We are living in the golden age of fine art papers, with literally hundreds of wonderful choices. A lot of the product reviews are by shills that the manufacturer hires. It was just an idea that when I can I try to run 1 print a day to not only motivate myself but to motivate others. I grew up exposed to skateboarding and underground hip-hop at the time which had an immense everlasting impact on my outlook and approach in life. They over-HDR images to gain followers. Skip if behind glass. Moab Master, Les Picker, demonstrates how to use Moab Desert Varnish to protect your inkjet prints from scuffing, scratches and fingerprints. But, having been raised to appreciate fine art prints, I was delighted by how quickly digital printing evolved. The incredible power to create tangible art is achievable through a good monitor, in combination with an excellent printers and brilliant paper. If your work is not up to par in camera, it will look horrible on paper. Moab Master, Michael Soluri, follows the 13-year journey of NASAs New Horizons probe of Ultima Thule mission. However, weve heard of situations where photographers have intentionally sprayed their glossy prints to achieve the level of glossiness they prefer. In effect spraying a very glossy print turns it into a semi-gloss print at best. But with this offer I had the ability to work for someone and part of that job incorporated the ability to learn photography for their productions. Museum Rag has a gorgeous, sensuous texture that is a delight for the senses. "My favorite paper to use when bringing my photos to life is the Juniper Baryta Rag paper. Both sprays have an expected effect on glossy papers, although the Moab Desert Spray result may still be acceptable while Brand X renders the print unusable. In our own studio we typically spray two coats of Desert Spray on our matte prints, unless they will soon be framed behind UV glass. I remember strolling through those galleries, mesmerized by the magic of the printed art. I grew up in New York City, where my father was a highly regarded amateur photographer. "I printed this image on juniper which has tremendous color latitude and brought out the color exactly the way I had seen." What's next we should be looking forward to? Now a days I print my work to have a better understanding of what I am doing. Moab Technical Specialist, Evan Parker, guides us through each step of the printing process. Why is it important for you to print your work? ", IG: @SteveSweatpants| Street Dreams:streetdreamsmag.co, "At an early age I had a desire to be a painter. Aside from comprehension of the photos I make I also believe printing the photos you like is essential for archiving. The images are foundations for the imagination to build stories upon. For fine art/exhibition prints and print competitions we always use the Entrada Rag Bright 300 because of its superb color handling and sharpness. While in the field you start to imagine what the image will look like in print. In the past, the only yardstick we could use to measure an artists work was through the print. While the Juniper Baryta Rag offers an amazing texture and sharpness for almost every scenario, the Slickrock papers work just phenomenal for my night-time photographs and add a unique look and feel to them. When people ask what type of photography do you do I just reply all of it. His work celebrates the extreme latitudes of the Polar environment. Okay, so why not just use a lab? I know that sounds a bit esoteric, but thats the point. Download the printing process notes here. First, obsessively dust the print. Wear a respirator and spray in a well ventilated area. The texture it gives with the weight demonstrate its amazing quality as an fine art archival paper. Call it the Zen of Photography or whatever you will, but dont knock it until you have experienced it yourself. Stay the recommended distance from the print, move your arm steadily across the print surface without bending your wrist. The photographs depict two iconic women who developed a deep understanding of the power of vision and gaze. Working an image to print, especially in black and white, makes you appreciate tonality. Its important to understand that while weve tested several different brands, we have not tested all, so we cant categorically say that a certain price range or list of ingredients is better than others. Matte paper. Moab Desert Spray does an excellent job on the matte paper, preserving the blacks very well. It's necessary that each print stands alone as a piece of art, and it's because of Entrada's weight and feel that my portfolio stands out from the rest. The digital age has made printing even more important. Oh, if the picture jumps out at me, I know that I like it. Really? I would not exhibit my work on any other paper. Blacks are preserved but, as expected, there is a very slight dulling effect on the semi-gloss coating. Matte paper. We used available test prints that we keep for research purposes). ", "All of my Fine Art Photographs are printed on Moab Somerset Museum Rag. Tagged: Les Picker, Power of Print, Printing, Moab Master. You can see the effect close-up in the B&W description below. As long as they enjoy what they do and what photography does for them, thats fine, no matter where