Where They Are Now: Ben Ham is on the Move

Ben Ham Images
Ben Ham on location on one of his Colorado high country photo expeditions.

We profiled Ben Ham in the monthly eNewsletter, In Focus, about six years ago. At that time he was already well established as a fine art photographer of South Carolina’s low country, his beautiful black-and-white landscapes adorning galleries and high-end properties, including HGTV’s Green Home in 2008.

It was inevitable that Ham’s work would find a wider audience and that his photographic lens would widen to encompass other landscapes across the U.S. and even Europe. Ham is not only a consummate artist, but a savvy businessperson who obviously enjoys meeting new people and forging relationships in the art market.

“All through the economic downturn I didn’t change the way I was doing things because of the economy,” explains Ham. “Instead, I raised my prices and focused on branding and building that brand. It’s important to maintain the value of what you’re doing. When you drop your prices it lowers the value of your work and makes people wonder if you were gouging them before you brought the prices down.”

Ben Ham Production Studio
Ben Ham’s production facility, which has been upgraded in recent years to improve quality and efficiency.

Instead, Ham invested in more and better production equipment to improve the quality of his finished pieces. In other words, he wanted to ensure that his clientele would benefit from the full value of his expertise, concentrating on the details that make the difference between a framed print and a true piece of collectible fine art.

“I’ve built some real strategic relationships with vendors like LexJet, as well as frame and molding companies. We needed the production equipment to create a better product and do it more efficiently, like a double miter saw, pneumatic frame jointing equipment and a new Epson 9900,” explains Ham. “Now it’s all about building a team of people to help me do that; a good team in a work environment where everyone’s enjoying it, making money, and moving forward to build something big.”

Ben Ham Printing
Ben Ham’s studio includes a gallery in the front. Ham prints most of his work on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Ultra Smooth from LexJet, as well as LexJet Sunset Cotton Etching Paper.

Long a staple of high-end galleries in South Carolina and Vail, Colo., Ham’s framed pieces will find a home of their own in a gallery Ham is opening in downtown Charleston dedicated to his work. The renovation of the space on King Street is scheduled for completion in early November.

“We’ve always been represented by a great gallery in Charleston, but no one knows how to sell and represent our work better than we do. Now we have the space we need, which is important because my smallest piece is 3′ x 4′; you can’t get a lot of gallery wall space with pieces that size,” explains Ham. “I started looking for the space and it took me about a year to find it. Now, it will be a Ben Ham Images gallery with more than 30 pieces of mine showcased in there, plus more from the collection of what I do beyond Low Country photography, like Colorado and Italy. I expect this new gallery to triple our business.”

Ben Ham Gallery
Ben Ham’s gallery on King Street in Charleston is being remodeled and is scheduled to open in November.

Rated the number one city in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler readers, Ham’s location in Charleston will bring his work to a wide audience of tourists from across the U.S. and the world. Ham expects the gallery to be a real game changer for his business, with 2,300 feet of gallery space in a prime street-front location housed in an old and historic building. “It’s incredible what’s going on in Charleston, and we want to be in the center of it,” says Ham.

Katie Lindler, who was previously gallery director at Coleman Fine Art, will take over the reins at Ham’s Charleston gallery. “She really knows what she’s doing and I’m super-psyched to have her on board,” says Ham. “I have no doubts about what we can do in Charleston, and it’s template for what we’ll do in the future.”

LexJet’s Contract as a Preferred Print Shop Supplier for MillerCoors Distributors Extended

LexJet was recently contracted to be a preferred print shop supplier for MillerCoors distributor print shops. The ongoing agreement with Distributors Solutions LLC (DSI), Golden, Colo., runs through March 15, 2017. LexJet’s contract was renewed based on its service, support, pricing, product breadth and on-time product delivery to the MillerCoors distribution network.

Point of sale graphicsIn July 2007, DSI signed an exclusive agreement with Coors (now MillerCoors) to negotiate and manage preferred supplier programs on behalf of the distributor network in a wide range of categories, including office supplies with Office Depot, a cell phone program with Verizon Wireless and AT&T, an updated fleet program with GM, Chrysler, and Ford, and the print shop supplies program with LexJet, among others.

