Why Open Edition?
Unless noted otherwise all my prints although singed & titled are open editions prints rather than limited editions for several reasons. One of which is I am not a famous artist and two I want my fine art photography to be more affordable and on the walls of more clients. This has been a difficult philosophical decision and one I have thought about for some time. Some of the great pioneers of photography, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Alfred Steiglitz, and Henri Cartier Bresson did not limit their editions. My abilities and interpretation of the creative process are not set in stone. My photography/art is a fluid and changing process and I enjoy the exploration of new methods. For example, as of today, Film and Digital photography alike offer a limited ability to handle very large dynamic range scene's, which is the contrast between dark and light. This limitation however is rapidly changing and I want the right to change with it. Limited Editions, are limited to a predefined and arbitrary number of prints. When the edition sells out no more prints are made, and buyers must locate prints that are in private ownership. This also limits me from using future technology to better develop the images I may have captured today or in the past.
Most of my Fine Art images will probably never be changed. However I reserve the right to make improvements to an image if possible when future technology improves, there for I choose Open Edition Prints.
By definition, a Limited Edition is a series of photographs all printed at the same time, using the same printing materials and techniques. It is an edition that is fixed in time. It is static and unchanging. Consider a particularly challenging photograph with extreme tonal range, one which exceeds the capabilities of film, today's digital camera's or the printing process like I mentioned above. The photographer prints it to the best of his current level of skill and knowledge, but realizes that it doesn't fully match his ultimate vision. He knows he could produce a better print, if only he weren't hindered by the limitations of the camera or printing process. Because the edition is limited, the photographer cannot (if he or she is to honor the trust and integrity inherent in the ethics of Limited Editions) apply new techniques, materials, knowledge, or skill in the production of a new and improved version of the photograph. This is particularly disconcerting in the age of digital photography, where the techniques and equipment are in a constant state of flux and improvement. To limit an edition is to deny the dynamic nature of photography and the creative freedom of the photographer.