"Autumn Rain no.1" - Gunnison National Forest, Colorado (2012) -12" x 18" giclée fine art, limited edition, photographic print 
Please click the image above to enter the Fine Art Print Gallery.

For a while now I've been struggling with the idea of how to add meaningful "products" to my service-based creative business. For 20+ years my business has been about what unique, beautiful, custom creative deliverables I can create for my clients. Usually people come to me because they want something unique; something specific - not generic or mass produceable. Understanding their specific goals/objectives, what defines success and how to exceed their wildest expectations - all occupy a good bit of my waking creative brain energy. While this process can be creatively invigorating, it's also finite, exhausting and can leave little room for other things.

For whatever reason I've not been blessed with the "Inventor" gene allowing creation of that magic widget everyone needs so I can sit back and coast the rest of my days.... but for a while now I've been working toward answering this one question: with the gifts and abilities I do have, how can I contribute to the lives of others in a way that brings beauty, joy, inspiration and meaning - and is unique, of high-quality and even special - and - doesn't require my whole brain 24/7 to produce. My answer to this question is High-Quality, Limited & Open Edition Fine Art Prints. It's not an original idea, but now more than any other time in the history of print making these fine art prints are possible and available to "normal people." You don't need to be wealthy, or a collector to own a real, honest-to-goodness piece of fine art. And here's the beauty of it: these fine art prints satisfy all the requirements above. And - dare I say - they're awesome. 

I've dreamt of the day this creative vision could be fulfilled: to be able to produce and deliver these prints for others to enjoy. But its been out of reach due to time, energy, technology, prohibitively expensive up-front production costs and the logistics of fulfillment. Now I'm so pleased to be able to offer these Limited Edition and Open Edition Fine Art Photographic Prints to the public. That's why I'm so excited. I'm still heavily involved in all the aforementioned service-specific aspects of the business, but these unique, high-quality "products" have a meaningful lifespan beyond the initial time and creative energy required to create them.

"Kebler Pass Aspen" - Gunnison National Forest, Colorado (2012) -12" x 18" giclée fine art, limited edition, photographic print 

Here's why:

• 1) They are unique. Uniquely beautiful images captured at a precise moment in time that will linger in perpetuity and can not be duplicated. They preserve an ever-changing landscape, lost moments in time and even loved ones and record history. They are a product of a unique, specific, creative vision from click of the shutter, through development and processing to the final finished print. They are hand-scanned, hand-color balanced and optimized for specific printing requiring many hours and many years of experience.
• 2) They are beautiful. Printed on highest quality fine art paper, custom-color corrected and inspected, the Limited Edition Fine Art Prints leave nothing to chance. Presentation is optimized to ensure that when you receive your print, you open it and say, "wow..."
• 3) They're not mass-produced. The limited fine art prints are just that - produced in limited editions. They are available to anyone, but only some will have them. Once an edition is closed (sells out), it is closed forever and no longer available as that product. This contributes to their value.
• 4) They have value. You can not go onto Amazon and buy these, nor can you download them free from the web. I've never been fond of the mass-commoditizing of products. I understand the economics of it, cost per unit, etc. but am willing to concede images could be reproduced cheaper another way. But that's not what this is about. This is about treating an image as though it has value, not as a toss-away commodity.
• 5) They bring joy. Let's face it - every room in every household, every cubicle in every office building and every place of business is more pleasing to be in with high-quality art on the walls. Not only do beautiful images contribute to the feel of any room, but colors, compositions, subject matter all trigger the brain. Just as songs are written to be heard and poems are written to be recited, photographs are made to be viewed; enjoyed by others. As I see it this is one of the real fulfillments of the photographic process: to influence - if only briefly - the day of another, to make it just a little better.
• 6) I recently saw a statistic of how many digital photographs were being made each year. It was in the 10's of millions - the vast majority by camera phones. I accept this as a fact of life. However, I'm a little old fashioned. I believe that the ultimate realization of an image is a  printed piece of art. So many of these 10's of millions of images never make it off the computer, and this is probably a good thing when you consider ink, paper and waste. But I've never walked into a home or place of business where someone has a cell phone mounted on their wall so you can look at their photographs. In this domain, in this context, there is no replacing the well-made, high quality, photographic print.