Since the print shop supply program was initiated in late 2007, more than 400 distributors have actively participated in the LexJet/DSI Preferred Print Shop Supplier program, including some of the largest beverage distributors in the nation, such as Reyes Holdings, Coors Distributing Center, Superior Beverage, United Distributors, Glazers, Manhattan Beer Distributors, Mesa Beverage Company, Cone Distributing, Crest Beverage, Origilio Beverage, RMC Distributing, The Beer Company, and DeCrescente Distributing Company.

According to Ali Comeaux, General Manager, Distributors Solutions LLC, LexJet was chosen out of several potential vendors “based on LexJet’s competitive pricing, its record of outstanding customer service, and its enthusiasm for the program.”

LexJet’s custom program includes free and unlimited product and technical support, a flexible printer-financing program for aqueous, solvent, latex and UV-curable wide-format printers, free educational resources – which include the bi-monthly eNewsletter, POS Express – and a Web portal that allows program participants to view their orders and product history, track shipments, and access technical data sheets, product specifications, ICC profiles, application education and information, and more.

“DSI has been a great partner and we are honored that they continue to see the value LexJet brings to MillerCoors distributors through the five-year extension of our contract,” says Jason Metnick, LexJet vice president. “We will continue to bring value to the network and, most importantly, find new and innovative ways for our distributor customers to drive more sales at the point of sale.”

LexJet’s state-of-the-art distribution and tracking system allows timely delivery – including same-day and one-day delivery – through its nationwide distribution network. LexJet account specialists have access to real-time stock levels at all locations, and products can be tracked by participants 24/7 at lexjet.com.

“Our relationship with LexJet has been extremely beneficial and worthwhile. LexJet has lowered our costs and sped up product delivery times, while providing a wider selection of high-quality products, which is everything I’m looking for in a supplier,” says Mike Duka, graphic designer for United Distributors, Atlanta. “Whenever we have any questions or concerns LexJet is always there for us, whether it’s product information or troubleshooting any issues we may have in production.”

The Soles of Breckenridge Photography and Printing

Photography gallery with inkjet prints
The Gary Soles Gallery: Wilderness Exposed, in Breckenridge, Colo. The gallery obviously features Gary Soles' photography, but some of the work of renowned Colorado photographer John Fielder as well (one of Fielder's Colorado winter photos is shown here in the foreground, rendered in large format by Gary Soles on LexJet Sunset photo paper).

Sure, the title is a terrible pun, but in many respects it’s true. Gary Soles captures the soul of Breckenridge, Colo., and America’s West through amazing large-format photography displayed at his gallery: The Gary Soles Gallery, Wilderness Exposed. And, his soles took him from Wisconsin to Breckenridge as he exchanged his Midwestern footwear for (arguably) the best footwear of all: ski boots.

Resort community photographySoles admits to being a ski bum when he first moved to Breckenridge in the late ’70s, but something larger tugged at him as he plowed through the divine Colorado powder in those early years. Drawn to art in college, Soles found his way into photography by first working at a Breckenridge photo lab in the early ’80s, eventually owning it a few years later.

“In college I gravitated toward the art department; it was the only thing that really did it for me. I wouldn’t dare tell my dad that I wanted to be an art major, but it was that background that helped with color and composition in photography,” says Soles. “It was an almost brutally slow process, and in hindsight I wish I had gotten more formal training because it would have taken me to a higher level sooner. I tend to be so critical of my own work, which motivated me to get better because I would see everything that was wrong with my work, rather than what was right.”

Mountain and landscape photography and printingAs he developed his photography skills, photo technology was also developing, to use another bad pun. The unusual aspect of his business’s evolution was that he retained much of the earlier processes while moving to the latest processes, like large-format inkjet printing. His photography, meanwhile, evolved from mainly commercial photography for magazines, brochures and ads, plus studio work, to the Colorado and Western landscape photography for which he’s become well known.

