TPX18: Paul and Kate Atkins – The Real Fine Art Photography Printers

Photography Xperiment Podcast

Today we're swinging away from the usual and instead of talking to a photographer, we are lucky enough to have both Paul and Kate of Atkins of Atkins Pro Lab with us.

The Atkins photography lab is celebrating their 80 year anniversary which makes them Australia's oldest professional photo lab, run by a third generation husband and wife team.

Atkins is also the only lab in the world printing on handmade cotton rag sheets, something they developed with their devotion to real fine art printing.

Based in Adelaide, Australia and servicing pro photographers world wide, I'm rapt to have them as interview guests.

Here’s some of what we cover:

• How to classify fine art prints
• What is an indigo press?
• What is pigment inkjet printing?
• What is the quality benchmark for printing photos?
• Ending the confusion in the marketplace pertaining to different print types
• Why two photo books can have different colours when printed on separate occasions using the same digital files
• How the print operator’s mood affects the colour shift of a photo print
• The challenges facing digital press prints
• What usually takes place to guarantee printing consistencies
• What makes a ‘real' fine art print?
• Why you should not trust companies who simply say they offer fine art printing
• Who are Atkins Pro Lab’s typical clients?
• How do you justify the price increase when ordering a fine art print?
• What is cotton rag paper?
• How much does a fine art print cost?
• What is a professional exclusive product and who can purchase it?
• How to position yourself against your competition using prints
• Not discussing product or only offering a single print product is the biggest problem in the wedding and portrait photography market today
• Why you should not limit your clients' options
• Creating an edge in your business by doing something different from the rest
• Can photographers sell fine art print from their website or do clients need to see the product to make a sale?
• The type of print papers Atkins Pro Lab uses
• How to frame handmade paper prints properly
• How are photographers guaranteed to see the same colour on their monitors
• How to calibrate your on-screen colours
• How is film treated at Atkins Pro Lab?
• What photographers should do before shooting with film and sending it to a photo lab
• As film ages, it loses its ISO and speed
• Why you need to be wary of buying an old film camera
• Joining Facebook Groups for film for learning
• What's one product photographers absolutely should try at Atkins Pro Lab?
• The benefits of sending your printing to a photo lab

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Was there something from this interview that struck a chord, inspired or motivated you?

Will you take any kind of action after hearing what Paul and Kate had to share?

Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Paul and Kate or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below too.

We make sure that the prints we actually do make are worthy of their subject matter. – Paul and Kate

It is really important that photographers look for what works for them in terms of their own branding and their own marketplace and then really pitch something to that. – Paul and Kate

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Atkins Pro Lab Website

Atkins Pro Lab on Instagram

Atkins Photo Lab Retail on Instagram

Paul Atkins on Instagram

Kate Atkins on Instagram

Atkins Pro Lab on Facebook

Atkins Photo Lab on Facebook

Image Permanence Institute

Bentinmarcs

Eizo Color Edge monitors

Spectra view – NEC equivalent

Xrite i1 Display – screen calibrator

Atkins Pro Lab advice on color and calibration

Jose Villa

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening to the show and thanks to Paul and Kate for coming on and experimenting with a new and different format for this photography podcast and for sharing his thoughts, views and ideas.

Also, a big thanks to the Laura Babb and the people behind the SNAP Photography Festival for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible.

Use the promo code SNAP100 to save $100 British pounds (roughly AUD$170 and USD$125) on your Snap Tickets.

SNAP will take place on a farm in West Wales, UK on the 24th – 28th July 2017 and will be attended by photographers from all over the world.

It's largely aimed at wedding and lifestyle photographers but they will have speakers from across all sectors of the photography industry, including photojournalists, fashion photographers, landscape photographers and academics.

SNAP organisers are focussed on learning outcomes, rather than just throwing together a line up of big names. They aim for a well balanced, diverse programme.

I've heard the closing parties are epic and there are always a few surprises along the way. At last years event, two festival attendees got married!

As well as the learning and speakers, there will be activities like wild swimming, beach trips and camp fire hangouts. SNAP is a chance to recharge your batteries before wedding season starts.

We believe in prints and we believe in the power of prints to last, and the longevity of prints is incredibly important to us. – Paul and Kate

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me, hope everything is going well for you in life and photography!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

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