Art and Photography

Printing Your Own Pictures (Better Than Your Local Pharmacy)

Blogged by: Brian Bruner

Are you tired of wasting time and money on good (not great) prints at your local drug store or superstore photo lab? Have you ever wanted to simply do it yourself at home and create extremely high quality prints? Well, a couple years ago, that was my problem. I did not like the quality and service I got. I was unhappy with having to drive to town, wait in line at the self-serve print station, and realize that the prints just didn’t convey what I had personally seen through the camera viewfinder. So I made it a goal to find the best printer, paper, and ink. These 3 items, along with simply having a nice photo to print, are the keys to creating your own perfect prints.

After failing at buying a few printers that simply didn’t do the job, I finally discovered a model that exceeds the quality I look for in a print. And since that day, I am now on my 3rd version of this model. The Epson Stylus Photo RX680 Photo All-in-One Printer is a fantastic machine. In fact, I really dislike referring it as a “printer”. I consider it my own professional photo lab!

The best part – you can buy this printer for what you probably paid for your past printer. At the time of writing this, Epson is selling it directly through their website for only $129.99! Amazon also sells it for the same price. Without trying to sound like a late night paid advertisement on TV, you really do get free shipping on this printer from Epson! The printer also includes a full set of ink cartridges. If you try buying it at your local electronics store, expect to pay almost $200…plus tax!

Epson Stylus Photo RX680 Photo All-in-One Printer – Click to buy through Amazon.com

This printer uses Claria Hi-Definition Inks. Don’t let the name scare you to think that this is expensive ink! In fact, it’s very reasonably priced. CAUTION – never buy off-brands or try refill your cartridges. This can ruin your printer from ever printing to it’s fullest abilities.

Here are some of the added features you get with the RX680:

• Borderless printing
• Two paper trays (keep your regular paper in one and photo paper in the other)
• Flatbed scanner
• Print directly on printable CDs and DVDs
• Extra USB port for connecting your camera directly
• Built-in memory card reader
• LCD screen to preview your photo before printing
• Scan-to-PDF for archiving and easy emailing
• Restore your old worn out photos
• Prints are instantly dry!

I consider myself old-fashioned. I still enjoy printing photos and putting them into photo albums to show my friends and family. So you need a good quality paper that will show off that new Epson printer you will be getting for your family:-) I have tried buying paper over-the-counter and have had some success. But the best I have found is called Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl photo paper. When you go to the store, most of the photo paper on the shelf is glossy. After using Ilford’s Smooth Pearl paper, I really don’t see myself using glossy paper again. My issue with glossy paper is that when you are looking at it, you are constantly turning it to try removing the glare from your view! The Smooth Pearl paper has a brilliant satin finish. You won’t find yourself being distracting by that annoying glare.

The easiest way to buy the paper is through Amazon. Below are links to two sizes that I commonly use…4″ x 6″ and 8 1/2″ x 11″. I buy the 4″ x 6″ paper quite frequently since I enjoy creating albums and giving the prints away.

4″ x 6″ Smooth Pearl Paper – Click to buy through Amazon.

8 1/2″ x 11″ Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl Inkjet Photo Paper – Click to buy through Amazon

Creating an Artistic Impression through a Square Crop

When it comes to photography, it is a rectangular world.  It is certainly convenient to have the standards that we do (3×5, 4×6, 5×7, etc.)  It makes buying frames and albums easy—and inexpensive. 

After getting my feet wet with my own photography, I started paying attention to what other people were doing for a little inspiration.  One of the most interesting styles I have discovered along the way is square photography.   

Classic square format cameras are making a comeback in popularity.  While I would love to own film cameras, the truth is I really do not have the time or money to devote to getting into true square format photography with film.  My inexpensive and fun trick: crop it!

Cropping into square format will do many things for your photos.  First of all, circumstances happen and it is not out of the ordinary for photos to end up with a lot of stuff visually that is distracting from the subject.  A quick adjustment by cropping into a square shape can give you more control in creating the appropriate focal point of your photo with less distraction. 

Another perk of square photography is its capacity to make something simple that you may not even consider a photo subject look so interesting.  For example, I threw a stack of dominoes into a pile and took some pictures.  In the ordinary rectangular format, the photos seemed dull.  Cropped into square format, they caught your attention.

My favorite thing about square photography is the instant modern change that can happen to a photograph with a simple crop.  I am not one of those naturally creative or artistic people, so I surprise myself sometimes at what happens when I create a square image.  In the photo strip at the beginning of my post, I modernized a rural scene with the simplicity of a square crop.

When it comes to finishing your square photos, square frames (even matted) are fairly easy to find.  I have found them at many national retail stores and specialty shops.  Framing your square photos will make a very artistic impression in your home, so prepare to receive lots of compliments for your creative masterpieces.

If you are thinking this is easy, you are right.  Sometimes it is the simplest things you can do to make your photos have a fresh, new look.  It’s hip to be square…in artistic photography.