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January 2009
January 2009
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from a cold and snowy Pennsylvania winter. We haven’t had temperatures this cold in many years. We have read that record cold weather last winter (and so far this winter), has
brought the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps back to normal levels. Although that’s good news for our planet, we wouldn’t mind some milder winters here in Bucks County.
Once again, here is our annual newsletter to bring you up to date on our activities in the world of photography and to provide a record of some of our activities in 2008 and those planned for 2009.
Again, the addendum at the end lists prices and availability for our photographs, books, portfolios, and other items.
Photographs and Photographing:
Chicago: In 2008 we photographed in Chicago on a commission from U.S. Equities Realty. Michael photographed buildings in the loop area, concentrating on the skyline that changes almost daily with the
constantly ongoing construction. Paula photographed all along Lake Michigan. We are spending much of this winter in the darkroom for the printing of our Chicago photographs. A selection will soon go
up on our web site (www.michaelandpaula.com).
Paula has done something with her Chicago photographs that she has been thinking about for years—combining them into diptychs and triptychs with her drawings, assemblages, and writings.
A book of the Chicago photographs will be published later this year. The working title is Chicago: Loop and Lake.
One of the wonderful, indeed essential, things for us about photographing in a city under the umbrella of an official project is the access we are given. Without that we would not have been able to
gain access to a variety of rooftops from which we photographed. The “high point” was photographing from near the top of the Sears Tower.
In the 1980s Michael was commissioned to photograph the cities of Toledo, Ohio, and New Orleans, the town of Princeton, New Jersey, and selected communities in Broward County, Florida in Pompano Beach
and Deerfield Beach. Photographing extensively in Chicago was the first time we were able to concentrate on photographing in an urban environment since then. We would very much enjoy photographing
in other cities and are up for other commissions to photograph entire cites or just a particular place. If there is a place you would like to have us photograph let us know and we can help plan a commissioned
project that benefits all parties.
Iceland: Because of our commission to photograph Chicago, we were unable to return to Iceland in 2008, but plans are to return and photograph and film there in an extensive trip this coming summer.
The collapse of the Icelandic krona should make it less expensive, although they have had serious inflation, which will keep prices inflated. Once again, we will be conducting a workshop in Iceland
(see details on page 3).
Paula added a new platinum print, the eleventh, in her platinum series from her work in Iceland. It, as well as the others, has been very well received.
Other: Michael entered one of his portraits from his series INMATES at Sheriff Joe’s Maricopa County 4th Avenue Jail in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2009 at the Smithsonian National
Portrait Gallery. There were 3,300 entries. His portrait was selected as one of 100 semi-finalists. Fifty finalists will be chosen in May.
Exhibitions:
At the end of October we had an opening for our joint exhibition at Gallery 291 in San Francisco. The exhibition featured our photographs from Iceland and included all of our platinum prints, eleven
of Paula’s and five of Michael’s—the first time we were able to see them all together. The exhibition, which was up through the end of the year, was beautifully hung, very successful,
and we could not have been more pleased.
Paula’s exhibition at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, will be up through March 1. In addition to her photographs, Paula’s first film, Flow, a three-screen
projection, in two parts, is being shown. Among reviewer’s comments were these, “Besides putting into visual play what the artist calls ‘the universal rhythm—that common movement
of all living things,’ the film encourages an awareness of the incessant flow of the present in a way that images frozen in time cannot. As you watch the filmed movement of water . . . you find
yourself experiencing a semblance of what D.H. Lawrence meant by “the poetry of the present” . . . where we see “the very substance of creative change.” And this about the photographs, “Chamlee’s
photos, many made in Iceland and including several lush platinum prints, are starkly beautiful evocations of nature at its most primeval.”
The exhibition, Shifting Ground, also includes the work of two painters, and the work of each artist has been hung separately as three one-person exhibitions.
Paula’s photographs from High Plains Farm are exhibited in the rotunda at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, as part of the Art in Embassies Program by the U.S. Department of State. They will
be on exhibition for three years.
In Paris at the charming Italian restaurant, Olio Pane Vino, at 44, rue Coquillière (in the First Arrondissement) is a long-running exhibition of our photographs from Tuscany. Francesco Bertuna,
owner of the restaurant, is both an art lover and a great chef. We warmly recommend the restaurant for its excellent food. If you can make it to Olio Pane Vino, tell Francesco that we sent you. You
will love meeting him.
And at what promises to be an annual event, Paula exhibited photographs at the Bunker Hill Studio Gallery, a studio of a local painter. Other local artists, including a furniture maker and a printmaker
also showed work.
