June 21, 2012

Custom business cards made using rubber stamps and heavy mount board. Cost is roughly seven cents each.

These are the new gallery cards I made up for Nathan and I. I’m always trying new card designs, but I’ve been wanting something with a hand made impact that can be produced easily and on demand here in the studio.

They’re made using a heavy 4 ply white mount board and self inking rubber stamps that cost about twenty dollars each. Using our straight mat cutter board, we cut slices about 3.5in x 1.5in from the 32×40 sheets of board that cost less than ten dollars each. The cards are them stamped, our names on the front in brown with lots of open space. The back is stamped with the studio details in black.

The neat thing is we can make thee on demand. They’re beautifully thick and we can change the look at any time with a fresh stamp. Making it far less expensive than order small batches of custom cards of this weight. They’re minimal, but based on the board price and the cost of the stamps, these cards come out costing about .07 each if the stamps are only used for about 1000 cards before being updated. They can be re-inked of course and be used for far larger quantities. Of coarse there’s some labor involved, but they don’t take long and it’s part of the fun.

Just one of the many ways to produce hand worked a card with a bit of impact. So far I’m enjoying them… Gav

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August 2, 2011

The Whispering Brook, Olympic Forest, below Dosewallips Falls. Gavin Seim, Summer 2011

The water of the rainforest always seems to be moving,. Running, drizzling and dancing over the ground. Dosewallips falls rolls down a face of stone into the gathering pools below, overflowing them and running on towards into the deep forest, making a journey to the larger streams and rivers, then finally to the sea. It’s a mesmerizing dance of water set in one of the most beautiful places and is something to stop and look closer at.

We spent the past few days in the Olympic forest and as beautiful as the it is, I find it can be complicated. There’s so much to see that it can be a challenge to covey simple beauty in a single frame. Part of that challenge is deciding what element best conveys the feeling the the place when the image is initially made.

I found myself looking closely at the stream below the falls, all the rocks and paths the water had made. But I stopped in this one. It’s shape and line telling a story of waters journey in a simple scene. There’s a lot of little details here, but you have to take the time to look for them. It’s simple, but complex in it’s own way and as always, I am mesmerized the the subtle complexity and beauty of creation.

Release details: Prints available. Contact the gallery. Learn more about prices. Available prints…

For photographers. How it was made…

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May 10, 2011

City of Silver. Bryce Canton National Park Utah, Infrared. Spring 2011, Gavin Seim

The spires of Bryce Canyon make me think of the ruins of an ancient city. They feel timeless, their detailed pattern texture glaring into my eyes as they’re struck by the light. The place is absolutely stunning.

But it’s not simple. It’s vast and intricate, so bringing its sun-washed beauty into a two dimensional frame is a challenge. With this scene, the simplicity of a black and white image allowed me to focus on the study of line and tone, leaving the color we’re familiar with from the Utah red rock to be filled in from our own minds.

For Photographers. How it was made…

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January 21, 2011

My new printer arrived this week and is all setup. This is my Canon IPF8300 and his name is Thoth. He prints on roll mediums up to 44 inches wide and based on my tests so far is astounding. The prints are flawless. Not just color prints either, but perfectly toned black and whites.Those of you that know me, know how much I love black and white.

Thoth runs a 12 color Lucia ink set, has 30,720 ink nozzles and lays down a 4 Picoliter drop size (four trillionths of a Liter) . He wights in at about 315 lbs and produces a 16×24 print in around five minutes.

I’ll still be presenting mounted images, offering metals and presenting on traditional canvas of course, but this machine will open up new areas of exploration and growth and I can’t tell you how excited I am about it. As for naming. Sure a printer can be a She, just like a ship. But this hulk? Well I felt the masculine side was more fitting. Besides my camera is already a she.

Oh and in the background is the Ultra Limited signature release from Stars of Coldest Night. That’s a 30×65 classic canvas. It is for sale, so get in touch 😉 Gav

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October 27, 2010

Crags of Yellowstone Falls, 2010.

It was a softly lit morning in Yellowstone on this day in mid September. I came in thru the west entrance before sunrise to explore the landscape before the increasing light started getting harsh. I love waterfalls and while the lower falls area is not a hard place to reach, the various lookouts up the valley are magnificent.

I think I planted myself at Lookout Point for this one. I was inspired at the awesome beauty of this place. I know hundreds of people photograph these falls every day and I wanted to take my time to try for something special. I was careful in planning the composition and went for a silver process from the start to focus the eyes on the water and tone in this landscape. I’ll let you be the judge of how well I did.

For photographers. How it was made…

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