Targeted mainly toward the Interior Design industry, JAMES RANSOM EDITIONS provides custom prints for art decor. Customers can purchase prints from our growing image archive, or can commission a work, or works, to match a specific design or theme. Check back each month to see new images added to the catalog. Contact us for details.
Recently I’ve become fascinated with the relationship we humans have with our “things.” I’ve started various photo projects to help me explore this, one of which deals with interesting collections. If you collect something, I’d love to talk to you. It doesn’t matter what it is you collect, it just needs to be somewhat interesting and extensive. It doesn’t matter where you live, I’ll come to you. Below are a couple of images that I’ve shot to start off the series, just to give you an idea of what I’m looking for:
Birdhouses, Pocatello, Idaho, 2009
This weekend I’m participating in the New York Stake Arts Festival, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 125 Columbus Ave (65th St.). I’ve got four pieces hanging in the visual arts exhibit, and I am also teaching a course at 1:00pm on Saturday called “Mundane to Magnificent.” The class will give people a basic understanding of how to use their cameras to take great pictures. I’ve taught the course on a couple of other occasions, but am tweaking it a little bit to adapt to a different audience.
So, after reading an article in this month’s PDN about selling prints online, I decided to give it a shot. I started an Etsy store about 2 years ago, but never really did anything with it. I’m a huge fan of Jen Beckman’s 20×200, and thought why don’t I do the same thing, except without limited editions (for now). So, without further adieu, I give you…..my Etsy store.
Check back every week, I continue to add more prints. Of course, if anyone has any special requests (image, size, etc.), let me know. It’s only been a few hours since I opened up shop, but already I’m being feature on “Pouncing Friday, Etsy undiscovered”. Off to a great start!
Tomorrow night I will be presenting my work at the NY PhotoGroup Salon. I went to one presentation there about a year and a half ago, and it was really fun. Hopefully people will be saying something similar after tomorrow night. I never imagined seeing my name along side the likes of Jay Maisel…no pressure.
Here are the details:
Wednesday March 18th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
SoHo Photo Gallery
15 White Street
New York, NY 10013
(The gallery is 3 blocks south of Canal Street between Avenue of the Americas and West Broadway, across from the Tribeca Grand Hotel.
By subway: A, C, or E train to Canal Street; #1 train to Franklin Street.)
There is a $10 cover charge to pay the rent.
Presenting the work of:
Steve Cohen
Rames
James Ransom
Emmanuel Faure
Jay Maisel
Almost in time for Chinese New Year (yesterday), I’ve finished my still life story on things I’ve found in Chinatown. I don’t have an official name for the project yet. My plan is to choose 12 different neighborhoods in Manhattan and do a conceptual still life story on one each month. At the end I’ll have a book, or at least a lot of cool images… Anyway, you can check out “Chinatown” on page one of the still life section on my site. Here’s a little taste.
As a photographer I obviously have a vested interest in the publishing world, so naturally every day I read about all the layoffs and I cringe a little. But I have to admit, through it all I hear a familiar ring.
About four or five years ago it seemed like the photography world was in complete uproar. The Digital Revolution was in full swing, decimating the photography profession. Or so we all thought. It seemed those people unable to adapt their businesses were swept away completely. I remember attending an ASMP meeting on the “state of the industry.” It ended up being one long massive rant about how “digital” had ruined everyone’s lives. By the end of it I was so tired of all the whining that I felt like standing up and shouting for everyone to keep it together and have some hope! I wasn’t really one of them, because I had never shot a commercial job with film (and I still haven’t). I didn’t need to adapt because I didn’t know any other way.
The world didn’t end back in 2004. Photographers changed over to digital. The cameras improved. People started using their darkrooms to store all of their hard drives. And everyone was still making money. Yes, it took some getting used to, but now we’re to a point where everyone automatically assumes you are going to shoot the job digital.
I think the publishing world is going through the same thing. They’re discovering that people get most of their information from the internet, rather than print. And for the most part, it’s free. I don’t have a crystal ball, but here’s what I think will happen: Newspapers are going to be the first to go. At least their print versions. Magazines will be next, although they won’t completely disappear. I predict there will be innovations on the web that will make it easier to read media online. They’ll still print a few issues a year, but probably only for their subscribers. Subscriptions will gradually become electronic and people will read magazines with some sort of gadget. Exquisite content will create opportunities for e-publishers to charge electronic subscription fees. There will be a lot of free stuff out there, but the good stuff will cost money. Pricing models for advertisers and content providers will adapt, not go away.
If you look back through the ages, you can see a pattern. Change has come. We’ve either got to get on the train, or be left in the station.
So, to start off the new year, here’s a sneak peek at my latest project that will be debuting towards the end of the month. It’s an image from my Chinatown series. I hope you enjoy it…all three of you.
Special thanks to Stephanie Hanes for the amazing styling!
I just found this the other day. It’s a story that I shot about two years ago for Patek Phillipe Magazine, based in Europe. The story is on E. R. Butler & Co., makers of antique hardware, and how they make antique doorknobs. I did all of the product shots (not the lifestyle pics). I shot on location with my 4×5 and a Leaf back with Profoto strobes. The warehouse is one of the coolest buildings I’ve been in (as you can see in the story). I’d love to go back and shoot again someday.
Here’s the main image, in case you don’t want to download the entire story.
Today an image of mine is being featured on the Slate Gray Media blog. Each of the members contribute one image a week, and the results are posted daily. Check it out (here). This is an outtake that I shot for my portfolio when I was working on a project for Dean & Deluca, but it ended up being one of my favorite images.