tips post! This entry is what we would like to call: Print that Floater!

Floating Image: your image is smaller than your paper size therefore making it appear as though your image is floating in a sea of white space. It appears that way because, well, because it is literally printed in a sea of white space. As seen above in Kyle Myles’ photo.

Why would you do this you ask? Because, with the right image, it is so visually perfect. Because you’re needing to accommodate large and small images on the same page size in your portfolio. Because you’d rather spend a little bit more on your print and a lot less (a.k.a. About $30.00 depending on the mat size) on a custom mat for your frame. Because you just want to try something different. Because, as Emily says, “you want your image to breathe.” That’s why.

A couple of clients are interested in this idea and we have figured out an easy solution to make ordering easy. We have two options based on the program you use most or prefer. Here is what you’ll do in either Lightroom or Photoshop:

Lightroom:

  1. We’ve made easy to use templates1 that you can download here.
  2. Once you’ve downloaded the templates you’ll drag them into Lightroom.
  3. Import your images you’d like to float.
  4. Open the Print module of Lightroom.
  5. Select the template size and then select and drag your photo into the photo box.
  6. Choose ‘Print to File’ in the lower right corner to export your image as a jpeg or tiff.
  7. Upload at www.tweekimaging.com to print.

Photoshop (Watch this video or follow the instrutions below):

  1. Open your image in photoshop.
  2. Size your image to the size (Image > Image Size) you’d like it to be. Make sure your resolution is an acceptable size.2
  3. Update your canvas size (Image > Canvas Size) to the final print size.3
  4. Save as a jpeg or tiff file.
  5. Upload at www.tweekimaging.com to print.

Got it? If you have trouble or need more information please email or call us for some help! There are no dumb questions. Only dumb answers. Am I right?! Don’t let these extra steps scare you from trying something new! It will be super easy the next time you work on them and after you print an image this way you’ll be hooked.

We can’t wait to see what you send our way! Maybe we’ll even share it with our friends on the world wide web.4

  1. Feel free to make your own template…these are just some to get you started that we have had requests for in the past.
  2. This includes the resolution and dimensions you’d like the image to be inside of the white space. Resolution: 300 dpi is awesome, 200 dpi is great, 150 dpi is acceptable. Size (in inches): When sizing your photo make sure to do it in small increments to get better results. Here’s a great article if you’re a little confused. You can make your photo standard sizes or you can go with something based on your image itself. This is all up to you.
  3. Your canvas is the size of the whole piece. So say you are hoping to fill an 11×14 frame size…your canvas will be 11×14 and your image whatever size you’d like. Changing your canvas size does not effect your image resolution.
  4. Thank you again Al Gore for inventing this web we can share things on. What would we have done without you/it?!

Tweek goes to NOLA

By | Photographer, Tweek Imaging, What we are doing | No Comments

Where y’at?1

Today Tweek is taking you on a virtual trip. Don’t worry, it’s technically a business trip so you can count reading this as professional development. Y’heard?2 Mentally expense it.

A couple of months ago Tony got in the car with his Hasselblad XpanFuji XPro and iPhone and headed to the Deep South for about 36 hours. His final destination being New Orleans for the Scitex Eversmart Pro scanner we now have in our shop. Before we get to the Scitex and how awesome it is to have in our arsenal of equipment let’s take a quick trip with Tony.

First off, talk about a street photographer’s dream…. New Orleans has beautiful architecture, quirky shops, a fantastic gallery3 as Tony found, and a few characters4. You can’t go to NOLA without walking the streets, eating all the food, and experiencing some late night jazz. Tony’s first stop was the Bourbon House for a heaping plate of sea creatures…with a side of brown liquor. Then of course comes night-life. Like a true pro, Tony ventured out around 10pm. Have camera will travel. And by travel we mean walk the streets until the wee hours of the morning.

The next 12ish hours were spent sipping a Bloody Mary and sampling Beignets at the classic Cafe du Monde followed by a long walk to meet Richard Sexton for dinner at St. Roch Market5. You’ve really got to check out Richard’s site. Such an amazing body of work he has collected over the years. One other thing he collected was the Scitex scanner we mentioned earlier. Richard originally used the scanner for his film and especially for books he has published–one of those books centered around life in New Orleans.

The life of the Scitex in the Tweek studio won’t be terribly different than it’s previous life down south. Well, one thing is different. A significant portion of the body of the Scitex shattered while Tony lightly braced himself during set-up at Tweek. Plastic from 1998 doesn’t hold up so well we found out. However, our old Scitex that decided to bite the dust had all the working parts needed to combine the two machines and rebuild the skin. So, you may be wondering why we are so excited about a big heap of crumbling plastic from 1998. Don’t forget it isn’t crumbling any more and know that this beast scans film AND reflective art/prints up to 12×17 inches! How awesome is that?! Scitex scanners were used for offset printing files and originally cost tens of thousands of dollars. This thing produces beautiful film scans6 with resolutions as high as 8000dpi! Come on now!