"Wandering" - Gunnison National Forest, Colorado (2012) -12" x 18" giclée fine art, limited edition, photographic print 

• 7) Images can be inspirational. My office has so many images on the wall I'm nearly out of room. Each image I look at briefly transports me back to a time or place - whether I made the image or am admiring another's creativity - and this inspires me. It inspires me to do something, call someone, plan a trip somewhere, learn about something new... think about someone, pray for someone. We're visual people and images are one of the most powerful, universal means of communicating with each other. The image above, titled "Wandering," immediately transports me to all the times I've wandered through the woods in search of adventure - whether as a youth or adult.
• 8) Today, where so many other things are automated, impersonal and cold, you're getting a high-quality, personalized piece of art, created by an individual human's hands - and in the case of the Limited Edition prints, signed and numbered by the real person who was actually standing there when the image was - in most cases* - exposed to a real sheet of film. Remember film?

After nearly 40 years of shooting I feel like I've come upon a good recipe for accomplishing a vision I've nurtured all these years. There's a good bit of thought behind the project.

• 1) I wanted something affordable, not something out of reach for most people. Let's face it, art is a luxury item, not a necessity. In today's economy I 'm sensitive to the hit so many have taken on discretionary income. Prices are geared towards easily affordable - yet designed to communicate a level of quality.
• 2) I wanted something that could be printed, shipped, framed and hung easily. We only have so much room on our walls and as much as we love the giant, "you can step into" prints, they can be out of reach for a lot of people. Not only can they get very expensive to initially purchase, but they're also expensive to frame. Then you have to make room on the wall to hang it. If most people have an image like this in their home or office, they have only one. I wanted to create something that could be easily shipped, cost-effectively framed and easy to find a spot for in your home or place of business - yet images that are still large enough to transport you when viewing. If you're interested in one of the larger prints, the Open Edition is for you. They print up to 24" x 36"
• 3) No apologies for being a bit neurotic about image integrity. These are not Photoshop graphic illustrations bent to my will after clicking the shutter. These are for all intents and purposes, original photographs. If you were to hold the piece of film in your hand and compare it to the image, it would be identical with respect to content. That said, every image is optimized to represent - in the Edward Weston's words, "what I remember feeling and seeing at the moment," and I use all modern technological methods and means available to achieve this.
• 4) There's a simple, select set of options offered. Sometimes we get easily overwhelmed by options. I've tried to create a variety of products that allow a measure of flexibility without overwhelming the buyer. In so doing, I can also ensure the highest-quality representation of the work. If someone wants a 10' wide print, if the image won't support it, I won't produce it. That ensures the "wow" response when you gaze upon the image in real life for the first time. This carries over into what sizes are available for ordering. If a final image is presented on a certain aspect ratio (shape) I don't offer an image size that requires cropping. So if a final image leaves here at  8" x 10" size, I do not offer the option to crop it square. What clients do with the final prints is entirely up to them. From an image integrity and aesthetic intent standpoint I've always felt this an important decision. When I saw the lengths to which the great Robert Frank took it, though, I knew I wasn't alone.
• 5) For the Limited Edition Prints there's economy in scale when it comes to packing and shipping. When you order a Limited Edition Print, I am the one fulfilling the order right here in Colorado. Great care is personally taken by me to hand-inspect everything and treat it with the utmost care because that's what I'd want if I were you. It's signed, numbered and includes a certificate of authenticity. But not everyone can afford or wants the Limited Edition Print. The Open Edition Prints are fulfilled by people who care just as much about doing a great job and are committed to quality.
• 6) More than anything else, my true desire is to share these images my eyes have seen. I realize how fortunate and blessed I am to have the opportunity to travel to these places. Not only do I possess the health, experience and opportunity, but can leave my home and be in Rocky Mountain National Park in one hour. I can be in Crested Butte, Colorado in 3 hours during summer months (via Cottonwood Pass) or 4 hours in winter months (via Monarch Pass). I realize not everyone has this opportunity. Some have debilitating health challenges preventing them from experiencing things first hand. Others have to save vacation for an entire year to be able to visit a place - and even then, knowing that place well enough to be able to experience its full majesty at the ideal time of day - or year - is far beyond the scope of their visit. Therefore, I feel it incumbent upon me to share this with others. That's one reason I make low-resolution images freely viewable: so everyone can enjoy them. Photographs are created to be viewed.

"Autumn Rain no.2" - Gunnison National Forest, Colorado (2012) -12" x 18" giclée fine art, limited edition, photographic print 

Unfortunately I'm not much of a "marketeer." As a consumer myself I'm usually leery of over-inflated promises unfulfilled by underwhelming results. So I'll avoid the marketing clichés and hype here and ask you to simply trust me. Many of you already know me, others do not. Don't let that stop you. A few things I've learned during my years in the service industry are that talk is cheap; and good news travels fast - but bad news travels faster - especially on the web. I can tell you though that this project is geared towards you - the every day person who's looking for something beautiful, affordable and attainable to grace their home or place of business with. I welcome the opportunity to serve you in this new way, with this new product. Here's a link to the new, Fine Art Print Gallery.

