Digital Prints

22
Mastering Digital Printing
Who’s Doin’ Digital?
The digital revolution (including the Internet) has created opportunities for photographers,
artists, and imagemakers to create and distribute their work in ways that were not
even dreamed of ten or even five years ago. While many like to sidestep categories, it’s still
useful to attempt some kind of lumping together, if only to allow more understanding of
the widespread reach of digital imaging and printing.
Also, art buyers and marketers tend to think in terms of classifications: pop art, Old
Masters, that sort of thing. The same with juried art shows and contests, which by necessity
need to categorize entries and awards to keep the whole system of judging art somewhat
manageable. So here goes my attempt at classifying the creators of high-quality digital
prints (see Gallery Showcase for some good examples from each group). Printmakers, as
a group, get their own special chapter (10).
Photographers/Imagemakers
The digital wave has definitely broken over the photographic/imagemaking field, and most
photographers are riding it (they’ll drown if they don’t). It’s only logical considering that
photography was born out of the technological innovations of Niépce, Talbot, Bayard,
and Daguerre in the 19th century. Some say that the digital revolution is as important as
the invention of color photography, even photography itself. Of course, there will always
be the few purists and hold-outs who thumb their noses at technological advances, but if
you are reading this book, you are probably not one of them.
Left: Photographer Gary Goldberg creates images in a wide range of sub-specialties including fashion and beauty.
Right: Goldberg checks a print in his Florida studio.
Courtesy of Gary Goldberg Photography/www.garygoldbergphoto.com