Updated 7/24/19: I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since I originally opened the shop! On July 30 I’m launching an all-new collection of 7 new photos (8 including this diptych of Sullivan’s Island Station 19!). I have TONS of behind the scenes footage of me shooting the new collection back in May on Instagram story highlights if you want to sneak a peek! I’ve updated this post to include all of the new framing options, as well as the introduction of limited edition prints! See you in the shop!

Today on the blog I’m sharing everything you need to know about my print shop that’s launching next Tuesday, October 23! You all have been dying to know more so I’m excited to answer your questions. I’m sharing the behind the scenes of how I shot the first collection and what you can snag next week! If you’re not on the email list, sign up here to be notified when the store goes live and to get 10% off your first order!

How did the print shop come about and what inspired the first collection of photographs?

The summer before my senior year of college at RISD, I lived in Charleston and was a photo intern at Charleston magazine. I TOTALLY fell in love with the city learned my way around when they sent me on different shoots. Every January, RISD had a 5-week winter semester meant for internships or taking a class outside of your major. I did everything I could to get back to Charleston! Luckily, the magazine was happy to have me back and I found a fellow RISD alumn and wedding photographer, Gayle Brooker, to intern with as well.

I was so excited to have 5 weeks in Charleston again (and avoid the blizzard-y Rhode Island winter!). I rented a film Hasselblad camera from school and took it with me to document my time in the city (keep scrolling to read about this camera and the process!).

On my days off and weekends, I took my Hasselblad camera and color film around Charleston with me. I loved going on walks downtown and exploring with my camera. I spent a ton of time on Sullivan’s Island beach during my time there, so I took my camera there as well. Hasselblad film cameras are mechanical and have a lot of tiny buttons and mechanisms to move while loading film and shooting, so my hands almost froze every time I was shooting (remember it was January!).

I’ve always loved these resulting photos because they remind me so much of why I fell in love with Charleston. I can’t wait to share Charleston’s endless good vibes with you all through this print shop. I’m already planning to shoot new print shop collections for 2019, and I can’t wait to shoot the city with the same camera and film after living here for three years and falling even more in love with this place!

How are the photographs shot?

All of the photographs in the print shop are shot on 120 medium format color film with a Hasselblad 500cm camera. If you’re wondering what all of that means, read on!

Why shoot film?

I shot all of the print shop photos on film, not digital! Film is a little bit of a throwback, and it’s so much fun. I learned photography by shooting 35mm black and white film in my high school photography class (my teacher was very against digital!). If you’ve never shot and developed your own film and prints in the dark room, all I can say is it’s magical! Every step is hands-on and forces you to work slowly. It’s the only way to truly learn photography!

Film has a really nice soft look and captures light gorgeously. There are plenty of filters that can make digital photos look like film these days, but they’re never the same! I don’t shoot film for client projects because it doesn’t make sense typically, but for personal projects like the print shop I LOVE shooting film!

What is 120 Medium Format Color Film?

Because the film is 120mm instead of 35mm, the negatives are larger and therefore give you more resolution and detail. Each roll of 120 film has 12 exposures, so I’m working much more slowly and deliberately than when I shoot digital (I can shoot hundreds on one memory card!). The Hasselblad camera also shoots in a square format, so the resulting images are like the original Instagram!  

Color film is also much more involved to develop than black and white, so I send it out to a lab to have developed and scanned into a digital file after I shoot it. I digitally edit the scans and print them on archival fine art luster paper.

What is a Hasselblad camera?

The Hasselblad 500cm camera is a medium format film camera. Hasselblad is a Swedish company that started making film cameras in the early 1900s. The cameras are so gorgeously made and feel so satisfying to shoot with. The camera has a removable back where the film is loaded, a viewfinder on top to focus your image, and everything is completely mechanical. Click here to see a video of what it looks like to shoot with one!

What presentation options will be available?

Each photo is available as an unframed print or custom framed! The available sizes are 4×4″, 10×10″, 12×12″, 16×16″, and 20×20″. All sizes 12×12″ and larger are sold as limited edition prints, meaning they will be printed in limited quantities and will never be printed at those particular sizes again. That means you’ll own a collectible! All prints are signed by me and if they’re limited edition, they’ll be marked with the edition number! 

Frames come in your choice of white, black, or natural wood. You can also choose to have your print matted, which I think looks absolutely lovely! Head to any product page to see images of all of these options!

Why get a framed print?

Square frames are hard to find in your typical Target or Michael’s, so I am including custom framing as an option in the print shop! I know custom framing can get expensive quickly, so I’m giving you prices you’d see at a frame shop AND taking the effort of going to the shop yourself out of the equation. I work with an incredible local frame shop in Charleston, so your print is always in good hands!

All frames include UV-resistant glass, a finished paper backing, and pre-installed hangers for easy hanging. A custom frame will guarantee your print will look great for years to come!

Will the prints be signed by you?

Yes! I am signing each print in archival ink (whether framed or unframed) so you know it was created by me and an original artwork. All limited edition prints will be marked with the edition number as well. 

Want to know more?

Drop me a comment below! I’d love to answer any other questions you have about the shop!