Tiki Photography Prints--Feedback Requested

Aloha Tiki Aficionados, Connoisseurs and just plain Tiki fans,

I'm on the verge of setting up the release of several different series of limited-edition Tiki photo prints.

These would be a nice, large, frameable size and fit right along side some of your favorite Tiki art.

Here's the big question...considering the laws of supply and demand, what is it that you, the Tiki Fans, would be interested in seeing framed on your walls???

Keep in mind, this is just for some helpful early feedback, but, of the following photo subjects, what would you actually consider spending money on?
In other words, what have you ever found yourself asking, "Man, if we only had a framed photo of ??????, it would go perfectly in that space."

1. Drinks (Images from Sippin' Safari, Remixed, etc)
2. Places (Bar Interiors, Waikiki, Polynesian Cultural Center, etc.)
3. Portraits of Special Tikis
4. "Mug Shots" i.e., images of classic mugs
5. More abstract/contrasty, old-school, fine art black and whites with a Tiki subject

I'm all ears and look forward to hearing what you might be interested in or suggestions you might have.

Mahalo!

Jonpaul

Great idea, I am partial to Tiki locations, both inside and outside and great tiki signs - motel/restaurant etc.

DC

Absolutely. Quality of the image and the print is the key (for me anyway). Vintage locations would be tough because most of the pictures of them come from postcards. Your drink images in Jeff Berry's books would be great candidates. I'd buy some. Mug shots (e.g., Grog Log cover, etc) would be good too. Bring 'em on! :)

They all sound great! i think i'd be more interested in places/architecture/signs/inside stuff.

PS, let me know if you need a photo assistant!

Hey JP,
Cool idea. Since I'm always full of opinions (well, I'm full of something anyway), here's some reactions on this. NO claims of speaking for anybody else. And no claims of offering insights you might not have already had.

To me, all 5 of those kinds of subject matter could be good. But to me it's not so much the WHAT, but more the HOW. So that kinda suggests #5 in a way. A skilled photographer can find something interesting about anything, and represent it in a way that draws the viewer's attention to the things about it that make it unique, exotic, etc. I've seen that in your work. Sven did it all over the place in the BOT. I also always remember the House Industries magazine issue with a piece on tiki mugs - it had a beautiful closeup of the familiar PMP mug, that made me look at that mug a whole different way forever after.

However, like DC, I find there's something most appealing about a location, as something I'd look at every day. A picture of a drink can be beautiful, but I think it would become static and lose interest (for me) over time. It's kind of perpetually sitting there and no one ever gets to drink it! But a location, or a famous tiki in a location, has all this backstory and life embodied in it. All the people who participated in the design, hosted the visitors, or were the visitors themselves - all sharing the same reference point but from different perspectives. Even an image of a decrepit or decaying venue could hold a long-term appeal as something to gaze at on the wall, just because it still represents something and continues to make you think.

A drink or mug could still be good if it's staged in a way that has humor, life, drama, or some kind of story to it. Like the cover of Remixed is great, because it takes these themes we love, and creates a mini-narrative with humor and something going on.

One other comment. I've often thought it'd be fun to make a DIY tiki photo album, even like a shutterfly album kind of thing. Even with our meager aging photography gear, we've accumulated probably hundreds of photos of tikis and locations over the years from various trips. Just for kicks I was thinking of taking selections and organizing them in one of those photo books you can order. Or maybe multiple volumes. Something like that with shutterfly doesn't really have professional print quality though, and it's probably expensive. But anyway if someone with your skills did that in book form as sort of a micro-printed on-demand ordering kind of thing, I bet there'd be takers. In fact, I'm kinda surprised with all the talent on TC that there's not much discussion of photography, and that this kind of book thing hasn't been done already.

-Randy

Yes, to everything!

On 2011-03-07 19:47, Bora Boris wrote:
Yes, to everything!

On 2011-03-07 18:12, aquarj wrote:

A drink or mug could still be good if it's staged in a way that has humor, life, drama, or some kind of story to it.

Below is one of my favorite photos because it tells a humorous story:

I think a series of photos that show people at Tiki locations in front of signature Tikis and drinking out of the signature Tiki mugs would be cool, especially if done in high-end black and white photography. It wouldn't hurt to have some of those people be pretty, scantily clad young wahines, but they don't all have to be.

I like Randy's "photo book" idea. Check out Lulu, their quality is great in general (never specifically seen one of their photo books though, I might add) Why restrict them only to being seen in people's homes. I know your pics and they are true art! They should be in a photo book.
And those that buy the pics get to have "prints as featured in..." Perfect Xmas presents too!

Yes to everything like I said above but also more EXTERIORS! I love your cocktail shots as you know and I also love Cass' ( :left: Jeez, how does that work?) drink photos and plan to get some of his as well as Vivica Menegaz's from Sippin' Safari (Sent an email over a year ago, never heard back. Grrr!) but exteriors are what we need and not just for fans of cool architecture and Tiki but for historical purposes and yes, I would buy some. Some of the cooler pictures at most of the Trader Vic's I've been to are of older locations, I think they all have that great shot of Beverly Hills when it was The Traders.

