Bell’s work reveals an intimate view of the natural world, reaching into the subtle beauty within a form. Growing up on a farm in the flatlands of the midwest instilled an appreciation for the land. This innate passion has continued into his adult ...
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Bell’s work reveals an intimate view of the natural world, reaching into the subtle beauty within a form. Growing up on a farm in the flatlands of the midwest instilled an appreciation for the land. This innate passion has continued into his adult life and translates as the work you see today. Each photo represents an opportunity to consider the subject, almost apart from its meaning or function. Whether it be the inner folds of a plant, a sand-swept dune, or a distant coastline, Bell reveals only as much as he cares to share. The pursuit of untouched landscapes has taken him all over North America, typically photographing for weeks or months at a time. This love of the land, coupled with a love of fine art photography, combine to make his expressive prints. Throughout Bell’s career, his work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the U.S. His photographs have been published in B&W magazine as well as books. He has garnered numerous awards, with the Ansel Adams award topping the list for his “Agave” photo, which is now in the permanent collection at the Toledo Museum of Art, and the University of Michigan Art Museum. www.bellimages.com
“I hope that my work will encourage self-expression in others and stimulate the search for beauty and creative excitement in the great world around us.” – Ansel Adams I came across this quote a few years ago and realized what a lasting...
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Publishers Note: I have known Jan for a number of years now. His work is standout recognizable as a Jan Bell. His story and commitment to the art of photography are exceptional. He has had health challenges that would make many of...
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Re Friesens: I’ve had recent discussions with them. They operate along essentially two streams. (1) Large scale offset printing for customers needing big print runs (talking a thousand or more copies); if you aren’t one of those, this stream is not for you. (2) Printing/marketing streams. In this stream you buy a package service from them that includes varying amounts of prepress and marketing arrangements. If you don’t want one of these packages, either because you don’t need them or don’t want to pay for them, then this stream is not for you. As neither were for me, I decided to pass on them.
Yes, I had talked with Friesen’s multiple times over the past year. I even received a quote from them. In my opinion, the do no print the “fine art” quality that I am looking for. When I compare their work to the work to Dual Graphics, it’s like comparing a Porsche to a Ford. Weston, Don Wirth, Ansel, and John Sexton all had books printed at Dual Graphics. Friesen’s quote was 1/3 the price of what I received from Dual Graphics (who has since closed their doors). But, I feel that you get what you pay for. I have a quote from them, and it’s in line with the quote that I received from Dual Graphics ($32,00 for 300 books).
I am attaching three of the four pdfs that comprise my book project packet (the actual “sample book” was too large, but it can be seen in my interview on Photo PX>. Look them over. Should care to be a part of the project, get in touch. I’m still a few thousand short from meeting my goal … but it’s within site.
Mark,
Thanks for your help. I see that Meridian Printed Nick Brandt’s “On This Earth a Shadow Falls.” I own that book and will look at the reproduction more carefully. Nothing against Brooks Jensen, but I’ve never been overly impressed with the quality of the printing in LensWork. That said, Brooks has done great things to advance contemporary photographers!!
I have been working on a portfolio book for the last couple of years. In talking with John Sexton about his books, and those of Don Worth (which I own), I learned that they were all printed at Dual Graphics. I got a quote from them two years ago, but unfortunately they are no longer in business. This seems to the the trend with US book printers. They refined a process called Fultone printing. It adds depth not seen in ordinary offset printing. The prints look as though they came from a darkroom. Do any of you know of another printer in the US that can print at this level of quality?
PLEASE email me directly, as I don’t log on here very often.
WEB: http://www.bellimages.com
EMAIL: [email protected]
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“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.” – Steve Jobs
This quote from Steve Jobs, as well as the support of family, friends, and loyal followers from many years are what inspired me to create this new website that is dedicated to photography. There are a lot of websites featuring photography. Many are good; in fact, many have been created and run by friends of mine. That is probably what I like most about photography. You make a lot of friends with whom, more than anything else, you share a passion and love for photography in many ways.
photoPXL was created around a dinner table with friends. This site will be about the community of photography, a place where young and old alike can share their stories, learn about the art and craft of photography, and gain an understanding of what it takes to Enhance Your Vision.
photoPXL will publish articles about photography and look at the many types of cameras we use to take photos, ranging from smartphones to medium format systems. We’ll explore the many options for processing your images and focus on the art of printing. I’ve always felt the process of making a photograph wasn’t complete until I could hold it in my hands. Color profiles, papers and types of printers will be reviewed, plus so much more.
One of the most exciting features of the new site will be building a community using photographer profile pages. This will be a place where you can share your images with other readers and see what others are doing with theirs. There will also be a forum where you can ask questions and share your knowledge, further developing the sense of community.
We will not only feature articles, reviews and opinions, but will also have a YouTube channel with numerous training and technique videos.
On the main site, look for more visits with some very well-known photographers where we’ll share their vision in our series “Shooting with the Masters.” There will be exclusive, behind the scenes segments where we’ll bring you things you haven’t seen before.
Photography for me has always been personal. I can be really serious sometimes, working to catch a certain image, but no matter what I never forget to have fun. I want this site to mean the same thing for you and be a place where you can come and experience many photography-related topics and have fun while doing so.
All in all, you’ll be Enhancing Your Vision.
Please sign up today. We will not only notify you when we launch photoPXL.com but will also keep you posted on the progress we are making on creating this site.
Joining me in this adventure is long-time friend and videographer Chris Sanderson. Chris’s insight, creativity, skill and passion have been invaluable in propelling me forward on this journey. Debra, my wife, will be sharing her unique vision and artistic view as well as handling workshops and so much more. Michael Durr is one of the more creative and fun videographers I have ever met. We are fortunate to have him as part of the team. Plus, we will have many articles from a wide range of well-known and maybe not so well-known photographers. There is so much talent out there.
We are working hard to not only create content but also to build a robust site that can be expanded upon over time. Something dynamic, and evolving.
I truly hope you will join us in creating this new community. We look forward to your collaboration, contributions and guidance along the way.
Kevin Raber
[email protected]
Owner, CEO, Publisher
