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A Transitioning Neighborhood Captured in Portraits
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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A Transitioning Neighborhood Captured in Portraits

Photographer Jack Alterman is a native of Charleston, S.C., and has certainly seen his city evolve over the years. Today, one particular neighborhood on the east side of Charleston is undergoing a dramatic shift in response to extensive development.

“It’s a 200-plus-year-old neighborhood, that’s predominately African American,” Alterman says. “In walking through the streets and talking to long-term residents … these are very wonderful people with a past worth talking about. The area is being looked at by developers who are interested in making money. It was very obvious to me that these people were not being seen, and history was going to get buried along with all the building.”

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Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Sunset Print Award Grand Prize Winner: Permanent Bond

Permanent Bond by Tammy Bevins

The judging panel for the first annual National Sunset Print Award described the First Place Grand Prize winner – Permanent Bond by Tammy Bevins – as “flawless,” “masterful” and “fully resolved.” The image depicts the bond her twin sons have had since before they were born.

In fact, there was little debate about the print, other than how perfect each element of the image – from composition to lighting – was absolutely spot-on.

Permanent Bond was one of 29 prints judged at LexJet headquarters in Sarasota, Fla., on Thursday, Nov. 13. All of the entries in the National Sunset Print Award competition won a Sunset Print Award at state and regional competitions across the U.S. in 2014.

Permanent Bond won the Sunset Print Award at the Professional Photographers of South Carolina (PPSC) competition, and was thus automatically eligible for the national competition.

Sunset Print Award
One of Tammy Bevin’s twins prepares to get into the water tank for the Sunset Print Award-winner, Permanent Bond.

“It took four minutes to photograph something, but it took me four years to come up with the idea,” says Bevins. “For several years I’ve been trying to come up with a concept to show the bond my twins have with each other and what it means to be a twin. It’s one of the most amazing experiences to have twins that look so much alike and have been best friends. Over the years I didn’t come up with something I was inspired to do until I came up with Permanent Bond. I wanted to position them like they were in the womb together, and I used rope to signify the umbilical cord.”

The shoot actually took more than four minutes as Bevins built a water tank in the back yard filled with a few inches of water and dry ice to create the fog effect. What you see is basically what Bevins captured; there was very little Photoshop work done to the image.

Bevins captured the image with a Canon 5D Mark II with a 24-70mm lens at 1/200, f/4.6, and 160 ISO. Master printer Jonathan Penney, Center Moriches, N.Y., printed the image on fine art paper.

Sunset Print Awards
The judges at the first annual National Sunset Print Awards evaluate Permanent Bond by Tammy Bevins. Photo by Billy Elkins.

“I used available light and a 2×3 soft box. I had the soft box on pretty low and wanted the light skimming across them and coming up from the top a bit,” explains Bevins.

Bevins runs Nuvo Images in Charleston, S.C., with her daughter and son-in-law, both of whom are award-winning photographers as well. Bevins has nine children – six girls and three boys – ranging in age from 13 to 29. The twins are the third and fourth out of the nine.

“I grew up in West Virginia, and everyone in my family were coal miners. I moved to South Carolina after I got married and was in the medical field. We started having children and I stayed home with the kids, which gave me some time to explore my creative side,” says Bevins. “About 13 years ago I started taking art classes in oil painting at the local museum and I absolutely loved it. My husband suggested I take photography classes, and it really exploded for me and fit my lifestyle. My first year in business was 2004 and I immediately joined PPA and PPSC, and shortly thereafter got interested in print competitions.”

The National Sunset Print Award judging panel - from left to right, Carmen Schettino, Julie Hughes, Jessica Vogel, Tom Carabasi and Rich Newell - with their choice for First Place, Permanent Bond by Tammy Bevins. Congratulations, Tammy!
The National Sunset Print Award judging panel – from left to right, Carmen Schettino, Julie Hughes, Jessica Vogel, Tom Carabasi and Rich Newell – with their choice for First Place, Permanent Bond by Tammy Bevins. Congratulations, Tammy!

Bevins’ accomplishment at the National Sunset Print Awards is made all the more remarkable by the quality and variety of the images entered in the competition, from fine art photography to portraits and landscapes.

Julia Kelleher of Jewel Images in Bend, Ore., won second place for He Has Arrived. Click here to read the story behind Kelleher’s award-winning print that scored a 100 at the PPA Western District print competition.

Pete Wright won third for his retro image, Temptress, which won a Sunset Print Award at the PPA Southeast District competition. Click here to read the story behind this stunning image.

Congratulations to all the 2014 Sunset Print Award winners who made it to the National competition! Go to http://www.sunsetprint.com/previous-winners/ to see all the winners from 2014 and earlier years, and the stories behind the photography. While you’re there, look around to find out more about the 2015 competition and which competitions you can enter for a shot at a Sunset Print Award.

And, special thanks to our judges this year, who not only did a thorough and fair job, but gave everyone at LexJet a valuable education in what makes a print stand out at competition. This year’s judges were: Tom Carabasi of Ringling College of Art + Design; Julie Hughes, Abbey of London, Jensen Beach, Fla.; Rich Newell, Professional Photographers of America; Carmen Schettino, Carmen Schettino Photography, Sarasota; Jessica Vogel, Jessica Vogel Photography, Shelbyville, Ky.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Upscale and Inviting: Ben Ham’s New Charleston Gallery

Ben Ham Images

Ben Ham is a craftsman whose craftsmanship goes far beyond his excellence in landscape photography. When we spoke with him yesterday he was working with lumber for the finishing touches on his newly opened gallery in Charleston, S.C.

Ben Ham ImagesWe mentioned Ben Ham’s new gallery in a previous Where They Are Now post here at the LexJet blog. What we found when we caught up with him was a growing and dynamic business taking a big step with the new gallery space in Charleston.

