man & nature # 123 ~ 2 ALERTS!!!
Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 10:42AM 
Spring vines • click to embiggenA few weeks ago I mentioned that Ritz Camera Stores had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. I also mentioned that their wide format Epson printer was the only one left standing in our neck of the woods and if they closed I'd have to consider getting one. Well, as part of their reorganization, Ritz Camera is closing 400 of their stores and, you guessed it, our local-ish store is one of them.
Long story short, I went to the store yesterday to have a few more prints made and ending up leaving the store as the proud owner of their just-like-new Epson 7800 printer. I purchased it for the princely sum of $500. I kid you not - $500. Mint condition, all documentation, disks, and a network card installed.
That said, here's the ALERT - All 400 Ritz Camera stores that are closing have an Epson 7800 for sale for $500. It's first come, first serve but if they have already sold theirs, they will get one for you from another store that has one available. Just remember, he/she who hesitates ...
That said, here's the second ALERT - I take delivery of my printer on or about May 11th after which I will be setting it up and calibrating it in preparation for offering custom printing services to just 20 customers.
I already have an ftp site online for customers - from anywhere on the planet - to upload their files for printing. Unlike other online printers, I will work with each customer individually to create a personal printing profile for their files. Proof prints (downsized) will be sent for approval prior to final print making. Arrangements can be made for printing on virtually any paper the customer might want to use.
That said, in order to help in calibrating the printer, I would like to work with files other than just my own, so, here's my offer (think of it as a "contest" of sorts):
I need 5 volunteers who would like to have a FREE 24 x standard-format-of-your-camera inch print of one of your pictures. No purchase necessary. No obligations. Just be willing to work with me to, dare I say, "get it right".
Don't be intimidated by the print size relative to your native image file size. Assuming that you can send me a good quality file - 8mp minimum, although that's open to question (bigger is fine, smaller maybe) - with good sharpness /resolution, I will handle any up-res needed to print at the large size. Unless, of course, you choose to do it yourself.
If you are interested in this offer, please email me (link on the right) ASAP with a lores sample of the image you would like to print. I will select 5 "winners" for printing from the submissions.
Once again, remember, he/she who hesitates ...
gravitas et nugalis
FYI - submissions are rolling in. Thanks very much. Please keep them coming - I'll keep accepting them for next 3 weeks or so.
Also, I would really like to know what you would like from a custom print service. I am totally open to suggestions. FYI, custom print service = Me, a real, live person with whom you can communicate (email, phone, whatever) regarding your printing needs.
Reader Comments (2)
This photograph is drop dead incredible. I love the green wall... It's dense, but organized. There's no horizon or sky to distract my attention. It's all man made, even the "nature" has been controlled. Any exposures here w/ humans in them?
Kent - nope, no humankind pictures of this.
Thanks for the comment - this is one of my recent favorites - so much so that I couldn't wait for my new Epson (ETA - May 10th) and rushed right up to Ritz and had a BIG 24x24' print made.
The print is even more drop dead incredible.