LRPS prints - gloss or matt

philthejuggler

philthejuggler

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Any advice?

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Phil!
 
Hi phil,i got my lrps in london last year.there was a panel that got rejected for various faults & it was mentioned also that they thought it a bit odd that the prints were also on matt paper.the prints were b&w.perhaps if the prints didnt have other faults the paper might not have been mentioned.personally i dont think you can beat a good glossy print,but just my veiw.good luck with the lrps.
 
What suits your images? Have you considered a fine art paper?
 
Ok, so definitely not matt then - fine art sounds interesting - excuse my ignorance, but what's that?
 
If your assessment is in Bath, then I'd recommend satin or matt.
Reason is that their spotlights are located so they reflect badly off the prints while they are being assessed.
From the audience it is really hard to get a good impression of a panel; side to side head movement is needed to get rid of the reflections one image at a time!
The judges are slightly better off being at the front and have more freedom to move around, but it isn't ideal for them either.

On the other hand - it takes a special sort of image to look stunning on matt.
Unless you are already planning on matt, then it is a gamble.

However - satin is a safe bet...
 
I did mine in April and all mine were satin in antique white 500x400 mounts.

Don't be tempted to go any bigger than A4 either as the assessors commented on several panels of bigger prints unfavourably!
 
Still getting around to doing my LRPS, mostly as Bath is a long way away and I'm trying to get a friend up to standard to do hers

Re no bigger than A4 - that was a definite as told to me by the Yorkshire Region Director who I met for advice, the argument being it 'hides' what could be deemed to be problems in larger prints !!!

10x8" was suggested as the norm - but for me that's a crop I don't like, and on an Assessment Day I attended as guest, most were A4 (and most passed btw)

Glossy seems like a no-no to me due to reflections, remember when first shown the Panel has to sit as a composition in its own right, if part of it can't be seen properly without the judge bobbing & weaving about due to reflections its not going to help your cause

Dave
 
philthejuggler said:
Ok, so definitely not matt then - fine art sounds interesting - excuse my ignorance, but what's that?
Click to expand...

Fine art papers are things like giclee's from a proper photographic lab. You get them in all kinds of finishes from super metallic gloss to thick, textured watercolour style papers.

Personally I really hate 'standard' gloss photographic prints, I'd never get them done for my work because it just wouldn't look right. I always print mine on a matte or semi-gloss paper.

But you have to select the paper and print method to suit the panel. If you have shot a series of fine art nudes, then watercolour paper might be appropriate. If you've shot a set of cityscapes then the metallic fuji might work for you. Attention to detail is absolutely key in submitting work for panels, and often just throwing stuff in on standard photo paper and standard mounts makes it look like you've not considered what works best for the prints.
 
CharlotteM said:
often just throwing stuff in on standard photo paper and standard mounts makes it look like you've not considered what works best for the prints.
Click to expand...

I can certainly agree with that for exhibition, for individual prints, or even the A/F - but the standard advice I got from the RPS director for the L, and which was repeated at the Assessment Day, is 20x16" cream frames with A4/10x8" prints - though they didn't actually mention gloss or not

The point of the L panel is to show a variety of work to prove you have a good range as a photographer, that could mean one type of print for one shot and one type of mount colour for another, then they'd look crap when all put together. The A/F panels are shot on a theme/style and hence can have more 'interesting' mount colours, sizes, print types even but still broadly the same as a theme - mixing them per subject is a mistake
 
Hi there - got my L in March at Focus last year where the lighting is better - as there is a new exhibition coming up with links to the RPS I would imagine that they will run it in the side room there again - check the events bit of the website. Stick to one colour mount - most seem to do 20 x 16 with something like 12 x 8 aperture - and most seem to be a fairly neutral colour. Got mine from FRITH and I think I chose a colour called STONE or something like that. The type of paper you use will depend on what your prints are; there were many non gloss papers there. I had mine printed by an on line lab [not good enough was the feedback] and then a Fellow who used a Permajet Fine Art paper but I think OYSTER would have done for them as well... hope that is of some use. I don't print myself - all rather too daunting - if I had the space and skill I suppose I would go for one of the A3 Epson printers. Anyway, hope that helps.
 
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