As we try to figure out where the entrance to the D.C. Vic's was and enlarge postcards and artist renderings to death of The Saint Louis and Detroit Vic's or various Kona Kai entrances, if someone would have taken the time to photograph them they would be a HERO! What about the entrances to the St. Louis Mainlander or Ren Clarks Polynesian Village they may have been cool or maybe they weren't? We have no idea. Did anyone ever take an exterior picture of the Lucky Tiki? I know the exterior of the place is still pretty much the same but I don't think I've seen one with the signage while it was still a fun place. What about Emeryville? Every time I go I'm running for the door heading for the bar, yes I've taken pictures of the Barney West Tiki in the parking lot and tons of the interior but has anyone taken a shot of the front of Emeryville or even Palo Alto from a cool angle? Now that the Tikiyaki Orchestra has the "Big Bamboo" van I hope to see you on the roof of it taking pictures of cool places at angles we don't usually see. Even places with more um... subdued entrances like Smuggler's Cove need to be documented in a cool way. I know that this is more than you were looking for but I was in a typing mood and rather than try to get that all out at some loud party I thought I'd share it here for everyone because I'm a giver! :lol:

:down: I took that picture. :D

I'd say just keep doing stuff like this, from the Tikiyaki at Bahooka/Rosemead thread...

Framed nicely....SOLD !

what Jim said,
and number 5.

good luck,

Jeff(btd)

These two get GROG' vote.

2. Places (Bar Interiors, Waikiki, Polynesian Cultural Center, etc.)

3. More abstract/contrasty, old-school, fine art black and whites with a Tiki subject

She is hot,I gotta give ya that.

[ Edited by: cribe 2011-03-08 14:21 ]

Those photos that Jim posted of yours (and one by Marie :)) are amazing! I would love to have pics like that hanging around my house!

[ Edited by: Lucky Jackson 2011-03-09 09:12 ]

I agree, black and white architecture photos would be very nice.

Julius Shulman made a good life for himself that way.

I would say places.
Do all of the ones that may be gone soon.
Like the Tonga Room.

Abstracts! Many of the exteriors I think have been seen. Interior shots are always cool if they aren't concerned with trying to get the whole place in one shot. Weird angles or nooks in places that you don't normally see interest me. It's all about the details and the layers (BOSKO quote). Sure full interiors are spectacular if the place has a strong impact visually as a whole. Seems like the challenge will be to not veer into the postcard look that many full scene shots give off. Your work has always been impressive and I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. Can't wait to see the work.
Peace with every step.

Maybe a photo montage of the upcoming LA Tiki Crawl locations would be a fun project to start with. A souvenir photo memento for the crawlers would be nice.

1. 3:30 pm - Bus pick-up at LA Live (where TV and Staples Center are)
2. 4:00 pm - Tiki Ti
3. 6:00 pm - Tonga Hut
4. 8:00 pm - Tiki No
5. 10:00 pm - Trader Vic's DTLA

DC

Huge mahalos to everyone that's responded to this thread thus far!!!
It's been a huge inspiration for me to see that there is indeed interest on TC for this.

You know, sometimes we go about our business and produce our work, but we're so entrenched in the middle of it that we exist in somewhat of a bubble.
I don't really don't know why I assumed there wasn't much interest in photos as prints.
I suppose it stems from having lackluster sales when I did it a couple times before.
But, having said that, I really didn't do it the right way or promote it properly.
To be honest, a major turning point was seeing the set of Beachbum Berry cocktail prints at Tiki Kate's estate sale.
It touched a nerve in me that really made me want to share things I had done with more people.
The bottom line is that sometimes we feel that more people are familiar with our work than is the case in actuality.

As far as books go--that's a whole other ball of wax.
Yes, there are many options these days for self-publishing, but to do it properly (read: the right high quality), means selling at a prohibitively expensive price point.
I've actually been working on a couple of long-term Tiki book projects, and have several more ideas for the future, but am attempting the established publisher route for right now. Who knows..we'll see what happens???

I'm extra happy to hear that people would be interested in things more along the lines of fine art photography, as this is really where my heart is creatively.
I was trained in a bit of everything, but the black and white aesthetic and darkroom practices are what get me most excited.

Right now I'm thinking along the lines of doing a special introductory limited edition fine art print just for Tiki Central members, and possibly producing more things from the archives in a different, more mass-produced and distributed way.

I know this is more along the gruesome side, but it's an example of the non-commercial stuff that I personally like doing.
Anyone remember seeing this at Hank's gallery?

Hey Jonpaul, it's Sergio. i picked up the Pearl Diver's Punch photo at Tiki Kate's sale. It needs company! the shrunken head is awesome btw.