Art in a Snap Black-and-white photos offer sophistication and investment Kim Severson, Chronicle Staff Writer

Suzy Locke loves the impressive collection of black-and-white photographs hung throughout her 1930s Art Deco home in Oakland's Piedmont neighborhood.

She is particularly proud of a series that runs up the stairwell. It suits perfectly a vintage aluminum banister. But, more important, the photos suit Locke's soul.

"I purchase a photograph because it is something I want to look at every day,'' says the collector, who makes a living advising corporate and private clients on buying and hanging art. "Black-and-white photography is extremely accessible, which is what is so wonderful about it. It's a medium people understand because everybody has used a camera.''

That, in part, is the appeal of collecting black-and-white photography. But the pursuit is also gaining speed among Bay Area art lovers because it is an affordable avenue for people new to collecting art, dealers and collectors say.

`It's a real exciting growing market,'' says Chris Mahoney, a photographer and art expert who works in the photograph section of Sotheby's in New York. "A lot of younger people are really getting into it.''

Even vintage photographs, whether 19th century works, rare platinum prints or more common gelatin silver prints, are still affordable. On the high end, a photograph considered a master can be had for $100,000 to $200,000, compared with millions of dollars to acquire a masterwork by Picasso or Van Gogh.

Interesting pieces can be found at several price levels. For a few hundred dollars, good sources of prints include estate sales, outdoor art fairs and even the Internet.

For beginning collectors, anonymous vintage photographs -- especially those depicting a certain era -- can have economic value.

A beginning collector who wants a piece with more authenticated significance could buy a promising new artist's print for about $500 or less. Figure another $200 to $250 for the right frame and mat, which in most cases with black-and-white photography should be simple and elegant rather than ornate. Collectors might want to use cheaper frames on less-expensive prints, but for archival-quality paper, mats and frames, expect to pay more. At the higher end of collecting, Sotheby's offers some photographs beginning at $3,000.

In addition to the photographer, how the photograph was printed also matters. Much of the art in photography comes not from capturing the image but from the way it was printed. Whether the photographer printed it, when it was made and with what sort of equipment all matter.
Whatever the collector's price range or interest, the Bay Area is a good place to hunt.

"We're finding that San Francisco is a hot photo town, second in the country to New York,'' Mahoney says. That is, in part, because black-and-white photography is in the Bay Area's blood. Images of Yosemite captured by Ansel Adams are some of the most prized among collectors. Many of Imogen Cunningham's sometimes whimsical and achingly honest images, including her self portraits and urban shots, were made in the Bay Area.

A Brisk Market
It doesn't hurt, either, that the economy is hot.

"There are a lot of people with burning pockets right now -- a lot of money is coming in our doors,'' says Michael Shapiro, owner of Shapiro Gallery on Market Street in San Francisco and one of a handful of Bay Area dealers who handle black-and-white photography almost exclusively.

`The story is the same at the Fraenkel Gallery on Geary Street in San Francisco, one of the nation's premier resources for 19th and 20th century black-and-white photography.

"It seems like we have an awful lot of young people coming into the gallery who know nothing about photography but are anxious to start a collection,'' says Lizanne Suter, associate director at Fraenkel. "And they have the money to buy things.''

But just having the money to buy black-and-white photography doesn't mean you should jump into the deep end, scouring galleries for a Carleton E. Watkins or Diane Arbus print. First of all, you might be hard pressed to find significant vintage work.

"It used to be a real challenge to find clients. Now it's a challenge to find work,'' Shapiro says. "When I get a special work, it's not a question of if I will sell it but to whom I will sell it.''

Buy What You Love
Although the price of exceptional vintage black-and-white photography can reach six figures, buying it should not be about money, dealers and collectors agree. It should be about loving an image. If you find something you like for $25, go for it. You will likely be happier than if you bought an expensive investment piece that you didn't like as much. And many galleries will allow buyers to buy pieces on a payment plan.

"The biggest mistake is buying something for investment that you really haven't considered whether you like or not,'' Shapiro says. "There are loads of things in the gallery that I love, but what do I want to live with?''

That's why it can make sense for people to check out open studio tours, flea markets or art festivals in search of an image they love rather than a name they know. This weekend, for example, photographers will be among the hundreds of artists displaying work at the Sausalito Art Festival (415-331-3757). And Sept. 16-17, the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival will host photographers among the 130 juried artists on hand (415-381-8090).

Dealers and collectors advise reading books and looking at lots of images in galleries, exhibitions -- even coffeehouses and bars in neighborhoods like the South of Market and the Mission areas of San Francisco, where beginning photographers try to make names for themselves. Some Berkeley and Albany cafes and coffee shops also display black-and-white photographs, and flea markets in Oakland can be a source for some bargain finds, East Bay photography buffs say.

The gallery at Photolab on Fifth Street in Berkeley will be dedicated to nothing but black-and-white photography for 2001, owner Andrea McLaughlin says. And several photographers in Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco and elsewhere often host open studios. Watch listings in The Chronicle.

Ultimately, look for an image you love. Shapiro and Locke started that way.

"The first photograph I purchased I acquired because it was something I wanted to look at,'' Locke says. Her collection encompasses a range or vintage, modern and sometimes seemingly disparate subjects. Some images convey a sense of beauty; some, a sense of humor; and others have historical significance. And that's exactly why she loves black-and-white photography.

"The variety you can achieve, whether nature, figurative, historical or academic, is just boundless,'' she says.

For Shapiro, buying black-and-white photography boils down to three questions: Do you absolutely love it, can you absolutely afford it, and do you trust your dealer? (See "Hints for Buying'' on this page.)

"The first experience should be a really good-feeling one,'' he says. "I don't think you should shock yourself.''

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HINTS FOR BUYING
Consider these tips before you head out to buy black-and-white photography from a dealer or gallery:

• Shop around. Go to a variety of galleries and shows. Get a feeling for both the work and the personnel at the gallery before you commit. A buyer should get to know a dealer through repeated visits and discussions.

• Do your homework. Looking at a variety of work in a variety of settings will help train your eye and teach you the questions to ask. Also, a good gallery will have a list of recommended books on black-and-white photography. Call to find out which titles it recommends.

• Go slowly. Don't succumb to spur-of-the-moment shopping or high-pressure tactics. "Take your time and look at a lot of work. Start to think about what you like and why,'' suggests Lizanne Suter, associate director of Jeff Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco. Another dealer likens buying photography to snowboarding: "You shouldn't jump on a really fast snowboard at the top of a hill the first time you try it just because it looks cool or someone is egging you on. You need to start slow and build a relationship with a dealer,'' says Michael Shapiro of San Francisco's Shapiro Gallery.

• Trust your instincts. Buying art is very personal, and working with a dealer or gallery owner is much like building a personal relationship. Questions should be answered with frankness. The dealer should be able to tell you who made the photograph and back up the claim with documentation. You should never feel pressured or unsure. If you do, go somewhere else.