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Copies of my Monochrome Images from the 70s


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I have a number of 16" x 20" monochrome prints from my darkroom days in the 70s.  The quality is good and they were all taken on medium format equipment.

 

I've made digital copies which produce large image sizes.  They are in focus and look sharp even at 100% but not as critically sharp as current digital images.

 

I would like to upload these as I believe they could be saleable.  They are spot and blemish free.

 

Any suggestions before I upload and stand the chance of being put in the sin bin?

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I was going to suggest that you downsize, John of Kent, but I see you're already doing that. I'm wondering what path you took to do your digital copies?

 

And, Philippe van Ghent, are Alamy's criteria for Archival submissions different from regular stock? 

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I think the archival route is only for truly historic images that could not be taken today. Just because a landscape image was taken in the 1970’s does not make it historic if very little has changed . A city skyline taken in 1970 would be historic.

 
Old 1970’s images, that are not archival, should be up to the dynamic range and sharpness standards of today’s digital cameras and lenses.
 
I have an old, but not historic, collection of 35mm, 6X7, and 4X5 transparencies. I would only scan the 4X5 transparencies for the general stock collection, and then downsize to gain sharpness.
 
I am looking at boxes of old 6X7 transparencies, that are not historic, so I am preparing myself mentally to letting them go through the shredder.
 
The one thing you could do is make a double image containing both then and now shots. A softer image of a glacier taken in 1970 in the same file as an image taken digitally from the same vantage point in 2016, to show receding glaciers due to global warming. Here is the idea with this one image containing both high and low tide. Only a few hours apart, but you get the idea.
 
AHP6E6.jpg
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Thanks for your replies.  I'd forgotten about the Archival option.

 

The 16" x 20" prints were lit by two floods at 45 degrees and then photographed as a RAW image.  Balanced etc in Photoshop - levels, spotting, verticals etc.

 

They are photos of Bolton from high vantage points in the town.  Just at the start of slum and industrial building clearance.  Many buildings have long gone now.

 

Sadly in some cases the planned replacement building were never built due to a national financial crash and are just waste land or car parks now.

 

John

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They are 1970s images of a city that has changed, sounds archival to me.

 
Can you still photograph in 2016 from the same vantage point and make a double, before and after, image?
 
My double images in one file sell well. Here is a smoggy and clear day in Toronto all in one image.
 
AB4MNG.jpg
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Thanks, John. I was wondering if you did that or used a flatbed scanner.

 

I agree with everything Bill says about dealing with our old, but not historic, film images. There are subjects that don't change much or at all over the years, the Châteaux of the Loire Valley might be one. Cities change almost daily, and fashion and the look of people change.

 

When I first started with Alamy, it was my intention to scan and submit a couple of hundred of my best film images. I think I have about two dozen in my collection, and it's doubtful that I'll do any more.  

 

And thanks for the info, Philippe.

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Thanks, John. I was wondering if you did that or used a flatbed scanner.

 

I agree with everything Bill says about dealing with our old, but not historic, film images. There are subjects that don't change much or at all over the years, the Châteaux of the Loire Valley might be one. Cities change almost daily, and fashion and the look of people change.

 

When I first started with Alamy, it was my intention to scan and submit a couple of hundred of my best film images. I think I have about two dozen in my collection, and it's doubtful that I'll do any more.  

 

And thanks for the info, Philippe.

You say that but maybe someone wants to show that the château hasn't changed since the 70s?

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Do you still have the negatives? A film scanner would probably pull more detail and dynamic range from them than you can get from digitizing a print, however it's done.

I almost certainly will have the negs Doug  but they are in amongst thousands of other un-catalogued negs.  Just can't face trying to find them.  One day I will make a start of thinning them out.  Probably 80% of them have never been made into prints.

It's a mixture of family, places, bands, portraits, advertising for my business and all sorts.  35mm and medium format - Monochrome, slides and negs.    The Bolton ones were produced in the 70s for my RPS Distinction panel so I had top quality prints to work from.

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I would suggest just submitting what you have by the archival route. Given that they were high quality prints in the first place and how you describe them, they should be more than adequate. Any potential buyer is unlikely to want exhibition quality images and, if they did, they could probably get in contact with you through Alamy. 

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Isn't there an archival category?

 

Yep, choose the archival route.

 

I can choose between:

  • Stock upload
  • News upload
  • Archival upload

 

BKEBK5.jpg   BKE9F7.jpg

 

Cheers,

Philippe

 

Went to upload to Archive but I don't have that option.

 

My three options are :-

 

Stock Upload

News Upload

FTP Upload

 

Is it something I have to apply for?

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Yes, you have to apply for it.

I have applied twice but was asked to move all of my archival type images into a different pseudonym before being granted the archival option….but I only want the one and didn't want to move lots of pix to another pseudonym so I just use the normal upload route for old negs and slides.

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Yes, you have to apply for it.