their workflow ends. Check out these presentations and workshops happening in our booth during Photoplus. A control set was left unsprayed. Looking at your photos in physical form will teach you so much more as well as improve your photography, the way you see things and the ability to curate a gallery show or a book. Did you know that the average length of time a person spends scanning an Internet image is 2.3 seconds? Joshua Holko, born in Melbourne, Australia, is a full-time professional landscape, nature and wildlife photographer. In fact, we have several upcoming projects that will be printed exclusively on these unique products.". Photographs with subtle essential details in shadows, in highlights, bringing to life the moments I see in person, gently toned on a screen, bringing into the world all its uniqueness of the physical. It should become second nature. "The biggest power of printing your work is the ability to self audit. Learn how John Stanmeyer chooses which of his photos are printed: When in studio, which is where all the printing magic occurs, the decision on which image is never direct or simple. Tagged: printing, John Stanmeyer, power of print, moab paper, moab master, make it with moab. There are more than a billion people out there who consider themselves photographers. Simple first. Of course there are other wonderful paper manufacturers out there. ", "Somerset Enhanced Velvetis my absolute favorite paper. High gloss paper. The photographer wasnt world renowned, but the photos meant the world to me. This webinar covers image prep, print setup, and printing your message on the inside of the card. I print because that is really the culmination of my artistic vision. What are you doing now with it? Allow print to dry. The way it enhances the ink and captures my vision is simply unmatched. How John Stanmeyer Chooses Which Images To Print, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMNnEEEacCg&t=2s, Joshua Holko, 2019 AIPP Epson Victorian Professional Nature Photographer of the Year, CYBERNOIR: Where the past and future collide, NASA's Farthest-ever Flyby Mission Behind the Scenes Photographs by Michael Soluri, Printing a Professional Photo Portfolio: A Look Inside. Heres a secret that professionals know but dont often talk about. As mentioned above and as you can see from the images, glossy papers suffer from fixative sprays. The weight, the texture the warmth along with the materials used to make it you can feel the quality in it when you pick up a sheet. I wont reveal the name of the Brand X spray, but I assure you it is typical of many others in that category that we tested. All of my fine art photographs are printed on Somerset Museum Rag. John Stanmeyer is a Photojournalist, founding member of the VII Photo agency, contributing photographer to National Geographic Magazine and other major publications around the world. Today we have the Internet. The images taken by Michael Soluri will be printed on Juniper Baryta Rag. Picking a paper comes down to the photograph and which paper will go best with that photo. We can immediately see the effect this spray has on the blacks, reducing the D-Max and trending them toward a noticeable washed-out appearance. My grandfather was a professional photographer. But printing also works in reverse. Spray patterns and particle size varies. The glossiness is eliminated, blacks are muted, and there is a distinct objectionable rough and whitish mottled coating on the print that you can feel when you run a finger over it. The images from six decades in the past deliver a dose of the Hollywood starlet cult and the history of fashion. Laying the two prints side by side we were stunned. The AIPP National and State awards remain two of the few remaining competitions to actually judge the finished print and they do so using a panel of judges all deemed experts in their respective genres and accredited as Masters of Photography through their years of success in this arena. It gives you an educated understanding of subtlety. Fixative sprays do offer a degree of UV protection which is a real plus since UV light can degrade a print rather quickly. In our studio we use Moab Fine Art papers (a division of Legion Papers) and we are sponsored by them. Learn about why Jim LaSala prints his photographs and uses Moab Paper for his fine art prints. "Today, in the digital environment it is not unusual for me to be assigned, shoot, edit, deliver, and be compensated for a project without ever creating something that takes physical form. Obviously we cant reproduce for you all the research we have done over the years. I was born in NY and raised in LA. Youll notice some well-established photographers in the galleries below, as well as photographers on the rise. One coat means spraying horizontally and then vertically, making sure to allow the recommended amount time between coats (usually 4-5 minutes). To this day I remember the magic of seeing an image suddenly appear on a blank sheet of paper as worked under that red light. I would not exhibit my work on any other paper. One of the initial ideas of that got me printing years ago was the fact I couldn't afford the cool art I wanted. This would take a lot of practice. Until I see my image on a fine art paper, I feel it is