With Sincere Appreciation, John B. Crane

*I totally embrace both film and digital image recording - but when I can, I still prefer to use film.

This is a recap of the past 4 years shooting medium format film with my Mamiya RZ67 medium format film camera. These thoughts are for anyone contemplating a move to the Medium Format film who might be looking for more information. I hope you find it useful. The executive summary: building out a medium format system is worth it. The experiment is over-the RZ is a keeper.

Carhenge, Alliance, Nebraska (Provia 100F). Some unique blend of micro-detail combined with an organic quality from the film grain structure provides that additional 'being there' factor to images made on medium format film.

First a little background. My tipping point was 2008 when Nikon released the D3x at $8,000 US. Something snapped inside. Mind you, this was only 2 short years after digesting a rather large amount of information about the D200 – the first decent digital camera I was considering purchasing. New to digital in 2006, the D200 was a wonderful camera and made wonderful images, but became quickly aware the tradeoffs shooting digital - and the D200 specifically - required. Still I accepted this and pressed on, relatively happy and committed to the course I’d set out on. Fast forward to the fall of 2008. Now for $8K many of the issues that had frustrated me with the D200 were resolved. But another $8k?! Hmm... I began to understand the new business model of camera makers and saw it would quickly bleed me dry if allowed. It was then I began the search for another way.

After seeing first hand image quality differences between various formats at a Zion National Park workshop the decision was made. I turned to ebay for my first medium format fllm camera - the RZ67 with a 110mm lens (the normal focal range for 6x7 medium format), and a 120 back. It was more or less an experiment to see if the image quality difference was worth the extra everything to build out and haul around another system. Coming in at a third of what I’d paid for my digital body just 2 years earlier, the cost factor was attractive. Though important – cost isn't the only consideration. The promise of the elusive “ultimate image quality” dangled before me, drawing me onward. I remember making the entry bid on an impulse, and only an hour later thinking “what have I done?” I knew someone would outbid me, and this temporary fascination with MF would be over. The next morning I awoke to an e-mail saying congratulations – I was the high bidder (no one lese bid). I’d won.

Gulp. Here we go.

The Boars Tusk, Sweetwater County, Red Desert, Wyoming (Epson V500 scan of Velvia).

For the past 4 years I've juggled 2 systems: my Nikon D/FSLR 35mm system, and the Mamiya RZ system nearly everywhere I've gone. Because I drive  to many shooting destinations it's logistically practical. When space and efficiency are the mandate (flying to Haiti) I've taken the Nikon D/FSLR system. Sharing lenses, accessories, batteries, etc. make this the obvious choice for a compact, fully functional system. On other trips I've left everything else home, electing to focus on the MF system to force myself to get comfortable with it. Recently I traveled to Washington State's Olympic Peninsula and had in mind some very specific medium format black & white work I wanted to accomplish. Bringing the RZ was key.

Rock cairns stacked in a long-dead giant tree, Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington (Tri-X). The exposure latitude of black and white film really shows in this image. This was a bright, sunny day and Tri-X handled all the light beautifully.

At first it took a while to learn to shoot the camera in a style that leveraged its strengths rather than pretending it was a small, nimble, fast-shooting camera. With practice it surely can be more so – but the RZ is a different beast. With 400 speed film and a fast lens I’ll hand-hold at shutter speeds down to 1/60 second. Most of the time, though, I'm shooting the RZ at ISO 50/100 with Mirror-up on a tripod at f22 or smaller.

Upon return from any trip the 120 films are usually the first to the lab; the ones I'm most excited to see. Yes, the RZ is heavy compared to the D/FSLR's. Yes, it requires a little extra tinkering and fidgeting sometimes (my battery went dead at sunset on a trip, but I was able to swap it out very quickly and not miss a beat), and no, it's not weather sealed. But the image quality is out of this world. Every time I get my films back from the RZ I simply can't-believe-the-quality-of-the-image. The amount of information a 6cm x 7cm negative/chrome contains is mind-boggling -over 4X 35mm. In this case size most definitely matters.

