I'm pleased to report that, due entirely to popular demand, we're going ahead with a small print sale of Ken Tanaka's as-yet untitled shot of the thunderstorm cell over the Chicago shoreline, taken with a Phase One P65+ back. The entire inspiration for this came from the strong reactions from numerous people after Ken posted his shot as a comment to my post "The Night of the Lightning" back on June 23rd.
We haven't locked down all the particulars just yet. Ken worked through six iterations of the print to create the best rendition, and he Fed-Ex'd the proof to me on Tuesday. It looks stunning under good light, subtle and dramatic all at once. (I'm looking at it now.) We have some details to hammer out yet, but Ken and I are both committed, and the sale will probably start soon, sometime shortly after the 4th of July weekend is over and done with.
This sale will be limited to a small number of prints. I'll tell you more as soon as I know*.
Save your money
We are also far along now on our plans for the Fall Collector Print Offer, which is going to be fantastic. I'm still not at liberty to divulge any details, but the photographer is widely known, the master printer who will be making the prints is legendary (truly—we'll have much more about this sometime in August, but for now you can take my word for it), and the subject matter of the pictures has a natural appeal to millions of people all over the world. The offer includes one picture that is world famous, and the other two, from the same body of work, are just as appealing.
The prints (we'll be offering three) will be much more expensive than prints in previous TOP offers, but they will still represent the same kind of value we always go for—an unprecedented bargain, far less than you could get them for any other way. The sale will last for five days and is scheduled for the first half of September. But ample warning—you might want to start putting a little moolah aside, just in case you might want one, or two, or all three. And you really might. I'm just sayin'.
Mike
*We are not taking orders in advance, so please don't ask! The sale will not start until the announcement post goes up.
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Original contents copyright 2010 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.
The principles of my collection? Simple. TOP print offers!
Posted by: Christopher Lane | Thursday, 01 July 2010 at 12:24 PM
You are a mean man! (Or at least a terrible tease.)
I really like that photo of Ken's, but didn't think to write in asking about prints.
Posted by: David Dyer-Bennet | Thursday, 01 July 2010 at 12:55 PM
Wow, what a spectacular image! I can't say exactly what about it that I love, but I love it! :)
Cheers Ken and Mike!
Posted by: Steve E Miller | Thursday, 01 July 2010 at 01:54 PM
Any chance you could give us a rough ballpark on the cost of the September prints? It would help with the budgeting…
Thanks!
Posted by: Douglas Urner | Thursday, 01 July 2010 at 02:16 PM
I'd like to add a +1 to Douglas' comment...
Posted by: Bernard Scharp | Thursday, 01 July 2010 at 04:20 PM
One word, Wow. (picks up jaw from floor and thinks that this guy has managed to achieve something I've been trying with mitigated success for years)
Posted by: Martinbriere | Thursday, 01 July 2010 at 05:50 PM
Looks like it was taken at the 340 E. Randolph condo (or very close by)?
Posted by: pav | Thursday, 01 July 2010 at 06:12 PM
"subject matter of the pictures has a natural appeal to millions of people all over the world."
Prints of LOLCATS? ;-)
Posted by: joe | Thursday, 01 July 2010 at 07:13 PM
A truly spectacular, apocalyptic shot! Reminds me of a scene from The Matrix.
Posted by: Stan B. | Thursday, 01 July 2010 at 08:50 PM
What a spectacular image of an incredibly powerful display of nature that we all experienced that day.
Great shot Ken and good call on the print sale Mike - hope I have the budget to afford one.
Posted by: Mark Kinsman | Thursday, 01 July 2010 at 09:25 PM
Dear Mike (and Ken),
Oooh, I am so going to be on top of this one!
It's interesting comparing the JPEGs in this column and the original publication of the photo. Some of the cropping/composition changes I like a lot, some I don't like at all. Different emphases in the dodges and burns (which I don't have like/dislike opinions about because, well, I'm looking at highly denatured renderings).
Overall, the two versions look comparably 'good' (for whatever that word means) without looking at all the same.
Nicely demonstrates that there is more than one way to ski,ummm,print a custom cat.
pax / Ctein
Posted by: ctein | Friday, 02 July 2010 at 12:15 AM
Mike,
I can but echo the plaintive cry for a rough price guide to the September prints - to the nearest $50.00 would be a great help.
