John Alfano Photographs ~ About

This time around...

My photographs have no separate existence from the people, places, and events of my life. My interest in photography first manifested when I moved to Yosemite National Park. How could I not be influenced by Ansel Adams? And to no lesser extent, Tim Arnst? Together we converted a steamy storage closet into a darkroom, where we spent hours teaching ourselves the finer(?) points of black and white. On national park tour with Barbara, my bride-to-be, Kodachrome was King, but exposing chromes for snow was a mystery. India with Karl Baba yielded some of my favorite images, and accelerated my spiritual journey. Marketing DTP to the creative community while at Apple Computer squeezed camera time to zero, but photography was never out of mind, thanks to Steve Schaffran, as we pioneered the first digital transmission and use of color photos in newspapers. 10 years later I would pick up the camera again, this time to chronicle two different treks to Ladakh. In this ancient Buddhist land, I spent weeks in constant amazement of the land, the people, and the ubiquitous expressions of their spirituality. Start-ups kept my now much-abused Pentax on the shelf. As Dylan once lamented, I was "burned out from exhaustion", and was called back to Yosemite. There, in a moment of clarity I realized that photography was a constant that shaped my life, and re-committed myself to the one way I could blend art and technology, and more importantly, give expression to my appreciation of the infinite beauty that surrounds us.

Before the Mountain eBook

This is the digital version of my printed book. Feel free to download it by clicking the image below. It's about a 16MB download. It will open in Adobe Acrobat Reader in full presentation mode. Use the usual arrow keys to navigate - control (PC) or command (Mac) W will close the window. ESC also works for me...

This download is provided with the understanding that if you enjoy the book, you will make a donation. Just FYI, other photographers charge anywhere from $5.00 to $15.00 or more. I understand that everyone has different means, and I appreciate whatever you can do.

If you are interested in a printed version of the book, please drop me an email and I will send you pricing information, etc. as soon as it is available.

Purchasing Prints

I assume that if you are reading this, there's a chance you were inspired by an image or two, and are willing to explore purchasing one. First thing you should do if you have any questions is email me! I am more than happy to talk about any of the images...

Now, about the prints themselves... I offer 2 sizes:

An 8" by whatever(depending on the actual image). The price for this is $50.00

A 10" by whatever(depending on the actual image). The price for this is $75.00

Custom sizes (usually larger, for those of you with very big walls!) are also available. Maximum size is image-specific. I am able to print images that fit on 17x22 inch sheets myself. I send larger sizes to an outstanding lab. These images tend to cost a bit more, and the delivery time varies with the lab's schedule...

Shipping is included. I do not mat the prints; that's up to you. I do ship them in special clear plastic sleeves with backing board, then lovingly cradled in the shipping company's packaging. If the image is damaged in shipping, I will replace it; if you get it and are not happy with it, ship it back to me within 30 days and I will refund your money. I accept Paypal (preferred) or check. Delivery time varies with my schedule, but I try to keep it under 2 weeks...(see below)

Here's all you need to do:

Send me an email with the name of the gallery and the image, the size, mailing address, phone number, method of payment, and any questions. I will get back to you with everything else you need to know!

Details: I perform all of the creative work myself. I use both digital and film capture, prepare the images for printing in an all-digital darkroom, and print them on the latest Epson 3800 printer using archival pigment inks (Ultrachrome K3 if you care) that are projected to last much longer than your current incarnation... I print on a variety of fine art papers, my most recent favorites are Crane Museo Silver Rag (mostly for black and whites) and Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl. 10.08 update: I am also now using the new baryta-based papers from Harman (Gloss) and Ilford (Gold Fibre Silk), which approximate the look and feel of traditional gelatin silver prints.

B&W and LensWork Prints

For those of you who are interested in prints of these images in particular, a few notes:

Sizing and pricing information is the same as noted above.

All are sold in "open editions".

All are printed with a beautiful "platinum" tone on Ilford Gold Fiber Silk paper.

FAQ

Why don't you mat your prints?

Well, I'm a photographer, not a professional framer or mat-cutter. I think that matting and framing is an art. My recommendation is: choose, don't settle for a standard museum white mat and black frame. If that is what works best for you, fine; but don't assume that is all there is...go see a professional - they can help you make the image look even better in your particular viewing environment.

Other photographers offer limited editions. Do you?

No. Limiting editions is a great way to artificially increase the "value" of an image. This clearly benefits gallery owners, as it must for them to stay in business, but at the cost to the artist of limiting the number of people who might enjoy their art. My goal is to create art that people can actually afford to put on their walls. Much of my thinking about this has been greatly influenced by Brooks Jensen, who publishes LensWork. Each of my images is numbered, and comes with information about the edition and the printing, including how many in each printing.

Are your images real? Do you manipulate them?

Yes, they are "real", and yes, I manipulate them. These are questions that seem to get asked a lot these days. The question usually speaks to the conflict that exists between people's perception that photography by definition captures "reality", and that digital manipulation is so easy that they don't trust what they see as being "real". The second version of the question is easier for me to answer than the first, since I can avoid philosophical entanglement and just say "of course!" I manipulate the image from just before I raise the camera to my eye to the moment the ink hits the paper. I sometimes spend quite a bit of time coaxing all that I saw and felt out of a sensor or a piece of film (enhancing it) and into a print.

"Felt?" Well, if you've read this much, I guess we can get a bit deeper into it...even if you don't have the time or inclination to consider what "reality" is, you might be willing to admit that most of what we do with this so-called "reality" is manipulate it. With our minds. With our imagination. With our senses. Well, that's what I do, too- I call what I see, feel, touch, taste, smell, and imagine at a given moment in time "my reality". When I am moved by my reality, I try to capture the full multi-dimensional experience with a camera and lens. The lens imposes a specific point of view, the sensor interprets "reality" as a bunch of zeros and ones, and film does the same with chemicals; in the digital darkroom, I try to re-capture the "reality" as best I can, without making the image seem "unreal". Is it real? It is to me. Is it art? Up to you.