incomplete. Les is a very successful photographer, photographing for National Geographic publications and many other magazines and newspapers. We are also excited about Slickrockand Moenkopi. The power of print is something we can never take for granted, because it holds more value then just a price tag. Its sentimental. There is nothing at all, in anything that you presently do to advance your photography, that will elevate your art like personally printing your work, whether in the wet darkroom or digitally. There are sprays on the market that do this, but we decided it was better to leave the visible look of the print as-is. I worked in oils and water colors. Moab is proud to be associated with these artists and thank them for trusting Moab with their images. There is another aspect of printing that I feel doesnt get enough attention. That means one day after your print is printed. That is not the case with glossy or semi-gloss papers, as youll see. Are All Print Fixative Sprays Created Equal? Admittedly, this is somewhat of a loaded question and requires some background to answer fully. The reverence with which you hold the final print, by definition will make you a more thoughtful photographer. They post on Instagram and have tens of thousands of followers. If youre a serious artist, that is. Satin/Semi-gloss paper. Having grown up studying magazines such as Thrasher,Slap,Big Brother & Transworld he was shown early on that making photographs could be a self expressive and creative outlet. Different sprays can create very different effects on identical prints. It doesn't take that long and you will thank yourself later. Copyright 2021 - forever, Legion Paper Inc. All rights reserved. I would print, let sit for a day, spray, package up later that day. After spending so much time getting to a perfect print, do you really want to risk it by saving a few dollars? We love the details and luster feel of the Lasal paper. Even if it is technically perfect, nurturing it to a final print is like going from making a baby to actually birthing one (with apologies to all you women out there for this awful and completely inaccurate analogy). Collectors pay boku bucks for such works. I am stunned by how quickly they are able to scan and hit that heart emoji. This idea transcended into my photography. People may see a great photo you made through their phone or computer but giving them a print is so much more impactful. ", "Using Entrada Ragallowed me to look at my work, the line, the tone and gesture of the landscape in a new light. UV glass is more expensive, but it offers more protection from UV rays and is often available with anti-glare properties. Understanding that your final statement of your art will be evidenced on paper will slow down that process and result in far better images in camera. Brand X again deposited a noticeable whitish layer on the print and reduced the contrast in the blacks and shadows, making them muddy and rendering the print unusable. Moab's Somerset Museum Rag and Juniper Baryta Rag help me to realize what I saw through the camera. It is that last 1% that I would like to be sure about. Once your photo is done with whatever your process is print it. As far as upcoming projects I have an aerial exhibit coming up (currently postponed- TBD on a new date) at the Regime Contemporary Gallery in L.A. Aside from that constantly printing, building on my work and planning whats next. My name is Stephen Vanasco. Brands that sell for half the price of reputable brands do so for a reason. It is invisible on the matte paper, with no haze or color cast. The additives in glossy paper are sensitive to the chemicals in the fixative sprays and will lose some of the gloss when sprayed. We printed the same image on Moab Entrada Natural (a matte paper), Juniper Baryta Rag (a satin/semi-gloss paper) and Moab Slickrock Pearl (a super glossy paper). Contrast that with how many minutes someone spends viewing a fine art print. He also took the Highest Scoring Print award for the Nature Category. As you become more attuned to extending your art to the print, you begin to reassess what you choose to capture in camera, how you capture it and, most importantly, why you choose to capture it. Our setup was simple; three rows of three prints. I have written an e-Book on fine art digital printing (available freedue to the generosity of our sponsors, Moab and X-Rite). Tagged: choosing a paper, matte black, photo black. Each paper has wonderful saturation and d-max, and both give me exceptional ways to present my images to their fullest potential. Joshua Holko is a professional landscape, nature and wildlife photographer specializing in the Polar and sub-Polar regions of the globe. Great textures, brilliant colors and neutral black & whites. Heres what you will learn throughout the video: 11:05 Color Management: display profiling, 17:20 Color Management: print (ICC) profiles, 21:15 Color Management: media settings when printing, Tagged: Printing, printing process, inkjet printing. Printing is an extension of your photographic art. We make several hundred fine art prints each year in our studio. Joshua Holko entered twelve prints spread across the Nature, Documentary and Landscape categories. Moab Desert Spray vs Brand X. Understanding the