“I still use all large-format film cameras for my original transparencies. Those are then drum scanned and printed with a large format inkjet printer. We’re still a full service lab, so we’re still doing C-41 and E-6 film processes. We still process black-and-white and have the old-school stuff, but at the same time we have digital imaging kiosks for customers who want to print from their digital cameras, and offer all the digital imaging, enlarging and custom framing for other photographers as well. We kept going with everything we’ve always done, but it also evolved into a place for my own work.”

Shooting landscapes and wildlifeHis own work, featuring the spectacular scenery of the Western states, needs the space necessary for equally spectacular prints that go up to 4′ x 12′. A small home on Breckenridge’s Main Street housed Sole’s operation for years, but as his photography went large, the historical barn built in the late 1800s attached to the home was remodeled to accommodate his gallery.

“I always enjoyed landscape and wildlife photography and the venue finally opened up to display this work; you need a lot of space to display the large images we’re producing,” says Soles.

Everything for the gallery is produced in-house, from the photography and film processing to the printing, mounting, laminating and chopping and joining the molding for the picture frames. Doing so, says Soles, has been a real boon to his business.

“Our costs are kept very low by doing everything here; the profit margins in the gallery are huge by keeping everything in-house. We’re able to control quality, minimize turnaround times and offer customers a lot of size and frame options,” explains Soles. “Customers can order anything from 4″ x 12″ to a 4′ x 12′ print and everything in between. I also do a lot of work consulting with people as far as measuring for wall space, frame options that would look great with both the image and their décor, and the installation. People really appreciate that personalized service. They can get a custom-fit piece for their home.”

Outdoor photography and inkjet printingLiving in a resort community also helps as customers come from far and wide and stop at his gallery on Main Street. The big, beautiful prints are hard to resist and Soles reports that he not only ships prints across the U.S., but worldwide, mainly to the UK, Australia and Europe, with a smattering of customers in South America and Canada.

“Even in a down economy, photography is still affordable if you compare it to an oil painting. Clients will often find a certain connection to a particular photographic piece: a place they have been or a season or moment they have experienced. They can get a good sized, framed panoramic piece for $2,000-$3,000, whereas something from a fine art gallery can cost $20,000-$30,000 for that same size. You get a lot of area covered with photography for a better price,” says Soles.

Outdoor and landscape photographyThough he’ll ship the print frame and all, and some just buy it off the wall and take it with them, most prints are rolled up for shipping. “What’s been great is shipping the un-framed print, which can be rolled and shipped very inexpensively. We looked at the way LexJet boxes its materials, and basically ship it out the same way. I guess you could say we snaked the idea from LexJet,” he says. “We’ve been batting a thousand since converting to that method. They can have their own framers do it when they get back to their hometown.”

Part of the appeal that drives sales, aside from the stunning images themselves, is in the materials he uses for printing. All of Soles’ printing is done on LexJet Sunset photo and fine art media: Sunset Photo eSatin Paper, Sunset Photo Gloss Paper, Sunset Photo Metallic Paper, Sunset Fibre Matte and Sunset Select Matte Canvas.

Soles adds that LexJet Elite Luster UV Vinyl Laminate (3.2 Mil) is used on almost 90 percent of the pieces in the gallery, providing a subtle boost that can turn someone who’s just looking into a sale.

Black and white photography and printing“The laminate is a huge selling point. They’re blown away with the luster UV laminate we use: there’s no glare or reflection from it and you really see the image. It’s optically clear and the colors in the image really come out through the laminate. In some ways it enhances the image,” explains Soles. “People are used to seeing glass or plexi over the images, and those will have some type of glare. And, with the six- and ten-footers we’re doing as panoramics, it keeps the piece relatively lightweight. There are a whole lot of people shooting digital and offering smaller prints, but I’m offering these giant panoramics, and they’re easier to deal with because they don’t have an extra 30 pounds or so of glass with all the potential problems you can have transporting, moving and installing the pieces.”

Soles adds that he’s also been using a gloss laminate over Sunset Photo Metallic, which he uses based on the image and where it will hang. “It’s just amazing because it’s almost three-dimensional; that combination looks so cool,” says Soles.