And while it was not an exhibition, we both had portfolios of photographs published in the August, 2008 issue of Focus magazine: Michael’s color photographs from Iceland, which were a great surprise
to a number of people who know his work, and Paula’s platinum prints from Iceland.
Book Publishing: Lodima Press
Ocean Variations, Michael’s new book is currently in preparation. Plans are to publish it this spring. It consists of four series of photographs of the ocean he made between 1994 and 2006. Included
are two triptychs and a quintet—something very new for him. Ocean Variations will be published in an edition of only 550 signed and numbered hardbound copies. The first 50 copies are offered
with the purchaser’s choice of any photograph in the book at a price substantially less than half of what a print alone sells for. No more than 10 original photographs of any image will be available.
To finance the printing of the book, we are making a special pre-publication offer. See full details on page 6 in the addendum, and you can see the photographs at www.lodimapress.com and at www.michaelandpaula.com.
Chicago: Loop and Lake: A book of Michael’s and Paula’s photographs of Chicago will be published in 2009. We will send details later in the year.
Mongolia: Land of the Deer Stone by Elaine Ling will be published later this year and we will post details on the web at www.lodimapress.com as publication time gets closer.
We have continued publishing our two series of books:
The Portfolios of Brett Weston—a nineteen-volume series: In 2008 we published number five, Ten Photographs, and number six, Baja California, the latter to be released soon. With help from the
Brett Weston Archive we hope to be able to publish four books in this series every year. The next books from Brett’s portfolios are Japan and Europe.
Last year we entered the Brett Weston book series in a Best Photography Book of the Year competition at Photo España. Hundreds of books were entered and the Brett Weston series was awarded First
Honorable Mention—second place. We feel quite honored, especially since we could only send softbound books to the competition. It seemed apparent that our award was because of the exceptional
quality of the reproductions—something that is the hallmark of all of our Lodima Press books.
Lodima Press Portfolio Book Series: In 2008 we published the thirteenth book in this series, the very lovely and elegant, Salt Grass by Eric Lindbloom. We had hoped to publish six books a year in this
series, but because of the many other things we are doing, we will be publishing only one or two a year.
The books in both of these series are published in short runs and will be dramatically escalating in price as soon as they are sold out. If you are a photography book lover or collector, you might
want to consider subscribing to one or both of them. For further details about these series or to subscribe to either, or both, or to order books individually without subscribing, please give us a
call at 610-847-2007 or go to www.lodimapress.com.
Other Books: Copies are still available of the signed, numbered, and slipcased limited edition of Ticetown by George Tice. This fine book comes with your choice of one of two platinum prints. To see
jpgs of the two platinum prints go to www.lodimapress.com. Ticetown is a beautiful and poetic document of renowned photographer George Tice’s family history.
Elephant’s Eye Bucks County Artists Studio Tour
Last year we hosted many visitors to our studio on the first Elephant’s Eye Tour, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization sponsoring tours of the studios of select Bucks County artists. And we are
thrilled to be doing it again this year on the weekends of May 9–10, and May 17–18. The other artists include sculptors, painters, printmakers, and ceramic artists. See www.elephantseyetour.org
for details.
Workshops in 2008
Last year we conducted two Vision and Technique Workshops (V&T) at our studio in Bucks County. This year we will be conducting a V&T workshop in Florida from March 20–22, and also a V&T
workshop at our studio in Bucks County from May 29–31. We may add a second one at our studio the following week. Full details are at www.michaelandpaula.com. Click on “Workshops.”
Iceland Workshop: We will be conducting a ten-day traveling and photographing workshop in Iceland, from July 10–19. Full details are at www.michaelandpaula.com. Click on “Workshops.”
Photographic Paper
Miracles do happen. In 2008 we received a “pre-production” run of our new silver chloride contact printing paper—Lodima Fine Art. After many years of testing and innumerable hurdles
we were able to develop a paper that yields prints even more beautiful than the Kodak Azo paper that it replaces. Those who purchased paper from this pre-production run are as thrilled as we. Now we
need to raise money for the large run of the paper, which will happen later this year. We remain confident as we approach the next hurdle.
Expos and Trade Shows
Paris Photo: In mid-November we had a Lodima Press publisher’s booth for the fifth consecutive year at Paris Photo—the European counterpart to the AIPAD Photography Show New York. Paris
Photo, however, has many more participants and larger crowds. Once again Paris Photo was a wonderful and successful experience and we plan to have a booth there again this year, if they will accept
us. Each year the participants are juried in, so we have no guarantees. Paris Photo 2009 will be from November 19–22, again in Le Carrousel du Louvre.
