FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Are your photographs mass-produced?
A: No.  Each photograph is a limited edition.  Each one is signed and numbered.  Please note that you will not see the signature or the limited edition number on any of the images on this web site.  This is because getting the images to look accurate on the web required extra steps to make the matts look completely white and the frames look completely black.  This process removed the signatures and limited edition numbers from the images in my online galleries, but they are still present on the acutal photographs.
Q: What is a silver gelatin print?
A: It is another name for a black and white print.  Please read my article on the silver gelatin print.
Q: What can you tell me about buying black and white photos as an investment?
A: Contact Sotheby's or Christie's auction houses in New York.  They are dealing with investment quality prints.  There are so many 'entry' level positions to take, but none of them are cheap.  Low priced collectible prints start in the $2,000.00 range.
A general rule of thumb is that photographers do not become collectible until they have died.  Meanwhile, there are a fair number of living photographers (and some of them still fairly young) whose work would certainly be collectible.

If you are looking to 'invest' in any photographer who is not well known (that is to say, already collectible), then the best rule of thumb should be buy what you like.  After all, that should be why you buy art in the first place.  Art should be displayed.  I'm sure that whatever you've purchased in the past is still on display somewhere in your home.  You bought it because you liked it, and that's why you've been able to look at it all these years!  The chance of any of us making genius guesses as to who will someday be famous is rare.  Buy what you like, give it to your grandchildren, and hopefully by then it will be worth something!
Q: How do you know a fair price when buying photographs, and do you think your prices are fair?
A: It can often be quite tough to know if you're getting a 'good deal' in any transaction today.  Buying art can be as tough a decision as any.  The best way to go about it is to ask yourself two basic questions.  First and foremost 'Do I really like the piece?' and second 'If I can afford it, does the price seem about right for what I am getting?'.
Remember, artists are trying to support themselves.  They can't give their work away. On the other hand, selling art requires some business acumen.  If you think too highly of yourself, you might price your work too high to be reasonable.  On the other hand, if you price your work too low people might think it's not worth buying.  The psychology of it all is quite fascinating.

When buying and price comparing photographs you must be sure that you are comparing apples to apples.  Photographic processes, papers, and print sizes all play an important role in determining the value of a print.  My black and white 16" x 20" prints are $150.00.  I have seen photographers who charge 6 times that for the same thing!  They might be good photographs, but there is a vast difference in the perception of value.
If anything, my work might be slightly under-priced.  However, I think it's more important to have my work sell rather than be overly proud (and have a basement full of work!).
Q: What is a hand colored photograph?
A: Exactly that; a black and white photograph that has had color added to it by hand.  Please read my article on the hand colored print.
Q: How long will a black and white print last?
A: This is a tricky question because there are a lot of variables.
The first major variable is whether you are talking about digital prints or traditional darkroom prints.  I cannot really address digital prints because I do not know that much about them.  I know that the technology is changing so fast that I imagine digital prints are now being made to last a very long time.

In darkroom printing there are two major categories of photographic paper; fiber based paper and resin coated paper (called RC paper).  I only use fiber based paper.  It has a proven longevity over RC paper.

The final variable in longevity revolves around the darkroom practices of the photographer.  The chemicals used in printing must be thoroughly neutralized and/or removed from the photographic paper in order for the print to last a long time.  I take particular care in these procedures.

All the above being considered, it should be most importantly noted that photography is a very new art form.  Photography as we know it only began in 1859.  There have been a number of significant advancements and changes since then, but there are still a significant number of pieces that have endured from that era.  So the oldest photographs are about 150 years old.  Advancemants in materials and processes have been significant especially since the early 1940's.  It is my opinion (and I share it with the vast majority) that today's black and white photographs should last many hundreds of years if cared for properly.  Don't let them come in contact with any foreign substances, and keep them out of direct sunlight (or very bright indirect lights).

Now as to hand colored photographs there is only a slight bit to add.  We know that oil paintings have endured the test of time.  The only thing I am adding to the black and white photograph is a thin layer of oil paint.  Therefore, if anything, I would think that a hand colored photograph would outlast even a regular black and white photograph.
By the way, black and white photographs will certainly outlast conventional color photographs.