Back To The Print - A Counterpoint

We’re getting back to the print, the physical manifestation of the photograph, and that’s a good thing. Enabled by the digital revolution, the Internet, the Cloud,  we’re printing more than ever and in more formats than were dreamed of 20 years ago. Luminous-Landscape is making this explicit with their series, and that’s also a good thing.
The physical object matters. Its permanence, and I do not mean archival permanence (more on that later) changes the way we perceive the picture. We can touch it, hold it. We can carry it around with us, put it on the wall, on our desk. It’s present in a way that the digital image is simply not. I could make an argument that this is important, but I don’t have to. Virtually everyone already agrees, as noted we’re printing more than ever. People love these physical things, and there are probably as many reasons for that love as there are people. If you want a lengthy philosophical discussion, consult Susan Sontag and the critics who followed her.
The ...