Society for Photographic Education (SPE): In March we had a Lodima Press publisher’s booth at the SPE National Conference in Denver. We had not been at an SPE conference in many years. It was
great fun to see many old friends whom we had not seen in a long time.
Art Librarians Society of North America (ARLIS/NA): And in May we had a Lodima Press publisher’s booth for the first time at the Art Librarians National Conference, which was also in Denver.
Art Librarians who were not familiar with our books responded most enthusiastically.
Photo LA: We had a very successful show at our booth at Photo LA last January. Because we were unable to send our annual newsletter last year until March, we mentioned it more extensively there.
www.michaelandpaula.com and www.lodimapress.com
Major revision is still underway on both of these web sites. Although there is still much to do, the Lodima Press site has undergone significant improvement. We hope to keep improving both sites.
If you haven’t been to either web site and registered on the sign-up page, please do so. We can then notify you of special offers, exhibitions, books, and generally keep you informed of what
we are doing in the world of photography. We have some special things planned for the site that will be available only to those who have signed up.
Our Building Project continues, but slowly. We do expect, however, to have one building finished and fully functioning soon.
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As always, we are deeply grateful for your interest in and support of our work. As part of our audience, you complete a vital circle and make a valuable contribution to the creative process and to
the making of our art.
Whenever possible during our travels, we hope we can see you for a visit. And do remember that you are always welcome to visit us here at our home/studio in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
We send you our warmest regards and best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year,
Addendum
Many of you have requested updates on our print prices for your records and for appraisal. This addendum contains those updates and also provides information about our books, exhibition
catalogues, portfolios, note cards, posters, and (singular) video. Please note that there have been some changes and additions. These are designated with an asterisk.
Photographs:
Silver Chloride Contact Prints
Now that we are not printing from older negatives (except in a very few instances), prints from these negatives are now editioned. The edition number is different for every image: for some photographs
it may be as few as 4 or 5; for others it could be 12, or 17, 26, or 33, or some other “odd” number. Although we have never before editioned our photographs, we have always assigned each
print a unique number and have kept exact records of how many prints of each image we have made.
Each year we expect the photographs that fall into the “older” category to change by one year, although that is not rigidly fixed. We may consider certain work “current” for
more than two years or we may consider it to be current for only one year. Here are prices as of January 1, 2009.
Current photographs (2004–2008):
Michael: 8 x 20 $3,000. Paula: 8 x 10 $2,000.
Color 8 x 10 $2,000. 5 x 7 $1,000.
4 x 5 $1,000.
6x6/6x7 $750.–$1,500.
Multiple 6x6 and 6x7 $1,250.–$3,000.
Older photographs (pre-2004):
Michael: 18 x 22 $4,500.–$10,000. Paula: 8 x 10 $2,000.–$5,000.
8 x 20 $3,000.–$10,000. 5 x 7 $1,000.–$3,000.
8 x 10 $2,000.–$10,000. 4 x 5 $1,000.–$2,500.
The price for Michael’s 2' x 5' silver print enlargements, made directly from his 8" x 20" negatives is $6,000 except for the two prints from which half the edition has sold. Those
are priced at $7,500.
Platinum Prints
Our large platinum prints, made in editions of ten, and two artists’ proofs, begin at $15,000 for Paula’s prints and $10,000 for Michael’s prints.
Galleries will now be handling these platinum prints: the Peter Wach Gallery just outside of Cleveland, and Gallery 291 in San Francisco. In November and December we had an exhibition of these prints
at Gallery 291. We are proud to be represented by these two fine galleries.
Paula’s platinum prints are printed on translucent handmade Japanese Taizan paper 23" x 29". Michael’s are printed on Arches Platine paper and are one meter wide—15" x
39". To make these prints our original negatives are scanned at the Salto Platinum Atelier in Belgium; then five enlarged film negatives are made from each scan and are then printed in register
with multiple exposures—a lengthy, arduous, expensive process. These platinum prints are as beautiful as any we have ever seen. Each image is limited to an edition of ten, and two artists’ proofs.
Please keep in mind that seeing photographs on the Internet is nothing like seeing them “in the flesh,” especially with Paula’s platinum prints on the thin Taizan paper, where the
delicacy and luminescence does not translate well, but we hope you can get at least some idea of their quality and appearance.