Our Scitex is one of seven scanners at Tweek. One day we will get into the others but today we’re pumped to tell you about this 90’s fab scanner. We’re also pumped to take you on a little mental trip to NOLA. Sorry taste-o-vision hasn’t happened yet. Tony wishes he could share the tastes and sounds too. And don’t forget, as Tony says, “the best camera is the one you have.” Be it film or digital, take photos and then print them. You won’t regret it. We’re here to help you.

1According to Sunny Dawn Summers this is a New Orleans version of, “What’s up.” Taking our Southern nicity inspiration from the Deep South.

2Sunny says this means “Do you understand?” “Got it?”

3A Gallery certainly is a Gallery for Fine Art Photography. Tony purchased our Scitex from this photographer who is featured among others you may have heard of…Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier Bresson…. “I had no idea I was walking into greatness,” Tony spoke of the gallery.

4Tony may or may not have had a curse put on him after documenting one scene….We know for sure he was yelled at. Stark contrast to all the wonderfully welcoming folks in the city.

5St. Roch was a big hit with Tony. Talk about a comfort food feast…mac’n’cheese, baked oysters, salad…ok maybe the oysters and salad aren’t a comfort food for all of you but maybe you should consider it.

6See Tony’s Xpan shots…they were scanned with the Scitex.

Portfolio Printing 101

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Well hello there! Glad to see ya made it back to the ole Tweek blogsphere. Ok, enough with the niceties.1 This is to all those college students out there. Or even someone looking to update their professional portfolio. For a lot of you Spring Break is over and the reality of final projects is setting in. Maybe you’re starting to panic. PLEASE, please don’t! Your pals at Tweek are here to help.

Having talked with a professor or two not a lot has changed since the ancient days when most of the Tweek team was finishing art degrees. Portfolios still eventually need to be printed. University-provided print rooms are still clunky. Working with print/shipping stores near campus with folks who haven’t worked in the printing industry for over 15 years is soul crushing (not naming names). Scheduling a time to print on campus is always an afterthought. The printers never work right. Your prints are never color matched. The paper options are minimal. We’re pulling our hair out for you!2

So, is there anything you can do to make this process easier this semester? YES!! Let us help!3 Our printers work; you don’t have to figure out how to print anything; the only thing you need to schedule is when to pick your print up; we will do the color matching; crazy-awesome paper options. Printing can be easy. Promise.

Here’s what you do. Visit www.tweekimaging.com (you’re basically there already) and click the big red START HERE button to begin your order. Wait, before that you should probably enter your email address in the pop up window so you can take advantage of our 20% off coupon we are currently offering!!

  1. Upload your image

  2. Choose the paper and size that best fits your work

  3. Choose a border size if you want one

  4. Include a note with any special printing instructions

  5. Choose the delivery method4 and check out

  6. Wait 24 hours for your print to ship or be picked up*

Want more help before you click that purchase button? We’ve got some more thoughts…don’t worry.

Pre-Press: So, you’re a painter or sculptor and need your work photographed before you can even get to the point of making prints? You’re in luck! Tony works with artists to reproduce work in the digital world. Or, maybe, you’re an analog photographer? We can make high-resolution scans for you too. Let us know if you need photographs of your pieces. And be sure to ask about our high-volume reproduction discounts (10 pieces or more).

Paper: You probably know this but your paper option can take your print to the next level. Maybe you want something with subtle texture like German Etching or maybe you want simple and smooth like Cougar paper or maybe an acid-free, 100% post-consumer recycled French Paper (currently have three options). OR, think outside of that dumb box we get stuck in. Sure there’s always tons of white paper options…and believe me, we have options.5 What about French Speckle Tone Craft?6 At 100lb cover weight this is something that can certainly stand on its own. Would that match a look you have going for a product you’ve designed or an identity package for a business? Yes, Tweek can even print that for ya! Our paper option prices start at $9 per square foot.

Presentation: How are you presenting your portfolio prints? There’s nothing wrong with the standard binder/book!7 This is easy for you to add to and take away from. Grows with you so to speak. Emily, here at Tweek, recently finished her portfolio for her upcoming graduation and used a book.8 Emily shoots a lot of medium and large format film and we love how she positioned her images in a sea of negative space. Another option is a box similar to this. We can mat your prints to mat board or foam core so each print is easily handled and can stand on it’s own if need be. If you use the box in the link you can fit about 30 mounted images (100 unmounted). The box is also made with archival paper. Once you get that dream job, thanks to your killer work and perfect prints, you can store that box and look back at it years from now. Awe, isn’t that so sweet.

 

*Most orders (3-5 prints) can be completed within 24 hours when placed before noon on a business day. If mounting is required more time may be necessary but you will get an email from us letting you know this is the case.


1. Reminder: We’re still southerners so we’re gonna do that real sweet, welcoming chit chat every time. Every time. We can’t not.

2. That will be figurative for Tony…you saw our picture last week…hair on the top of his head is a little lacking. The rest of us though…totally pulling our hair out!