colors and textures involved in the image and how it will translate to which paper you pick. Here too, the selections by each collector are unique, often the unexpected. Collector print requests can vary, whether seen on the pages of National Geographic magazine, on my Instagram page or website. "I've tried a lot of fine art papers but i have to say that the Moab Entrada Ragpapers are by far my favourite surface to print on. There is no need to spray a print that will be framed behind UV glass. Visit Moab Paper, Booth 629, at PHOTOPLUS 2019, October 2426 at the Javits Convention Center, New York, NY. ", "Having printed for years my work in exhibitions at galleries and museums around the world, no other paper renders more beautifully and effortlessly than Moab Lasal Exhibition Luster 300 . It has superseded my favorite darkroom papers. No other paper so beautifully captures all of the colour, detail and subtle tonalities that the natural world has to offer. Black & White paper. Test sprays for every paper you plan to protect, until you find one (or two) you prefer. Now Im able to print my own images and am reunited with the great fine art paper that I used early on,Somerset Enhanced Velvet(190gsm). Drips, runs and spit marks are permanent and will ruin the print. Spraying while the print is laying flat on a table can be disastrous if you get any spitting from the spray nozzle or if your technique is not good. And speaking of viewing Internet images, I frequently watch people spending time on Instagram and liking images. These rainy, neon lit streets are washed in light- watercolor landscapes that subjects move through like film sets. The other bonus factor of printing is the idea of sharing your art whether gifting it to people or selling it. I wouldn't accept anything less to embellish my images.". The only paper that let's me achieve the perfection that I am looking for is Moab's Entrada Rag.". Plus Ive never been a patient person and taking an entire day to generate one measly print did not fit my definition of productivity. So for me, my workflow doesnt end until I see that special image on fine art paper. This event, June 6th 2019, also functions as a photography meetup for golden hour and sunset! Douglas Kirkland is a photographer with a long career in Hollywood, known mainly for shooting renowned stars. Ill set the stage by addressing a follow-up question to Should I spray my prints? That is, Should I spray my glossy prints as well as my matte prints?. Which I feel is reflected in my work since I shoot aerial, street, portraiture, abstract/fine art, etc. I wasn't handed down a camera from someone in my family it was merely through a lucky opportunity. Were often asked by photographers who print whether they should fixative spray their fine art prints and, if so, what spray to use. With an art form as creative as photography is it feels like a shame for one to limit themselves to one subject matter. Make sure to use correct technique when spraying your prints. ", "Entrada Raghas become our go-to paper for everything requiring the subtlety of a matte finish. "I never really feel like I have finished with a photograph until I have made a print." Not that selling prints is easy or should be your main objective with your photography. Moab Master, Joshua Holko explains why printing his photographs is so important. ", Tagged: Joshua Holko, AIPP, aipp natational and state awards, photography, wildlife photography, nature photography, landscape photography. The AIPP (Australian Institute of Professional Photography) Victorian State awards, is a favorite of Moab Master, Joshua Holko, because each category he enters is judged in print, not digitally. This ideology mixed with the mindset and approach to life skateboarding would give him would have a profound impact in his life for years to come. Were excited to celebrate the Chi Shooters Anniversary with your artwork along with sweeping views of 360 Chicago! Start your spray off the print and end it off the print. Knowing how to use your printer and paper is equivalent to knowing how to use your camera with a favorite lens. I love to explore all the papers Moab offers. If youve not downloaded your free copy of the comprehensive guide to fine art printing with Lightroom,get it now! The Finnish Museum of Photography's new exhibition space, named K1, will be opened with an inaugural showcase, featuring two exhibitions in one Coco ChanelandAn Evening with Marilyn from Canadian photographer and Moab Master, Douglas Kirkland(b. Tagged: Desert Varnish Spray, fixative spray, protecting prints. Printers have become so sophisticated and reasonably priced they are marvels of engineering, putting out prints that are a joy to behold. It should be noted that Brand X recommended more than two coats, but when we tried that the negative effects we documented (see below) were more pronounced, so we standardized on two coats. He took first place overall in the Nature category, what he felt was his strongest point. For this test we used a heavy GSM matte paper. We just wanted to address the question of whether all papers should be sprayed. So this is what so many photographers do to get that fleeting attention. As they say, fuggedaboudit! Still, when we handle a printed sheet of Moab