After films are processed (about $4/roll at the lab) I've been scanning with the Epson V500 with very satisfactory results for "proofing" work. When I have an image I want to get the most from a drum scan is the obvious (but expensive) option. I once did a head-to-head comparison on the same negative: a Tango drum scan vs. the V500 flat bed scan. Needless to say the Tango was superior, but not by nearly as much as imagined. The drum scan cost $100 vs. the $200 Epson scanner. The drum scan definitely was not $100 better - the Epson holding its own quite well. With the right technique the V500 is capable of capturing plenty of the film's image data and creating a very tight, high-quality image - without having to drum scan every frame.

Tango drum scan of Kodak Ektar frame, made at Adobe Town Rim, Red Desert, Wyoming, (Ektar)

I've had people ask how I decide when to shoot which camera/system. I've resisted the occasional rash, purist-induced act  of dumping all but one camera and one lens just to simplify, and have arrived at the following (vague) guidelines:

My Nikon D3s is my "go-to" camera when I need to be absolutely sure of getting an image in a "work" situation. It's a no brainer. Being able to check the LCD ensures success when it's critical. Also, heavy shooting assignments such as sports, events, group photos or any other case where many exposures will be made is equally a no brainer. On top of this, the full weight of the robust Nikon system is a huge asset, providing ways to make images that simply couldn't be made any other way. Also, when using multiple light sources running Nikon's CLS the D3s shines magnificently. Immediate turn-around for digital publishing is sure easier, too. Not to mention being sure no one blinked. So I'm not a snob. I totally embrace the modern ways of making digital images.

No blinkers, please. Besides the flashes, the timers and the portability, the D3s was the clear choice here to make sure there were no blinkers (Nikon D3s digital capture).

I'd rather shoot film than digital and for general shooting and travel you'll almost never find me without my Nikon F6 35mm film camera. It's my most-shot, most-loved camera. When you hold some things in your hand there's almost a sense that they were made with you specifically in mind. That's how I feel about the F6. Ergonomically it’s my favorite camera to just have in hand. It’s nimble, fast-shooting when necessary, rugged, reliable, and technically superior to any other 35mm film camera ever produced. In terms of shooting experience the F6 provides a certain satisfaction no other camera can touch. It leverages the same system lenses and accessories as the D3s including the battery, making the D3s and F6 zero penalty extensions of the same great system. Additionally, there are focal ranges available to the D/FSLR systems not available to MF and there's simply no way to get the same image. All that said, there are times I'll view an image made on 35mm film and think, "if only I'd made this on medium format film." That's where the RZ comes in.

Zion National Park's Subway. This image couldn't have been made with the RZ due to the super wide angle required in tight quarters. The F6 was the obvious choice due to the Nikon system strengths, and the weight difference between the two cameras. It took the better part of a day to hike in and out of a river to reach this point. Hauling the heavy RZ in would have been a much more difficult task. (Nikon F6 on Velvia).

For artistic and creative invigoration shooting the RZ consistently excites me in unique ways. Of course the other cameras are capable of creating art, too. But there's something special about Medium Format. I was watching an interview with National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg talking about how the resolution of the Nikon D800 changed his shooting style. When you go out with a medium format camera you're thinking about subtle tonality changes because the size of the film has the ability to see things that smaller format cameras don't. Tonality detail now becomes a compositional element that your eyes see - yet can go unnoticed by smaller format cameras. That's one reason why a scene shot with a smaller format camera may not survive translation to a final image. The size of the 6x7 frame (more than 4X 35mm), plays a huge part in contributing to this "look" of the image, making it unique. It's not an action camera. It's a deliberate, thoughtful tool requiring time to plan and prepare. This has the net effect of intentionally slowing the photographer down to truly examine the contents of a frame before it's made. When I have the time and room, the RZ is the tool of choice.

The Walk-Away. Weeds consume an upscale, never-to-be finished home in the opulent suburban Chicago megaburb of Naperville. Construction grinded to a halt when the owners walked away. Mamiya RZ67 Pro II, 65mm -LA lens, 2-stop ND Grad, Kodak Portra 160.

Over the past 3 years I've enjoyed the buyers market and added lenses for pennies on the dollar: the 65mmLA (fantastic lens), the 140mm Macro (fantastic lens), the 250mmAPO (fantastic lens), and both extension tubes. The FE701 prism finder, flip-up magnifier, G3 bellows, double cable release and a few additional backs - all in fantastic condition, also pennies on the dollar - round out a useful and diverse kit. Such low cost for such high-quality glass and accessories is the complete antithesis of the expensive, digital juggernaut. But again, it’s not just the cost – it’s what you’re getting for the cost that radically swings the scale.