I have applied twice but was asked to move all of my archival type images into a different pseudonym before being granted the archival option….but I only want the one and didn't want to move lots of pix to another pseudonym so I just use the normal upload route for old negs and slides.

 

My guess is that a temporary pseudonym would be fine. Imagine having to look for the sort of images you're talking about among your collection of 8623 images.

After the procedure, just put them back into your main pseudo. With Manage V2.4 it's really quick and simple.

The selection of the images to go into the temporary pseudo of course isn't, which is precisely my point.

 

wim

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I created a lightbox on my PhotoShelter website with some samples and sent Alamy a link with my request for archival upload privileges. It was accepted right away. Easy peasy, as they say. I was not asked to move my archival images to a new pseudo. Have made several archival sales, including one last month.

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Thanks, John. I was wondering if you did that or used a flatbed scanner.

 

I agree with everything Bill says about dealing with our old, but not historic, film images. There are subjects that don't change much or at all over the years, the Châteaux of the Loire Valley might be one. Cities change almost daily, and fashion and the look of people change.

 

When I first started with Alamy, it was my intention to scan and submit a couple of hundred of my best film images. I think I have about two dozen in my collection, and it's doubtful that I'll do any more.  

 

And thanks for the info, Philippe.

You say that but maybe someone wants to show that the château hasn't changed since the 70s?

 

 

 

Do you mean the 1570s?

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Thanks, John. I was wondering if you did that or used a flatbed scanner.

 

I agree with everything Bill says about dealing with our old, but not historic, film images. There are subjects that don't change much or at all over the years, the Châteaux of the Loire Valley might be one. Cities change almost daily, and fashion and the look of people change.

 

When I first started with Alamy, it was my intention to scan and submit a couple of hundred of my best film images. I think I have about two dozen in my collection, and it's doubtful that I'll do any more.  

 

And thanks for the info, Philippe.

You say that but maybe someone wants to show that the château hasn't changed since the 70s?

 

 

 

Do you mead the 1570s?

 

OK... maybe a French château was not the best example but you know what I mean. 

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Yes, you have to apply for it.

I have applied twice but was asked to move all of my archival type images into a different pseudonym before being granted the archival option….but I only want the one and didn't want to move lots of pix to another pseudonym so I just use the normal upload route for old negs and slides.

Thanks Martyn

 

I've just sent a request to Alamy.

 

John

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Yes, you have to apply for it.

I have applied twice but was asked to move all of my archival type images into a different pseudonym before being granted the archival option….but I only want the one and didn't want to move lots of pix to another pseudonym so I just use the normal upload route for old negs and slides.

 

My guess is that a temporary pseudonym would be fine. Imagine having to look for the sort of images you're talking about among your collection of 8623 images.

After the procedure, just put them back into your main pseudo. With Manage V2.4 it's really quick and simple.

The selection of the images to go into the temporary pseudo of course isn't, which is precisely my point.

 

wim

 

 

 

Thanks Wim, that maybe the way for me to go….I would only need to select a few and move them temporarily, as you say.

It's enough of a hassle going back over old stuff to tweak keywords without sifting through lots of pix and moving them !

I have no problem using the normal upload route as I only use sharp film originals anyway and QC are on the ball when it comes to files taken from film originals….the reason I wanted to have the archival route is that I have some files taken on early digital (it was new and exciting back then !) of an infamous shopping centre being demolished, very few of this subject on Alamy…they are sharp but have that early digital "look" that would almost certainly fail QC using the normal upload route….

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It's worth using the archival route for old stuff, I've made a few sales from it, but be aware that they are marked as such with a warning message "This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.", so if your IQ is good enough to get through QC it's probably better to use the usual method. 

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It's worth using the archival route for old stuff, I've made a few sales from it, but be aware that they are marked as such with a warning message "This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.", so if your IQ is good enough to get through QC it's probably better to use the usual method. 

 

Yes, good rule of thumb, although I imagine that those imperfections probably don't bother a lot of buyers. Most usages are small and  they probably wouldn't show up anyway.

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  • 4 months later...

I created a lightbox on my PhotoShelter website with some samples and sent Alamy a link with my request for archival upload privileges. It was accepted right away. Easy peasy, as they say. I was not asked to move my archival images to a new pseudo. Have made several archival sales, including one last month.

John, How many photos did you use as a sample and how many archival images did you mention to Alamy you wanted to upload?

 

I have some black and white images I took at Texas ranches back in the 20th century (well,1999) and need to have them scanned and would like to upload them as archival images. I just want to know what the minimum Alamy may require for them to approve archival upload privelages. 

 

Thanks, 

Brian 

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I applied with a link to about 20 of mine on Photobucket along with a description of the collection emphasizing the historical context. I was accepted but have only uploaded about 100 as that is pretty much all I have that's historical rather than just old.

For example- the Dunes at Vegas in 1992, now demolished, but not pix of Bryce canyon from the same trip. It hasn't changed. They are not checked but one mustn't abuse the privilege.

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