LIMITED EDITION vs. OPEN EDITION
An Open Edition print is one that can be reproduced without limit. Normally, an Open Edition print will have lower prices because the photographer will never run out. A Limited Edition print is one that guarantees a limit to how many copies are made. Creating a limited number of prints increases the rarity and, hence, the value of each print. In one of the bottom corners of every Mike MacDonald Limited Edition Print appears two numbers separated by a slash. The number to the right of the slash is called the edition number. This edition number is the maximum number of photographs, regardless of size, which may be printed (plus fifty artist’s proofs). If this edition number were 300, then no more than 300 prints (plus proofs) may be created. On the signed print, the number to the left of the slash identifies that specific print. To prove that you own an original Mike MacDonald photograph, you will receive an official certificate of authenticity with your print.
Click here to learn how to care for your Mike MacDonald Limited Edition Print.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Mike is not only the photographer, he is the print maker. He is the artist. No lab is involved. Mike makes every creative decision and scrutinizes over every detail. Each print and mural is Mike’s creation from beginning to end, a true work of art. This attention to detail directly translates into high-fidelity photographic prints that express Mike’s true experience and emotion.
By itself, the image captured by the camera always makes an inadequate, less truthful, physical print. Always. This is most obvious when creating landscape prints of the Midwest’s natural wonders. In kaleidoscopic prairies and woodlands, the colors and textures of thousands of flowers and grasses compete for attention to create sublime chaos. As Mike says, “The prairie is beautiful in all its chaos. A prairie print is beautiful only in the absence of chaos.”
Mike make prints that are visually powerful, full of depth, and what he calls, “the sparkle of life.” His prints also communicate an artist’s truth, one that faithfully represents his experience of that perfect moment in time.
As the artist, Mike is never in a hurry. He takes his time with every print and the difference in quality is clear. However, on the Internet, it is impossible to compare the quality and fidelity of physical prints. You must see our big landscape prints and prairie prints in person to understand the difference. This is why we encourage you to make an appointment to visit Mike’s Downers Grove studio so you can experience the art for yourself.
