Image Uses I

I am frequently asked what I do with all my pictures. There are a variety of uses. I am fortunate to have retired comfortably, so this website is not designed to sell photographic products. However, if you see an image you just must have for something, I am willing to help. You can buy prints, greeting cards, a children’s book, or a calendar. Accordingly, I listed those items on this page and items not for sale on the second page. You might wish to look through the list on “Image Uses II” in case you were looking for ideas for your own pictures.

Prints

The pictures uploaded to this website purposely have few pixels so the pages will render quickly. Of course, I have images with much higher resolution appropriate for printing. I use an online print shop that produces pretty good results. The sizes that are available depend on the aspect ratio of the images, i.e. 3:2 or 5:4. Some typical sizes (width x height) are

• 10” x 6.7” ($3) 20” x 13.3” ($17)

• 10” x 8” ($3) 20” x 16” ($17)

and the same with width and height interchanged. Of course, many more aspect ratios and sizes are possible. Sometimes the print house runs sales, and I can pass the reduced price onto you. To these prices, you should add a $25/hour/order fee for my time and a shipping cost that I will have to quote (maybe $7 per order). An order with several prints clearly gets a bulk reduction. Framing is an esthetic process that I prefer to leave to you, but it costs significantly more than the print. In the case you would like a print electronically signed by me, that can be added simply.

I own thirteen frames, seven appropriate for the larger size above and six matched to the smaller size. I change the prints out once each year coinciding with the beginning of the Los Alamos Photography Club’s annual show. The framed prints from me and thirty or so other photographers are on display at the Mesa Public Library in Los Alamos for a month. There is no jury for entries. The show draws more visitors than any other presentation in the library gallery. The show is a focal point of the efforts of many local photographers.

Greeting Cards

We make greeting cards for sending to family and friends for all occasions. They start with an image in 3:2 aspect ratio that is laid upon a beige background. A border is added around the image with a color selected from the image. The card is folded at the midpoint. Text is on the back credits the image. The inside is left blank for writing, though a fixed set of words could go on the inside. Many recipients reply how much they enjoyed the card. The cost is about $1.50/card plus a fee for my time and shipping. An example of such an unfolded card is on the right.

Children’s Book

My son asked me to make a photo book. My grandchildren are all under six years old and reportedly like wild animals. I wrote a children’s book called What Should I Call My Baby? for them. It features thirty pictures of wild animals interacting with their offspring. One page shows a disgraced hyena baby being rudely returned to the den after straying too far. In each picture, the Mother asks, “What Should I Call My Baby?” On the following page, the common name of the baby is given, e.g. PUP. The book is intended to help children learn the names of the animals, both common (elephant) and unusual (anteater). At a somewhat older age, the children can learn to associate the name of the baby with the parent. Finally, there is a paragraph of more advanced text that can be absorbed by a successful reader.

Self published books are quite expensive, especially hard bound with good paper. When I was buying them for my grandchildren, it was not an issue. Then, many people in Los Alamos wanted one, and I had to order them in bulk when they were on sale. The regular price for the book is $50 with shipping. If I get them on a good sale, the price drops to $35. The pictures below are the cover and two internal pages.