FAQ

What Are Giclée Prints?

Any image on this site accompanied by the 'Add To Cart' button is available as a giclée print. In a nutshell, giclée is high-end ink-jet printing using archivally stable pigments, on the finest acid-free art papers available. The printers use a wide range of special black pigments, all carbon-based, so that print life (given proper storage and handling) should be several hundred years.

All prints are supplied with care suggestions.  They all have wide borders, suitable for framing.

How Should I Care For My Prints?

Your prints will arrive wrapped in acid-free tissue. From the get-go, NEVER touch the print with your fingers! Ideally, the print should be handled with cotton gloves. Store it wrapped in the acid-free tissue, in a low-humidity environment, safe from fungal and insect invasion. A plan-press provides the ideal environment. This way, your print can survive for hundreds of years, as it consists of carbon-based pigments on archival-quality rag paper. Testament to this are the existing copies of the original Gutenberg Bible, which have survived, to date, for over 500 years. They were produced using similar methods. The Canson company produced the papers for the original Gutenberg Bible, and they continue to produce fine quality papers for today's printing.

What About Framing?

Framing should be approached by first following the advice about print care. The prints are best framed by a professional, using acid-free mat boards and archival tapes. Do not hang your print where it will be exposed to sunlight, as UV is the enemy of printed material. We can organise custom framing, if you wish, though there is the risk of glass breakage in transit, plus the extra costs of packaging and postage. If you require us to take care of your framing, please use our Contact Form, and we will provide a quote.

(N.B. Framing is only available for customers within Australia)

What Types Of Cameras Were Used?

The majority of shots were taken with Hasselblad cameras (500C, 500CM, 500 ELM & Super-Wide CM). Lenses for these cameras were all made by Carl Zeiss, and range from the 38mm Biogon to 250mm Sonnar. Others were shot with a variety of Nikon cameras, from the original Nikon F Photomic through to the Nikon F5. Some were shot on 5" x 4" & 10" x 8" Sinar and Cambo equipment, using a range of Zeiss, Rodenstock and Schneider lenses.

What Types Of Film Were Used?

The black and white films, from the mid sixties, were generally Ilford HP3, FP3, HPS, HP4 & FP4, and Kodak Tri-X. Most were developed in Agfa Rodinal, with some in Acufine or Kodak HC-110. Later shots used Agfapan 25, 100 & 400. Some special films, such as Kodak 2475 Recording Film, were used to produce very grainy results.

Colour transparency films used were Kodak Ektachrome & Kodachrome, Agfachrome, and Fuji 50 & 100 ISO.

How Were The Images On This Site Produced?

Frank has made high-resolution digital scans of his original negatives, being careful to retain their integrity, editing only to remove any dust spots and scratches, and altering tonality to produce images exactly as originally intended. Some negatives were water-damaged, and many lost, during a Queensland flood in 1970, and every attempt has been made to present the images as cleanly as possible. A few of the images show unavoidable retouching. The resulting prints are of a quality equal to, or better than, those produced in the old analog darkroom.

Some negatives were virtually unprintable in the analog darkroom, due to under/over-exposure. This is no longer such a problem, thanks to modern scanning technology and digital editing; less-than-perfect negatives can reveal a remarkable amount of detail.

Some Day My Prints Will Come...

The delivery times we state in Terms and Conditions allow for possible delays in the mail system. Rest assured, we will keep you informed via email should any unforeseen delays occur.

If I Have Further Questions?

Please use our Contact Form, and we'll reply as soon as possible.