FLAAR is a research institute dedicated to fine art photography for over 35 years.

We accomplish fine art photography with large format digital cameras such as BetterLight, medium format cameras (we have used Leaf, Kodak, Hasselblad-Imacon, and Phase One P30 so far), and 35mm digital SLR ( Nikon D100, Canon EOS 5D).

35mm is okay but there were good reasons why Ansel Adams used large format. If he were still alive today he would continue with wide format but would also be experimenting with medium format digital cameras too.

There is sometimes confusion in the jargon between fine art giclee prints and fine art photography. The concept of decor printing is not well defined either. So FLAAR has written up several new FLAAR Reports to assist artists, photographers, painters, and print masters (as well as people who aspire to one or more of these categories).

On this digital-photography website and our sister site, www.FineArtGicleePrinters.org, we provide information on printers, color management, software, and even show that you can reproduce your fine art photos with CO2 laser engravers onto glass or stone.

Fine Art Photography

What wide-format inkjet printers are recommended to print fine art giclee or fine art photography?

 What the alluring advertisements don’t tell you is that a printer which can do an excellent job at printing giclee on canvas or watercolor paper, may be a poor choice for printing fine art photographs.

And a printer that does museum quality output on fine art photographs, may be incapable of producing fine art giclee whatsoever.

Since FLAAR is a research institute, and as we don’t sell printers, we can tell the positive features of printers as well as their downsides. You don’t get the full story on web sites that are just regurgitating sham reviews or pseudo reviews (PR releases camouflaged as a review).

So if you are thinking of an Canon imagePROGRAF iPF 5000, iPF6000, iPF8000, iPF9000 or other printer, or the Epson Stylus Pro 4800, 7800, 9800, or HP Designjet 30, 90, 130, PhotoSmart Pro 8750 or HP B9180, Designjet Z2100, Z3100 be sure to get factual information.

Later this year we may be offering courses in fine art photography, on-line, so you can take them in the comfort of your home anywhere in the world. But in the meantime, you can start off by getting your hands on the FLAAR Reports. Over 200 titles are available from www.wide-format-printers.NET.

As a quick start you can just buy the FLAAR Reports on inkjet printers for giclee, or the FLAAR Reports that describes the precise distinctions between giclee, décor, and fine art photography.

Or you can fill out the Inquiry/Survey Form and get some start-publications to provide introductory information.

Fine Art Giclee

Most recently updated September 25, 2006.

First posted July 11, 2006.

Available by May 2008 Available by May 2008 Available by May 2008 Available by May 2008 Available by May 2008

Medium Format Digital Camera Initiative For over 30 years Nicholas Hellmuth has used Rolleiflex and Hasselblad cameras to record the flora, fauna, and Maya archaeology of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Now, for the last six years, he is extending his medium format experience to digital photography. Since FLAAR works both in a studio as well as out on location, we are an ideal focus for judging portability. We have experience with large format digital scan backs (the excellent BetterLight) and we also use Nikon (D300) and Canon (EOS 5D) digital cameras. A full-service digital pro should have at least one medium format digital system and should consider large format digital options as well. FLAAR also has an 80-megapixel large format camera (yes, they do exist, we have a Cruse). Although we started with a Leaf Valeo 22 coupled with a Mamiya 645 AFD body and lenses, we are open to showcasing all bodies as well as other digital backs. Indeed we tested an Imacon 4-shot back on a Hasselblad H1 body. For a month (February 2006) it was possible to evaluate a MegaVision black-and-white dedicated back for fine art photography. We are also considering the Rolleiflex 6008 AF, one of the outstanding medium format cameras that still offers European precision. However in the last 40 years we have not received any Rollei (or Franke & Heidecke) equipment for evaluation, so we can comment only on the Hasselblad and Mamiya (loaned briefly two years ago by Mamiya America). Camera resellers or manufacturers who wish to have their cameras, lenses, and backs included in the digital photography evaluation initiative are welcome to send their equipment for evaluation. Curently all the medium format backs are coming from Global Imaging Inc, Greg Lamb, CEO (contact 800 787-9802, press 4, fax 212 722-0988). This is one of the few camera stores in the entire US or Canada that offers ALL major brands of medium format (so they have no incentive to push one brand over the other). However we are also open to receiving medium format backs directly from the manufacturer. Over 381,154 visitors came to this www.digital-photography.org web site to learn which cameras, lighting, tripods, and accessories have proven themselves during evaluation by FLAAR. Since we deliberately do not review low-end cameras, our reviews attract a sophisticated audience. The total "visit" count is 791.562 during 2007, but we prefer to use the visitor count, 381.154 as being more realistic. FLAAR is the de facto source of information on medium format digital cameras because we are university based, independent, blunt, and we are one of the few review sources that dares to review advertising specs, advertising claims, and advertising hype. We can afford to reveal all the pros and cons because FLAAR is a research institute. Photographers feel they can trust a university research professor who has devoted years to understanding the pros and cons of each aspect of a digital camera system and workflow. You can download our colorful FLAAR Reports on our medium format digital camera initiative.