Printing Custom Fine Art Photo Coasters for Additional Sales

Printing fine art photo coasters

In a previous post here at the LexJet Blog, Gary Haines, owner of Grizzly Creek Gallery in Georgetown, Colo., had introduced a line of posters featuring select pieces from his fine art landscape photography. As mentioned in that post, the posters serve two purposes: To give those who can’t afford the exquisitely printed and finished larger works access to Haines’ outdoor work and to provide Haines with an additional revenue stream by capturing those who would otherwise have walked out of the gallery without buying anything.

Fine art photographic printing
The large art gallery floats are similar in construction to the fine art photo coasters pictured above, printed on Sunset Photo eSatin, laminated and mounted to MDF.

Haines took that same concept and applied it to coasters. Now clientele have a nice Colorado keepsake to take home that also has a practical use. I recently visited Haines and couldn’t help myself; after chatting for a bit, the next thing you know I’m walking out with three coasters.

The coasters are similar to the large art gallery floats that adorn Grizzly Creek Gallery, which are printed on LexJet Sunset Photo eSatin Paper, mounted to 1/4″ or 3/8″ MDF and laminated with a luster laminate. The difference is, of course, the size. Plus the art gallery floats have a one inch framework behind them so they float off the wall while the coasters are more like small plaques with beveled edges.

Most of the coasters are printed on Sunset Photo eSatin, but some are also printed on LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper. Haines likes the shine the Metallic paper provides, especially on his various renditions of aspen groves.

Haines gang prints the coaster images and sends them to DuraPlaq in Longmont, Colo., who then laminate the images to the MDF blanks. Picture This – Superior in Lafayette, Colo., usually takes care of the larger art gallery floats using the same basic process.

Inkjet printing fine art photography
For smaller test prints and posters, Gary Haines uses LexJet 8 Mil Production Satin Photo Paper.

“Sunset Photo eSatin has a heavier weight and is more durable than most photo papers. I also really like the colors I get when I print on it as well as the surface texture; it’s like the darkroom papers we used to use,” explains Haines.

As noted in the previous post, Haines produces posters and test prints on LexJet 8 Mil Production Satin Photo Paper. It’s similar in look and feel to Sunset Photo eSatin, but it’s less expensive and thinner. In other words, it’s a good alternative for more economical photo products like posters.

Canvas Gallery Wraps: Not Just for Galleries

Cottrell Printing Company in Centennial, Colo., does just about every type of printing imaginable, from catalogs and brochures in its spacious commercial department to a variety of large format graphics on its HP Designjet L25500 60-inch latex printer the company picked up from LexJet last year.

Printing canvas gallery wraps for office lobbiesCottrell Printing CEO Rick Hillbrand is a big proponent of not only telling clients and potential clients what they can do, but showing it, as noted in an earlier post here at the LexJet Blog about the company’s 40th anniversary open house.

One of the products Hillbrand believes has potential in the market as they roll out the capabilities of the HP latex printer is the canvas gallery wrap.

Canvas gallery wraps were once the reserve of high-end galleries and art shows. With advances in printer technology and easier ways to build a gallery wrap, however, they’ve become more popular with individual consumers, corporations and others looking to bring a touch of style to their environment, be it an office, a home or any business space.

Canvas gallery wraps printed for officesUsing LexJet’s Sunset HD Pro Stretcher Bars and HP Satin Canvas, Hillbrand has decorated much of Cottrell Printing’s office space with canvas wrap renditions that highlight the company’s history as well as some Hillbrand’s own Rocky Mountain high country photography.

“The Sunset Stretcher Bars were very easy to use and took just minutes to put together and stretch the canvas,” says Hillbrand. “We’d like to sell more of this product, so the first step is making sure it’s visible in our lobby and around the office. We just had a decent order of 12 gallery wraps for a client who’s placing photos of their product in their office lobbies across Colorado.”

Do it yourself canvas wrap stretcher kitsHillbrand says he’s been impressed with the quality of the images produced by the HP latex printer and how well it reproduces photography and artwork. Though Hillbrand has been promoting the fact that the printer has less environmental impact, he says the output is getting more attention.

“The output quality allows us to do a wider variety of work, including the canvas wraps, than we initially thought we would be able to produce,” adds Hillbrand.