Books and Catalogues:
* Ocean Variations: This announces a pre-publication offer for a Collector’s Limited Edition of Ocean Variations, a new book by Michael to be published in the spring 2009 by Lodima Press.
Ocean Variations will be published in an edition of only 550 signed and numbered copies. The first 50 copies are offered with the purchaser’s choice of any photograph in the book at a price less
than half of what a single 8x20” print sells for. No more than 10 original photographs of any image will be available.
This 40-page hardbound 9" x 17" book will contain
29 reproductions and will be printed by Salto in 600-line screen quadtone. It is priced at $1,250 for one of the first 50 copies with your choice of any photograph in the book, with the two following
exceptions: $1,500 for either of the two triptychs (along with one of the first 50 copies), and
$2,500 for the quintet (along with one of the first 50 copies). This price is substantially less than the $3,000 to $5,000 these prints have sold for individually.
Shipping in the USA is $35 for the print and the book, $45 for the triptych or the quintet. Overseas shipping is higher.
You may select your photograph(s) now from the images on the web site, or you may make your selection after you receive the book.
The signed and numbered book without an original photograph is $135.
Pre-publication price is only $95.
Shipping for the book (without a print) is $12 in the USA. Overseas shipping is higher.
An earlier Lodima Press book, Paula Chamlee’s San Francisco: Twenty Corner Markets and One in the Middle of the Block, a much smaller book, also published in a signed and numbered limited edition
of 550 copies, originally sold for $50. It sold out and the lowest price for it now on the Internet is $403.50.
We hope you will not want to miss this opportunity. Ocean Variations is sure to become a valuable collector’s item.
Tuscany: Wandering the Back Roads, Vol. I: Published in 2004, Paula’s book of photographs of the countryside and small towns and villages of Tuscany. Essay by Robert Sobieszek, Curator of Photography
at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Foreword by Ferenc Máté, author of The Hills of Tuscany, Preface by Michael and Paula. 70 reproductions printed in 600-line screen quadtone. $75
(plus $7 S&H). Signed and numbered, slipcased limited edition: $200 (plus $7 S&H).
Tuscany: Wandering the Back Roads, Vol. II: Published in 2004, Michael’s book of 8x20-inch photographs of the countryside and small towns and villages of Tuscany. 59 reproductions printed in
600-line screen quadtone. $95 (plus $10 S&H). Signed and numbered, slipcased limited edition: $250 (plus $10 S&H).
Madonnina: Paula’s book of photographs of the small shrines to the Madonna that can be found throughout the countryside in Tuscany. Foreword by Steven Maklansky, Assistant Director for Art and
Curator of Photographs at the New Orleans Museum of Art, Essay by Giuliana Bianchi Caleri, Italian scholar, Preface by Paula. 50 reproductions printed in 600-line screen quadtone. $60 (plus $7 S&H).
Signed and numbered, slipcased limited edition: $200 (plus $7 S&H).
Landscapes 1975–1979: This award-winning set of books is sold out.
Michael A. Smith: A Visual Journey: Photographs From Twenty-Five Years: Published in 1992, this book accompanied Michael’s twenty-five year retrospective exhibition at the International Museum
of Photography at George Eastman House. Foreword by Marianne Fulton, Essay by John Bratnober. 176 duotone reproductions. $95 (plus $7 S&H). Signed and numbered, slipcased limited edition: $250
(plus $7 S&H).
Princeton: An exhibition catalogue of Michael’s with five reproductions and an essay by Richard Trenner. Published in 1985. Rare; fewer than thirty copies remain. $25 (plus $4 S&H).
Natural Connections: Photographs by Paula Chamlee: Published in 1994, a book of Paula’s photographs of the natural landscape accompanied by selected writings from her journals with an essay by
Estelle Jussim. Printed in Laser Silver-Lit Tones™, 42 tritone reproductions. $75 (plus $7 S&H). Signed and numbered, slipcased limited edition: $200 (plus $7 S&H).
High Plains Farm: Published in 1996, a book of Paula’s photographs and writing about the farm where she grew up on the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle. Foreword by George F. Thompson. 81 duotone
reproductions. $75 (plus $7 S&H). Signed and numbered, slipcased limited edition: $200 (plus $7 S&H).
San Francisco: Twenty Corner Markets and One in the Middle of the Block: Paula’s third book, published in 1997. Sold out.
The Students of Deep Springs College: Michael’s book about the most unusual college in America, published in 2000. Essay by L. Jackson Newell, Afterword by William T. Vollmann, Preface by Michael.
53 reproductions printed in 600-line screen quadtone. $50 (plus $7 S&H). Signed and numbered, slipcased limited edition: $200 (plus $7 S&H).