Entrada Rag Textured, for example, the tactile sensation itself adds to the artistic experience. Creating a print forces us to scrutinize our art at a level that challenges our perceptions of our own work (and even our self esteem, truth be told). They super-saturate and over-sharpen. Discount the Internet. We then cut the images in half (to save paper). I absolutely love how the paper displays the depth in my images and details in the darker tones. So, for me at least, prints were an organic part of the art of photography. In todays world I believe we have the finest photographic art papers ever made. Pigment inks have a glycol that needs to evaporate 100%, and 99% of it is gone within a few minutes of printing. Tagged: Desert Varnish Spray, protecting prints, fixative spray. We regularly put two or three full coats on our matte paper prints if they will not be displayed behind UV glass. Ingredients and relative percentages of them in the formulation vary. . In this set we compared Brand X spray with the controls. They all have their own look that you see when applying different photos to them when printing. Tagged: Moab Artist Cards, Print your own cards, Printing on moab artist cards, printing cards. Ask people in your photography club or email photographers whose work you admire, whose prints sell and who have excellent reviews from collectors. We sprayed one with Brand X and the other with Moab Desert Spray. I love exploring how to see things. What we can and do recommend is that you try sprays on some test prints and carefully determine for yourself what works. But in my defense, I did not come to fine art printing easily. The process is difficult and oftentimes painful. Download the printing process notes here. Printing your work brings these moments back to life and transforms them into something tangible with incomparabledepth of color and details. Where do you want to go with it? Oftentimes its best to let the artists speak themselves about why they use Moab. And, as an environmentalist, the thought of chucking those chemicals down the drain did not please me. If you follow the path Ill lay out here, I think youll come to a good understanding and a choice that will work for you. If the paper company does not sell a self-branded spray, but recommends a third-party brand, stick to that recommendation. Even semi-gloss/satin papers will be affected. Signal is also one of the most complicated printthere are so many subtitles in the bluish inky evening under moonlight along the Red Sea. ", "For our wedding and portrait photography our two most popular papers are Lasal Exhibition Luster 300 and Entrada Rag Bright 300. But to rise to the level of a true photographic artist, nothing is as helpful and enduring as printing your own work. Here is a quick summary of our findings: Moab Desert Spray projects a very fine, even mist with no spitting. Tagged: power of print, moab master, jim lasala, make it with moab, print life, print, Tagged: jim graham, Les Picker, Jim LaSala, Power Of Print, Make it with Moab, Photography. Try different sprays and try them under different environmental conditions you will experience. The spray is 100% invisible and has no sheen whatsoever. Moab Entrada papers make my images look that much better!! Ansel Adams famously said, The photograph is the score; the print is the performance. Id like to elaborate on that theme for those of you contemplating fine art printing and for experienced printers looking for new perspectives. 1934). Stephen has a passion for printing, for sharing his images in a tangible form rather than swiping through the small digital images on his phone. Museum Rag has a gorgeous, sensuous texture that is a delight for the senses. We did not test for hardness (ability to prevent scratches) nor did we test for cost per print. Needless to say it is very important to have a physical copy of your most beloved photos around. Photography is the beauty of forever freezing a moment in time, yet the fast pace of our digital age often lets usforget why we took a picture in the first place. You will begin to think through your imagery, to pre-visualize the composition and the resultant print, and to slow down. Majority of printing occurs in print sales to clients. Stephen Vanasco was first exposed to photography through the 90s skateboard scene. The glossy coating is gone, blacks are subdued and a nasty white coating covers the print. However, when we showed the sprayed print to professional photographers they did not notice the dulling, until they placed it side-by-side with the control print. I see so many photographers desperately press down on the shutter release at 12 frames per second like their lives depended on it, hoping that one of a thousand shots will work. Adhere to the room temperature recommendations of the manufacturer. Picking a favorite Moab paper is like picking my favorite food - it just cant be done. Now the effects of Brand X are quite apparent. Magazine editors are an exception, but they pay paupers pocket change for that privilege nowadays. In the form or print and truly looking at your work is how one can answerthese questions for themselves and to see their way of making photos evolve. - Stephen Vanasco.
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