Rebekka Payne Portrait Artist: Blog

Photo Books!

(Rebekka Payne Portrait Artist) — Wed, 18 May 2016 22:48:11 GMT

Don't judge a book by its cover, judge it by its paper and ink!

It seems like everyday I'm being offered a photo book at a discounted rate, or even free, from various businesses. This is always an encouraging reminder to make my own book, but not through them, even if they are free. I have so many images of my son that I have printed, cataloged and archived, for him over the years. He has an album for each year of his life. Seeing these little subpar deals reminds me that it's time to be the curator of our own story.

The reason these subpar offers are only reminders, instead of happy purchases, is because they have no archival value and they don't offer the same color richness. I truly believe I have the best albums and books, because I have inspected so many myself over the years. I won't spend my money with any other album maker other than the one I use for my clients, even with a huge giveaway deal.

There are many factors to take into consideration when creating a photo book or heirloom album. Quality and Archival Value for your albums are paramount! I don't want to create anything that's made to tarnish, warp or degrade over time; I want only the best.

The best medium, for any facet of your Portraits, is Museum Grade Fine Art materials. These are the same paper materials used by museums to preserve the work of Artists for centuries. These papers are guaranteed to last over 100 to 200 years. Your images will never fade or turn yellow over time.

An important part in preserving your album is the ink that is used for printing your album. There are a few general options to printing your photographs these days. Press printed albums, which is how most photo books are commonly made today, do not use the same ink or printing processes as top notch Giclee printing does.

Giclee printers commonly use 8 to 12 different ink colors to render the most perfect tones and hues while press prints use only 4 different ink colors to attempt to match the original artwork. Artists use traditional Giclee printing methods that are on the top tier for First Edition photographic prints that can be found in museums and galleries around the world.

When looking closely at a press print, you'll notice small dots of color that resemble the printing of a magazine or newspaper. Press printing is truly made for mass media printing, like a postcard or magazine, and should never be used to print a Fine Art Portrait.

Contact me today, to see and touch, the best Heirloom Photo Albums and Photo Books and learn how I can design one for you too!

Why I Believe in Prints

(Rebekka Payne Portrait Artist) — Wed, 18 May 2016 20:16:48 GMT

I didn't grow up in the digital world, my foundation is based in film, so I'm lucky that I have a lot of photographic prints of my family. My first experiences with photographs did not include computers, in fact, computers weren't even in existence yet. Some children, these days, don't have any prints of themselves. In this digital world, getting Portraits on a CD has become the norm. But how often do those images ever get printed, to be touched and felt, in the palm of your hands?

Both my Father and Grandfather took photos of me when I was a baby through my childhood. I have many beautiful images in albums that I can study now that solidify who I am as a person. I don't remember those days, but I clearly see myself in those images and I know that's me. I still carry the same mannerisms. I still sit and stand the same way, I still smile the same way. I cannot put a price on those Portraits. One day, I will give them to my son, for him to share with his children.

My father took those Portraits, just as many times as my grandfather did, both with different eyes. They had different vision, truth, and understanding of their subject... little ol' me! I see things in myself I may have never known had they not created their art in those moments. Our home, sentimental items and generational items can all be found in those images. We can laugh about the rocking chair my mom grew up with, that each of us cherished at one time or another, that can be found throughout all the albums, including images of my son sitting in it as well. These Portraits are worth more than gold to me.

When I was thirteen years old, my dad passed away abruptly. In the blink of an eye, all we had left of him was our Portraits. After all these years, we still fondly look upon his face in the photographs that were taken of him throughout his life. His legacy and stories, and who he was, are still preserved for us in some way. I can still tell my son about the grandpa he never got to meet.

In my young adulthood, I found myself more comfortable holding my camera everywhere I went, so unaware of the passion that was growing inside of me. Fully aware of how quickly life moves, I knew I needed to document the smiles of those that I love and cherish so no moment would be lost. My love for art grew as quick as my creativity to create my own art.

One of the greatest lessons of life is understanding that those we love never really get to stick around for the whole journey. Lessons cannot be learned in comfort. People go, love is lost and life just happens to all of us, but nothing can take away those intimate memories of those we love.

Please document the important moments in your own life! Can you really put a price on freezing the lines and eyes of someone you love so much? I would work everyday, for a lifetime, to preserve the innocence of my son.

Printing these Portraits, and preserving them, allow your legacy to live on. Ask Rebekka how you can preserve your relationships today!

Blog Under Construction

(Rebekka Payne Portrait Artist) — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 23:15:37 GMT

This blog is under construction. Check back soon. Thanks