Our Opening

Few back in 2003 really knew there were any specialty printing methods for high quality B&W ink printing beyond the niche enthusiast community brought together by the internet. Let’s face it, even now few realize many wonderful exhibits, for example a recent Walker Evans show in NYC, and the amazing Ashes and Snow Exhibits printed by Jon Cone, are using these dedicated high end printing methods to achieve the highest quality results.

Attempting to inform the Seattle photography community of these methods and introduce our services we approached many accomplished Seattle artists with a wide range of styles and experience, offering to let us make a print in exchange for showing it at our opening party. Some of these people were literally mentors of mine, darkroom masters, and I thought there may be some resistance to yet more invasion from the digital realm. To my surprise, everyone we contacted approved and we were suddenly overwhelmed with prints to make.

We filled our studio walls with amazing photography by-

Phil Borges, Marsha Burns, Michael Burns, Jeff Corwin, Mel Curtis, Peter Delory, David Julian, Spike Mafford, Karen Moskowitz, Ann Palleson, Charles Peterson, Howard Petrella, David Robbins, John Stamets, Paul Sundberg, John Van Dyke, finally Anil and myself.

In Dec. 2003 we threw a big party and invited as many people as possible. To my knowledge it was the first show of it’s kind. A wide variety of digital B&W inkjet prints, cool, warm, blended, split tones, all on gorgeous Hahnemuhle papers, full 35×46.75 sheets. All were hung bare, so the paper could be experienced without plexi or glass. Turn out was amazing and people still talk about it as one of the most compelling photography exhibits in Seattle in 2003.

Immediately people became aware of this beautiful print aesthetic, and the possibilities, as well as being treated to the work of some of Seattle’s finest photographers. I am still in debt to these artists for allowing me to print their work.