Since that update, the Ben Ham Images gallery in Charleston is officially open. It’s a gallery built from scratch with Ham’s personal touch on everything inside the historic building on King Street, which is the epicenter of downtown Charleston.

For instance, due to the historic nature of the building, Ham wasn’t allowed to drill into the brick to hang his large framed prints. Ham’s solution was to build panels that float off the brick wall. supported on two mahogany columns that run to the ceiling.

Ben Ham Images Gallery in CharlestonHam’s goal was to create a space that’s both upscale and inviting. There’s a fine line between the two, says Ham, and walking that fine line will be crucial to the gallery’s success.

“I don’t want you to feel like you’re at a gallery where they buzz you in and you don’t belong unless you have deep pockets. I’m trying to be very careful so that it’s upscale while being accessible and inviting,” says Ham.

While Ham plans to have a grand opening of the gallery early next year, he’s offered some limited “sneak peek” preview events where some who attended asked about renting the space for charity events.

Ben Ham Images Gallery“I’m excited that people are seeing the space as a venue for charity events, but instead of renting out the space we’ll partner with them,” says Ham. “I’ve done a lot of work with charities over the years, and that’s been very good because you get great people in there and you get to give back. I’ve found that it’s best to work on something together that’s for everybody in the community.”

And, when Ham puts on event he spares no expense to ensure a memorable experience for all who attend. His theory is that how you put on event is a direct reflection on how much you value your work.

“We never pour cheap wine or use plastic cups, and we have it catered. You shouldn’t create a special event around art and try to do it on the cheap; you’re saying something about the work. I think the work is special, so I’m going to provide a special experience for coming out,” says Ham. “You should go all out, but artists are sometimes resistant to that. I’m an artist, but I’m also a businessman. It’s important to treat yourself that way, and that’s how you stay in business.”

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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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.”

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Masterful Combination: Bill Barley’s Giclee Printing and Jim Harrison’s Fine Art

Giclee Printing on Canvas
Renowned fine artist Jim Harrison checking out canvas gallery wrap reproductions of his coastal scenes, faithfully reproduced on LexJet Instant Dry Satin Canvas by Bill Barley, Studio BB&A.

It takes a master to reproduce a master’s art. Bill Barley, owner of Bill Barley & Associates (aka Studio BB&A), Lexington, S.C., recently had the unique privilege of printing giclees for one of South Carolina’s top veteran artists, Jim Harrison.

Canvas Gallery WrapsHarrison’s work typically depicts South Carolina’s natural beauty, especially its grand coastal areas. Harrison began his career as a sign painter in the days long before the advent of any vinyl-cutting or printing technology, then turned his talent to fine-art painting.

Now in his late 70s, Harrison has dived into the digital world with Bill Barley.

“You might call him the artist emeritus of South Carolina,” says Barley. “He’s doing a series of coastal scenes and I’ve been doing a tremendous amount of canvas printing for him. He’s a traditional artist, who for most of his career has sold only litho prints. Now he’s jumped into giclee printing big time.”

Photographing Fine Art
Capturing one of Jim Harrison’s beautiful South Carolina fine art landscape paintings at Studio BB&A.

Barley’s print process using an Epson Stylus Pro 9890 and the ImagePrint RIP fully and faithfully reproduces Harrison’s masterpieces.

“I’m using LexJet Instant Dry Satin Canvas. It looks like real artist canvas and the artists I work with love it. That canvas is worth every penny,” says Barley. “Jim Harrison is exacting in the landscapes he creates, and demands the same of me for his reproductions.”

Barley adds that the gallery wraps are custom built in collaboration with his framer since artists like Harrison don’t paint at standard sizes and prefer not to crop their work. Most of the gallery wraps shown here are 1 1/2″ thick.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Good, Profitable Business: Custom Inkjet Wall Murals for Home Décor

Printing custom wallpaper for home and office decor

“It’s good, profitable business,” says Bill Barley, owner of Bill Barley & Associates, Lexington, S.C. That “good, profitable business” to which Barley refers is custom wall murals printed on a variety of materials for home and office décor.

In the project pictured here, Barley chose to print this original mural by David Hedges to LexJet TOUGHcoat 3R DuPont Tyvek. Barley discussed using an adhesive-backed product, like Photo Tex Repositionable Fabric, with the client, but the client was more comfortable using professional wallpaper hangers to apply the Tyvek.

“The job went really well. The LexJet Tyvek material is dimensionally stable. When you wet the back of it and put the paste on it, it doesn’t swell like a lot of wallpaper products do. The wallpaper professionals told me that they’ve had problems with similar murals on conventional wallpaper material swelling, which makes it very difficult to match up the panels,” says Barley.

The artwork was commissioned specifically for this project. Barley planned for Hedges to paint the initial artwork at one-third the size of the final mural.  Barley digitized it and Hedges finished the details using Adobe Illustrator.

The images were brought up to full size with Genuine Fractals and then cropped in Photoshop. “I did the cuts full size in Photoshop so I could get pixel-to-pixel matching with no overlap on the final panels,” says Barley.

The panels – four 34″ x 6′ vertical panels for the bar mural, one 3′ x 5′ panel for the car/theater image and three 36″ x 10′ panels that would comprise the top border – were printed through the ImagePrint RIP on Barley’s Epson Stylus Pro 9880.

“As far as the material printed, it was excellent. The material holds color well with good color matching. I printed out a sample and checked the color balance on it and then printed the job. I didn’t have to re-print anything,” says Barley. “It’s a permanent installation in an upscale home, which is one of the reasons they wanted to hang it like wallpaper. There will be cabinetry and a marble counter built around it to finish it off.”