Re: Market for MF slides

[Greg Erker <erker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>This is one of the reasons (there are several others as well) that I shoot
>negative film almost exclusively and make stereo cards from them. It would
>be as easy to make slides from negatives (either black and white or color)
>as it is to make the cards, but I like the cards.

  Cards are nice in that way. They look pretty good
too I assume, especially if you hava an achromatic
viewer like Alan Lewis makes.

  But even with perfect lighting you'll never match
the the brightness range of a good slide viewed in
a good viewer (good blackening inside, AR coated lenses
and good even light source).

  That's what keeps me a slide guy. That, and not
having a dark room :)


>I sold 40 cards at the convention last summer for an average of $20 each.

  That's good to know.

  So would anyone pay $20 for a mounted MF dupe (using 4x5 dupe
film)?  I suspect Joel might :)

  There aren't too many slides that I'd pay $20 USD for. Perhaps
I'm cheap (more likely just an equipment junky) or perhaps my
photo ego is big enough that I think "I can take one that good
some day (when I get to the mountains/desert/nude beach)".

  A big ego is not necessarily a good thing, but it's better than
being intimidated by all the great MF slides I get to see in the folio (IMO).
Actually good posed people portraits are one type I don't have that
feeling about. I'm not a good enough people person to be able to
pose people and get them to look relaxed and natural at the same
time*. So my ego isn't completely out of control.

  The few weddings I've shot (for people who really really
really don't want a pro) I've had my wife Dawn as a helper.
She poses people and jokes with them and gets them to relax
so I can just concentrate on getting the shot when everyone
looks their best. For the in the church stuff and reception
candids I do fine on my own (not a pro by any means though).

>I'm not about to get rich, but at least it pays for some supplies. I have
>increased my prices each year since I started selling them at the San Diego
>convention, and the price doesn't seem to make that much difference. Most of
>them are landscapes, by the way. I've got a couple other friends who are
>doing about the same amount of business with cards at the conventions.

  So, how many different views do you offer at these conventions?
I can think of about 5 of my shots that I'm really proud of.

Thanks - Greg