- What makes these prints any different than others I can order?
My photographs are different from most others in two
important respects: First, I use a digital camera rather than a film
camera. Unlike their film counterparts, digital cameras produce extremely
smooth, grain-free images. Second, I stitch multiple images together to
produce very detailed, high resolution images. Taken together, these two
important facts mean that my images can be printed at large sizes and
still appear remarkably sharp and smooth.
- What's with the "ppi" number on the order pages?
As mentioned above, I stitch multiple photographs together to
produce very high resolution images. The ppi (Pixels Per Inch) figure tells
how many pixels are printed per linear inch in the final print, and is a good way to
determine the expected sharpness of the final print. A print of 300ppi is
extremely high and appears very sharp at very close inspection. In fact, most
people agree that even if the printers themselves could print at more than 300ppi,
printing at that resolution
would not produce prints that appear any more detailed, because the photo
paper itself is incapable of resolving more detail.
A print of 240ppi looks sharp even when examined closely, although
some observers may be able to perceive a slight loss of detail when comparing a 240ppi
print to a 300ppi print at very close distances. Values of less than
200ppi still appear sharp when viewed from normal viewing distances, but
may appear softer when viewed very closely.
Note: Do not confuse "ppi" with the more commonly quoted "dpi"
figure used to describe inkjet printers. Inkjet printers use a different
technology compared to printers I use
(primarily Lightjet printers),
and the d ("dot") in dpi is not the same as the p ("pixel")
in ppi. An inkjet printer needs to blend many dots of
its (typically 4 or 6 ink) colors to produce the color of just one
pixel (which may be one of over 16 million different colors).
- Why do some of the images need to be cropped before printing?
In some cases it may be
necessary to crop the image slightly in order to print a "standard" size.
This is because some of the images on display in my gallery have proportions that
differ slightly from "standard" photo sizes such as 8x10 inches,
11x14 inches, etc. If the image will be cropped, this is clearly indicated
in the table on the purchase page.
In fact, cropping is a standard practice for all photographic
images, not just mine. For example, it is impossible to print an image
from any 35mm camera (which has a width 1.5 times as long as its height)
at the "standard" size of 8x10 inches (which has a width 1.2 times
as long as its height) or 11x14 inches (which has a width 1.27 times as
long as its height) without cropping the edges. I choose the precise
location of the cropping carefully to maintain artistic integrity.
If you are interested in receiving an uncropped image at a
non-standard size, send me an e-mail
and I'll quote you a price.
- Why are only some of your images for sale?
Because I only recently started selling them. The
quality of my camera equipment has improved over time, as has my stitching
technique. I don't feel that all of my older prints are good enough
to sell, but I may make some of the better ones available in the future.
- What kind of printer/paper do you use?
I do not use an inkjet printer, for two reasons.
First, as good as modern inkjet printers are, I believe that the "real"
photographic prints from professional machines such as the LightJet are
superior. I contract with professional printers to produce my images.
Their machines use lasers to expose conventional photographic paper
producing smooth, continuous tone images -- just as "real" and
long-lasting as traditional prints made from film negatives.
In comparison, inkjet printers spray tiny droplets
of ink at printer paper. Second, most inkjet printers are incapable of
producing prints at the size I usually print, and those that can are
fantastically expensive!
- Why does your site use cookies? I'm worried about my privacy.
My site uses cookies to keep track of items that you place
in your shopping cart. Without using cookies, my web site would be unable to
know what images you want to purchase. So, if your browser or firewall
is set to reject cookies, my web site won't work for you!
If you are interested in the technical details, here is what happens:
Whenever you add an item to a shopping cart, my web site sends back a
small cookie that records the name of the image, quantity and size. The next
time you click on a link, your browser sends the information back to my site
so that I know what you've already added to your cart. If cookies are blocked,
then my site won't get anything back from your browser, and I have no way of
knowing what is in your cart.
Because my site uses temporary "session cookies", your web-browser
should delete them when you stop surfing. You can test this out yourself...add
some items to your cart, close your web-browser (all windows, if you have more
than one open) and then restart your browser and come back to my site. You
should find that all items in your cart have disappeared.
Lastly, despite what you may have heard, there is no way for me to
find out your e-mail address, read your hard-drive or do any other bad things
simply by using cookies.
- What is PayPal?
PayPal is the company that I use to process payments. Once
you have selected the items that you want to purchase and click the
"checkout" button on my site, you will be taken to PayPal's site
where you can enter your name, address and other payment information.
Questions about their web pages are best sent directly to
PayPal.
- How long does it take after I order?
Please allow up to three weeks for delivery of your
print(s). After I receive your order and payment confirmation, I will prepare
the print to your specifications, print the image and ship directly to you.
In most cases this shouldn't take more than than 10 days. However, if I am
travelling, it may take me slightly longer to print and ship your order.
- What is the return policy?
If you discover that the print is damaged when it arrives,
I will replace it if you send me an e-mail
and return the damaged materials. I do not offer refunds.
- Do you ship outside the United States?
Not usually, but I may do this on a case by case basis.
If you are interested in purchasing a print and live
outside the United States, send me
an e-mail and we can discuss shipping charges.
- I've got other questions!
Send me an e-mail and
I'll try to answer your questions.
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