Some Definitions (non-technical):

Custom Print

To create a 'Custom' print, the printer corrects for errors in exposure in the image and adjusts the final contrast and color balance in the print. If the image is too dark, the print is lightened; if too light, the print is darkened. If the contrast to too great, the print contrast is reduced; if the contrast too flat, the print contrast is increased. If the image is too red from illumination by incandescent light, the print is made 'cooler' or more blue; if the image is too cool - e.g. images taken on overcast day - the print is made warmer. The color balance problem may be especially difficult for dance photographs as stage lighting typically consists of lights of different colors. The lighting contrast - the range from dark areas to light areas - is also a typically problematic in dance. The typical goal of a 'custom' print is make human skin tones reasonably correct; to eliminate excessive, inappropriate color casts and to make all relevant details of the image fit within the range of the print material. In addition the image may be cropped (1) to eliminate empty space or distracting elements or (2) so that the print will fit standard frame sizes. Apart from fitting the image within the technical capabilities of the printed medium, a 'custom' print is necessarily a subjective interpretation of the image.

Custom+ Print

A 'Custom+' print has all the corrections of a custom print plus additional selective adjustments to make the image more aesthetically effective. A 'custom' print deals primarily with the technical problems of brightness, contrast and color of the image; the 'Custom+' print addresses the subjective, emotional, aesthetic qualities of the image. If there are portions of the image that detract from the primary subject, the printer will selectively lighten, darken or blur areas to focus the viewer's attention to the primary subject. These adjustments applied are similar to those that may be applied in the 'traditional' analog photographic darkroom. In some situations, e.g. in response to client request, digital retouching techniques may be applied to create photographic illustrations.

Commercial Print

The 'Commercial' print or machine print is what you get from the drugstore mini-lab or the normal commercial photo-finisher. A machine printer assumes that you have an 'average' image and makes an 'average' print; this almost never works for stage performance photographs. We do not make machine prints.

 

Additional Comments:

Image Size - 6" x 9" on 8"x 10" (usually)
As a photographer using 35mm cameras, or now, their digital equivalent, I endeavor to 'compose' in the camera and fill the entire image space. A 'full frame' image will be printed as 6" x 9". But dance photography seldom gives one the luxury of composing carefully, so you may choose to crop out the empty space. In these situations, we will try to make the largest image size, thus you might get, for example, a 7" x 9" image an 8" x 10" .

Margins on prints
Typically we only make prints with margins, so that (1) prints may be displayed in frames without covering up portions of the image and (2) prints may be handled without the image area being damaged.