I've had one lens need repair, sending it to MAC Group and for a couple hundred dollars came back good as new. I've bought from private parties, KEH, *bay and others - all with wonderful success. My freezer is growing ever more full of 120 film of different flavors and it beckons my creativity, which most importantly is wholly reinvigorated, seeing photographically in ways I've never before known - trusting the RZ has the technical chops to deliver my creative vision - providing I do my part.

I've been storing my chromes/negatives in a 2 inch 3-ring binder with archival sleeves and it's now bulging with pages. I love the fact I don't have to worry about losing my images in a crash (even though I'm very well backed-up). I love laying the archival sleeves on my light box and marveling at the original films beneath the loupe. I love the idea that I don't need to turn a computer on to view an original film and I love the that the very piece of film I'm viewing was with me on the trip.

Craig Pass, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming with the Mamiya 250mmAPO (Ilford PanF50)

The experiment is over. The Mamiya has long-since earned its own bag and often the camera I’ll plan my shooting around. I read on a blog recently a similar post by someone who went through a similar process moving to MF digital. He was talking about costs in the $20,000 - $40,000 range as being relative. I agree that cost is relative. But for me value is key. It’s not how much you’re spending, but what you’re getting for what you’re spending. For me and the way I shoot, I see tremendous value - both economic and artistic - in medium format film.

For anyone wanting to invigorate their creative vision, I'd strongly encourage taking advantage of this unique moment in time where the supply and demand curve has rendered such high-quality gear so attainable. It won't last. Already I’ve noticed prices going up as the niche catches on and supplies begin to decline.

For a gallery of images made with the RZ over the past 4 years, please visit: http://www.johnbcrane.com/120

The High Park Fire day 2 smoke plume rose to over 20,000 feet and stretch 200+ miles into neighboring Wyoming and Nebraska.

By now the wildfires in the western United States, and Colorado in particular, are National news. Like other national disasters - storm events, accidents, etc. - to those not directly impacted by the fires it may seem a little abstract. Like other disasters for those immediately impacted by events, it's very, very real. In the city of Fort Collins we were in no immediate danger from fires such as the High Park Fire. It burned in heavily forested lands to the West and North of the city center, plus there is a large body of water between the fire and the city acting as a natural buffer. But to those who's homes were threatened by the path of the fire, and the men and women fire fighters who were in the thick of the mayhem, breathing smoke for nearly 3 weeks, in triple digit temperatures, putting themselves in harm's way to wrestle this mammoth fire into submission for the sake of those who's homes were threatened - it was as real as it gets.

Rafters carry on business as usual as Fire Fighters lock down another hot spot along Highway 14's Poudre Canyon.

I trained as a volunteer fire fighter in Boulder County many years ago. I never saw a fire, but did go through all preparation. Let me tell you, what those men and women do is not easy - by anyone's standards. That's why the other evening as we were heading to a wedding in LaPorte, one of the areas at the foot of the fire and used as early staging for disaster relief, something caught my eye. As we headed up Overland Trail and neared the town of Laporte, signs began to appear along the edge of the road. First a couple, then more, then we lost count. Homeowners - many of who's homes weren't even directly impacted by the High Park Fire, fashioned hand-made signs with whatever materials they had on hand to make sure the wild land fire fighters knew their efforts were appreciated. This really got to me.

As the victims displaced by the fire made their way to not so near-by Budweiser Events Center, actually south of Fort Collins in Loveland - a good 20 miles from their homes up Rist and Poudre canyons, the community that is Northern Colorado really kicked into gear. Many went to the evacuee's offering food, clothing, and shelter - anything to help those who'd lost their homes, or possibly even worse - wouldn't know if they'd lost their homes until they were allowed back in to the burn site to see if it's still standing.

Just out of Bellvue, Colorado at the bottom of Rist Canyon, another area hardest hit by the High Park fire.

I'm proud of our community and grateful to those who worked so hard to put out the fire that can only be described as monstrous. I remember seeing early footage on the news of entire mountain sides engulfed in flames with dead, beetle-killed pine trees crowning - bursting into hellish flames towering far above a few, tiny yellow-shirted fire fighters with pick axes, hacking out an insignificantly thin line in the mountain below. My first response was, that looks like such an unfair fight... it looks hopeless. But through perseverance, dedication, hard work, and the grit deeply embedded in the western mind set, it's the fire that never had a chance.

All this to say, Thank You, Fire Fighters. From the bottom of our hearts. We are grateful for and respect your sacrifice for us, your neighbors.

To see the series of images please click here.