3. Not even lying…Billy Swan was singing “I can help” when I wrote that. Check out the 70s Smash Hits Spotify playlist you young whippersnappers if you don’t know the song.

4. Tweek Headquarters is about six miles from the UT Art & Architecture building and about 20 miles from Pellissippi State’s main campus.

5. Paper options list: Ten options total plus two canvas choices. I hope you clicked this link so you can read the descriptions. We also provide sample books.

6. A Tweek favorite. That is what we use for Tweek branded materials.

7. We LOVE B&H. If you’re ever in NYC just go. And buy something so you can watch it ride the conveyer belt through the store.  As seen above and on instagram (@tweekimaging)

Who is Tweek Imaging anyway?

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ya’ll!1

So you’re checking out our blog. Curious to see what Tweek Imaging has to say for itself? For starters we’re gonna get you up to speed with who we are and why we are here. Sit back, grab a cup of espresso or a cold one (both Tweek staples) and spend a few minutes with your new BFFs.2

Tweek Imaging. It was formed by Tony Long in 1999. After years spent in lithographic print houses, Tony saw a need for color correction, scanning and graphic reproduction3 all served up with loads of personal attention. Scanning and mean photoshop throw-downs began in a small room of Tony’s house.

Fast forward 16 years and Tweek is still within walking distance4 of his home but the scale of business and focus has changed a bit. In the last five years Tony has added more hands as the workload has grown. Walking into the Tweek pad you’ll still see scanning, digital retouching, and color correction going on…you’ll also see multiple high-end, large-format printers; shooting stations for commercial photography; plus enough digital and analogue photography equipment to outfit most of Knoxville.5 Now you gear-heads may be dying to know all the gritty details: what brands, possible resolution sizes, largest print sizes…good things come to those who wait. We can’t tell ya’ll everything in our first blog post! What fun would that be?

So if we’re doing work for global companies why aren’t we in one of those global cities? You must have never been to Knoxville. As is the case for most small, southern towns, our downtown has seen revival, our restaurants are run by nationally-recognized chefs, our arcade in town doubles as a barcade, our favorite bakery is now known by all 50 states, our favorite places to drink beer are local craft breweries, our national park is visited by over 10 million every year, our brunch is top notch. On top of all of that, when we go downtown or even to the Smokys we see friends and make new ones. It’s the perfect town for Tony’s three kids. One of his daughters may be grown now but she still loves visiting her hometown. You may leave Knoxville but Knoxville doesn’t leave you. Just like Knoxville, once you place an order with Tweek you won’t even consider cheating on us.

1Colloquial saying all southerners use that will become part of your vocabulary thanks to your new friends in TN.

2Obviously, Best Friends Forever

3Graphic Reproduction: capturing/photographing art for digital printing

475 steps from his house to be exact. And about 32 steps from his vintage bikes and convertible.a Allows for lots of pet therapy thanks to the three Long family doodle mix pups.

5Brief hipster must knows of knoxville — we’ve got the best bakery, quality coffee shops, smoky mountains, best brunch, growing craft brewery scene, fantastic letterpress shops, Big Ears music festival, urban farms, distillery right in the heart of the city, BBQ, and lots more — come visit ya’ll!!

aTriumph bonneville, royal enfield, a few vintage Japanese model motorcycles and a triumph spitfire sportscar

What can you do with French Paper?

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It’s no secret that we love French Paper.

First of all, we love the company. French Paper is small, independent paper mill out of Michigan. It’s been family owned and operated for 6 generations, and their paper mills have been powered by fully renewable hydroelectric generators since 1922! On top of all of that, their website design and packaging are top notch. There’s litterally nothing not to like!

Secondly, we love the product. We stock several types and colors of French Paper, because it’s good stuff. The paper is smooth and sturdy, and an incredible foundation for our inks. Everything we print on this stuff looks amazing. We constantly have new ideas about what we can do with it. Here’s a couple of our favorites…

1) FRENCH PRINTS (with wooden hanger)

Doesn’t Kevin look happy holding this French Print? We named this product after the paper it’s printed on, and honestly this is one of our favorite photo products that we offer. These huge prints look amazing, and come pre-attached to wooden rails. That means they are ready to hang –  which makes your life really easy. They make a huge impact in a room. If you’re looking to refresh your decor, this would be a great place to start.

2) BULK PRINTS

This is one of our newest products! We are now offering bulk prints on French Paper in full or half sheets. Full sheets are 26×40 and can fit up to 54 4×4 prints, or 38 4×6 prints. Half sheets are 20×26 and can fit up to 24 4×4 prints, or 18 4×6 prints. You’ll need to combine your prints onto one file to order at our discounted price. If you’re using Lightroom, we have some handy templates for 4×4 and 4×6 prints here. You can order these prints with adhesive attached to the backs, so that you can easily stick them up anywhere! We also think these would make great cards to send to clients or friends.

That’s just two ideas for using French Paper. You can order prints in any size you like on French in our custom print shop, and if you have a totally unique idea please get in touch! We’ll do our best to accomodate!