Lisa Ross Photography: F.A.Q.
These are the most common questions visitors to our gallery ask. Please contact me for any information, including travel tips, not found on this page.
01
How do you get them to look like paintings?
They are printed with a pigment ink on an Epson printer that is like an inkjet printer on steroids using a special canvas that grabs the ink. The combination of what the camera “saw”, the proper color balance during processing, the technology used by the Epson 9600 & 9890 printer, the canvas, and of course, the photographers eye. I shoot specifically with an eye to achieving the feel of paintings inspired by some of the great master modern artists.
What equipment do you use?
Older pieces like the 2 from Dubrovnik, were shot with film. The negatives were then scanned. Starting in 2005, all the images were shot with digital cameras. I use exclusively Canon cameras and their L-line lenses—the earliest were with the first 10D (6 megapixels), then 20D (8 megapixels), then the 5D (12.9 megapixels) & 7D. Today I carry two 5D Mark III's (23 & 50 megapixels), the former for low light situations. We’ve come a long way in six years. My printers are the Epson 9600, now retired, and 9890.
02
Do you "manipulate" the images?
With a few exceptions, I do as little as possible on the computer because I strive to produce clear prints without “pixilation,” those little dots that detract from an image’s sharpness. And so, mostly I do what any wet darkroom processing wants to achieve: proper color balance, exposure, contrast and of course cropping.
Examples of exceptions:
"(Don’t) Shoot the Piano Player" is a combination of three separate images. It was shot in the Musee D’Orsay and required straightening the lines so that they are parallel because I was shooting from the floor looking up---the lines tend to converge from that position so I used Photoshop to straighten them. "Istanbul Fantasia" is the most manipulation of images I have done---it’s a combination of several images and color “unbalancing.”
03
Do you use Photoshop?
I use a number of third party software products for color balance, RAW conversion, enlargement and sharpening. Photoshop serves as a base.
04
What does "archival" mean? Will these fade over time?
Epson claims conservatively 80 years with use of their Ultrachrome pigment and I print on archival canvas. The pieces are also given a 4-coat UV spray. They stand up very well to sunlight although I don't recommend prolonged direct sunlight. Only time will tell, but so far, none have faded.
How large can you print the pieces?
The biggest is 38” on one side because the printer is 44” wide and we need 3” borders to wrap the image on stretcher bars. Man on the Eiffel Tower is 62” x 38”. How large a piece will go depends on the quality and size of the original image. I will not make a print that is distorted or pixilated, and so we make that determination image by image. Right now, the largest piece I sell is 38”x 72.” (Saigon Noir)
Do you print custom sizes?
The pieces you see are optimum sized for the image. I can print them to fit a certain space requirement, but I don’t suggest going smaller than an inch or two or impact is lost. There are some that can go very large. I don’t print larger than what the image can manage without becoming pixilated or blurry.
Can I get a better deal online than in the Santa Fe Gallery?
No. In the Santa Fe area work is represented by Imaging the World Gallery. In San Diego, I sell work out of my studio. In addition, I guarantee that no customer will be undersold on a piece—no one will pay less after the previous sale. In fact, we raise the price after 5 in an edition are sold.
Are these "Giclees?"
While the printing process is the same, the term giclee has come to mean in the art world copies of original paintings or drawings. All of these works are original images shot in the visually interesting places in the world.
Where have the images been shot?
I have traveled to over 100 countries, over 450 towns and cities, across seven continents. Ask if you have a favorite place—often I’ll have a piece from there. If not, we’ll plan a future shoot there.
Where’s your favorite place?
Usually the last place I’ve visited. But the most eye-popping had to have been Antarctica, the most exhilarating Trans-Siberia to Moscow, the craziest climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, the most other worldly—lunching with Mountain Gorilla in Bwindi, Uganda. Top travel tips are Turkey, Botswana/Namibia, Jordan, Israel, Morocco, Mongolia, and the Republic of Georgia.