Digital BW, The Print

Excellent Jerry, I would add:
11. No to white skys
Renan Lopes

Jerry Olson wrote:

> Hi Barry,
>
> Here's a list of things that make a print as "perfect" to me as it can
> be. A lot of them are little things, but when added up they can make a
> HUGE difference between an extremely good print and an average one. I
> assumed you meant technical things, not artistic things that make a good
> print... These would be from a photographer's point of view, but
> probably not an artists.
>
> 1. Horizons should be absolutely straight, especially if the scene is a
> seascape. Even a 1/16th of an inch tilt is not acceptable to me.
>
> 2. A good print is very slightly darker at the edges than in the rest of
> the print.
>
> 3. There should be no evidence whatever of "Spotting" dust or scratches.
>
> 4. Buildings should NEVER lean over, and their verticals should always
> be exactly even with the edges of the print.  Only an amateur
> photographer would ever present a picture to be judged with a building
> that was leaning backwards.
>
> 5. In most cases, but with certain exceptions, a print should have a
> deep black, a paper white, and a full range of grays.  A Very low or
> high key print are exceptions.  There may be others, but not many.
>
> 6. A print shouldn't have its brightest or lightest part running off the
> paper. The eyes always go to the brightest part of the print first, and
> it shouldn't be at the edge of the paper.
>
> 7. It is probably best in MOST cases that the center of interest not be
> dead center in the image. Again, there are exceptions to this.
>
> 8. The quality of the paper the image is printed on is important. For a
> terrific print that you is going to an exhibition, you should print it
> on a quality paper. Thicker papers are generally better, but again there
> are always exceptions. Japanese papers are beautiful, but most of them
> are very thin.
>
> 9. There are many other little things that I think would improve a
> print, but they are only personal choices, and some people would really
> disagree with me, such as I prefer NEVER to see grain in a sky. Some
> people love grain, but I don't.
>
> 10. A landscape framed by an out of focus foreground or a tree branch
> coming into the picture from the side doesn't improve the picture, only
> detracts from it, in
> my humble opinion. Others might like it.
>
> These are some of the rules we were taught at Brooks Institute of
> Photography, and I think most of them were right on the money.
>
> There are some photographers who would delight in breaking every one of
> these "rules". They would probably apply less to street photographers
> and photo journalists.
>
> Hope this helps a little, anyhoo.
>
> Jerry