Portfolios: Paula
A Field in Tuscany: An edition of ten portfolios self-published in 2000 containing eight 8" x 10" photographs archivally mounted and overmatted, and two sheets of deckle edged Arches paper
printed letterpress. The portfolio comes in a handmade box covered in heavy linen. P.O.R.
San Francisco: Twenty Corner Markets and One in the Middle of the Block: An edition of three portfolios self-published in 1997 containing twenty-one 8" x 10" photographs archivally mounted
and overmatted, and three sheets of deckle edged Arches paper printed letterpress. The portfolio comes in a handmade box covered in heavy Italian linen. P.O.R.
High Plains Farm: A Unique Portfolio: An edition of fifteen portfolios self-published in 1996. Sold out.
Portfolios: Michael and Paula
The Azo Portfolio: An edition of ten portfolios plus two artists’ proofs self-published in 2006 containing a selection of ten photographs, five 8x20s by Michael and five 8x10s by Paula, archivally
mounted and overmatted with two sheets of deckle-edged BFK Rives paper printed letterpress. The portfolio comes in a handmade box bound in heavy linen. This portfolio is produced for the purpose of
helping finance the production of a new silver chloride paper. P.O.R.
Portfolios: Michael
The Stones of Monteriggioni: A suite of six 8" x 20" photographs archivally mounted and overmatted. Printed in an edition of five. P.O.R.
Eight Landscape Photographs: An edition of twenty portfolios plus two artist’s proofs published by Regnis Press in 1983 containing eight 8" x 20" photographs archivally mounted and
overmatted, and two sheets of deckle edged Arches paper printed letterpress. The portfolio comes in a handmade box covered in heavy linen. Upon completion of this portfolio, the negatives were retired;
no further prints were made from them. P.O.R. Only one remains.
Twelve Photographs 1967–1969: An edition of twenty-five portfolios self-published in 1970, this portfolio contains a representative selection of twelve photographs from this period. The 8" x
10" archivally mounted and overmatted photographs and two sheets of Arches paper printed letterpress come in a custom-made portfolio case covered in heavy linen. P.O.R.
Note Cards:
Michael A. Smith: Note Card Set One and Paula Chamlee: Note Card Set One: Two boxed sets of note cards, one set from each of us. Printed in Belgium by Salto in 600-line screen quadtone. Each set has
twelve cards and envelopes—three cards each of four photographs of the natural landscape. We chose a fine card stock that is coated on the outside for optimum reproduction and uncoated on the
inside for quick-dry, non-smear writing. Both sets are limited to an edition of only 1,000. $19.95 for the first set, and $16.95 for each additional set. $5.00 S&H for one set plus $2 for each
additional set.
Posters:
The four High Plains Farm posters are exquisitely printed in 300 line-screen duotone on heavy cover stock and were run through the press an additional and fourth time for extra luster and brilliance.
Size: 19" x 26" for three of the posters and 19" x 27" for the fourth (a vertical photograph), $25 each or $75 for all four. A limited edition of signed and numbered posters is
also available at $50 each or $150 for all four. For posters, add $6 S&H.
Video:
The PBS half-hour documentary film, High Plains Farm: Paula Chamlee, produced by KACV-TV is currently being transferred into DVD. Please inquire if you would like a copy.
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Other Books from Lodima Press and BackStreetBooks
The Portfolios of Brett Weston
San Francisco
White Sands
New York
Fifteen Photographs
Ten Photographs
Baja California
Japan (2009)
Europe (2009)
Lodima Press Portfolio Books:
Home by Nicholas Nixon
Solitudes by Carl Chiarenza
Common Mementos by George Tice
Opera Nuda by Keith Carter
Heaven/Earth by Linda Connor
Primal Elegance by Larry Fink
Planets by Arthur Tress
Flights Through Time by Marilyn Bridges
Stone Churches of Ireland by Paul Caponigro
Still by Douglas Mellor
The Studios of Pietrasanta by Hans Bol
Close at Hand by Robert Adams
Salt Grass by Eric Lindbloom
Other Titles:
Edward Weston: Life Work
Los Crepúsculos de la Imaginación by Alejandro López de Haro R.
Stones and Marks by Peter Elliston
Passage: Europe by Richard Copeland Miller
Crash, Burn, Love: Demolition Derby by Bill Lowenburg (www.backstreetbooks.com)
Ticetown by George Tice
Mongolia: Land of the Deer Stone by Elaine Ling (2009) |