Posted by: Rob Grinberg | Friday, 02 July 2010 at 02:20 AM
This photograph captures, evocatively, the climate in the United States. Nicely done!
Posted by: Player | Friday, 02 July 2010 at 03:01 AM
Presumably this is the same storm described in David Byrne's Journal here:
http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2010/06/061910-report-from-the-heartland.html
Ken's image is clearly vastly superior, but I like the way the converging verticals in DB's snap make it look like Chicago is being sucked into the cloud...
VT
Posted by: Vinegar Tom | Friday, 02 July 2010 at 03:42 AM
Vinegar Tom,
I think the shot you mean was taken by Abel Uribe of the Trib, not DB. See "[Source]" under the pic.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Friday, 02 July 2010 at 03:47 AM
Rob G. et al,
Prices for the Fall sale will be $395 for the first one, $375 for the second one, and $995 for all three. I know that's pretty meaningless given that you don't know what the pictures are, but since you asked....
Mike
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Friday, 02 July 2010 at 03:50 AM
Many thanks for that, Mike - it's far from meaningless for those of us who otherwise might later be regretting not having the funds available.
Your "Save your money" headline is right on the... well... money.
Posted by: Nigel | Friday, 02 July 2010 at 05:37 AM
I'm sure this will be a nice one. I'm already saving (I will postpone the purchase of an Olympus E-PL1). What the heck, I already have an E-P2.
From your description:
"..., but the photographer is widely known, the master printer who will be making the prints is legendary (truly—we'll have much more about this sometime in August, but for now you can take my word for it), and the subject matter of the pictures has a natural appeal to millions of people all over the world. The offer includes one picture that is world famous, and the other two, from the same body of work, are just as appealing"
I guess I know who is the photographer and the printer.
Regards
Posted by: Marcelo Guarini | Friday, 02 July 2010 at 01:46 PM
If only I had a P65 back I could take pics just as good as Ken... Right? ;-)
I'm not much into colour, but I can't see Ken's pic working this well in B&W. Hats off to Mr. T.
I might just have to get myself a print to go with Gordon's umbrella lady. When will we see the 3rd in TOP's Pluvial Prints Series, Mike?
Posted by: Miserere | Friday, 02 July 2010 at 01:54 PM
It's the ANTI-Skyline shot. It is taken FROM the skyline looking back at the vantage points of the stock Chicago Skyline pix.
But it is not looking down on those vantage points. It is gazing metaphorically upward at the magnificent display of nature. Something that is even more full of energy than Windy City architecture. It's like if El Greco painted the Assumption from Mary's viewpoint.
http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_RenBar/pages/REN_5.shtml
(And the cynic in me notes that even the "Bean" is neatly cropped out!)
Posted by: Andy Kowalczyk | Friday, 02 July 2010 at 01:56 PM
Ken's pic is amazing, almost look like a drawing, somekind of blade runner feeling too... I love it.
I hope the print will have large dimensions, because it has to be big to create the right visual effect and it offers lost of details too. It would be a shame if the print was too small. Any idea of the print size mike? please?
Posted by: polk | Saturday, 03 July 2010 at 04:07 PM
polk,
Print size is approx. 9 x 13, which is the smallest size that works according to Ken. He thinks (and I agree) that 8x10 paper is just too small. He told me (I haven't seen a bigger print) that a much larger print works the best--I just can't recall the number; I think he said 22" wide?--but that would cost too much to provide for the print offer.
He might sell you a print of the larger size for more money ($1,000+?) if you really want one, I imagine. I'm just guessing on that; we'll have to hear from Ken himself to know for sure.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Saturday, 03 July 2010 at 04:13 PM
Dear Ken,
An excellent image as usual, which really makes my imagination shift gears. I somehow think of Mount Doom in Mordor with the tower of Sauron to the side. The cars' taillights look like lava streams flowing down from it. A really ominous scene.
Congratulations with the print sale, I shall try to grab one if I can afford it.
Cheers,
Cem
Posted by: Cem Usakligil | Saturday, 03 July 2010 at 05:49 PM