Entering print competitions provides an excellent way for photographers to earn recognition for their work. It can also help you expand your knowledge, confidence, and skills.

To further boost the benefits of entering and winning print competitions, LexJet has created the Sunset Award.  The first award was presented last to Jeff Dachowski for the image he entered the print competition conduced the Professional Photographers Association of New England.

LexJet will be presenting the next Sunset Award for the Best Color Image entered in the annual print competition conducted by the Professional Photographers’ Association of Pennsylvania. The competition will be held in conjunction with the group’s 73^rd Annual Convention and Trade Show April 11-13, 2010 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA.

In addition to the Sunset Award trophy, the winner will receive a $100 gift certificate that can be used to purchase any of the products included in LexJet’s Sunset portfolio of inkjet materials for professional photographic printing and fine-art reproduction.

An additional $500 gift certificate will be presented if the winning photographer purchased materials from LexJet in the past 12 months or used LexJet Sunset media to create the award-winning print.

The winner will be selected by the print-competition judging panel. Entries must meet all of the PPA of PA’s print-competition submission requirements and score at least 80 out of a possible 100 points in the PPA of PA’s print competition. For full details about the competition and how to enter, click here.

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After 40 years of success shooting corporate and advertising photography, Joe Baraban has submerged himself in the world of contemporary art photography. For the past two years, he has traveled throughout Texas documenting old windows. “I photograph the windows as they exist today, and use virtually no help from Photoshop,” says Baraban.

Following a one-man show of his Windows series in Houston and Austin, TX, his work is now represented by the Bering & James gallery in Houston.

©Joe Baraban

When the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston recently added three of the images from the Windows series to their permanent photography collection, Baraban crafted the prints himself, using LexJet Sunset Photo eSatin 300g photo paper on the Epson Stylus Pro 7880 he had previously bought from LexJet.

LexJet Sunset Photo eSatin has the same finish as the luster photo paper he had been using for his everyday work, but feels more substantial. That’s because it is 11 mils thick and weighs 300 gsm, compared to 10-mil, 250-gsm paper he had been using. On a spec sheet, these may not seem like big differences, but most photographers and print buyers can immediately sense that Sunset Photo eSatin is something special.

According to Baraban, the extra thickness makes big prints easier to handle and exhibition prints less susceptible to dings and creases.  He points out that “No one is likely to pay hundreds of dollars for a print with visible dings.” He recalls having to reprint one exhibition print that had been sold because it got damaged on the way to the frame shop.

Baraban has started using the paper in his everyday work and gladly recommends LexJet Sunset Photo eSatin Paper to the many other photographers he meets at camera clubs, exhibitions, or in the many workshops he has taught in Maine, Santa Fe, California, Canada, Florida, and Texas. Joe is also an instructor in the online Picture Perfect School of Photography.

In fact, it was Baraban’s active involvement in the photography community that led to his images being accepted into the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. As an accomplished commercial photographer who had won dozens of awards during his long career, Baraban had been invited to judge the spring exhibition of the Woodlands Photography Club in Woodlands, TX. One of the fellow judges was Natalie Zelt the assistant curator of the photography collection at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.  After he showed her his Windows series, Zelt called them to the attention of the museum’s internationally known photography curator Anne Tucker, who selected three of the images for the permanent collection.

©Joe Baraban

“I started my series of windows quite by accident,” explains Baraban. On a road trip to Nashville, he decided to take some extra time photographing the countryside. As he was leaving small town in Mississippi, he noticed an old deserted building with an interesting front door.

“Halfway through my setup, I became bored with the light since the door was in shadow,” says Baraban. “So I walked around to the side of the building where I saw several old and interesting windows that were in bright sunlight. I settled on one particular window, and even though it had weathered poorly through the years, there was something almost mystical about it. Father Time, aided by the elements, had transformed the windows and the surrounding brick walls into a cacophony of colors, shapes, and textures. The contrast, from the bright sunny day, had rendered the various hues to the point of being surreal and exaggerated.” 

The effect was so amazing that he didn’t feel it necessary look for a unique angle or height from which to take the shot: “Something was telling me not to distort the integrity of these amazing windows.”

Now as he goes “window shopping” throughout the state of Texas, he tries to imagine what the windows he photographs would tell him if they could speak.

“Most of the structures have long since been abandoned, and I can only wonder who the last person was to look out this particular window, and what they might have seen and thought before they left for good.”

To see more images from Baraban’s Windows collections visit his website: www.joebaraban.com.

For more information about LexJet Sunset Photo eSatin, visit LexJet’s website, or call an account specialist at 800-453-9538.

©Joe Baraban

Filed under: Art and Photo Exhibitions, Fine Art Photography, Inkjet Media, Inkjet Photo Paper, Uncategorized | No Comments »

At LexJet, we enjoy learning about the many creative ways experienced portrait photographers are continuing to distinguish themselves from others. 

For example, families who want heirloom-quality fine-art portraits and paintings that will withstand the test of time should check out the artistry of Sam Gray. Working from his home/studio on a six-acre heavily wooded site in Raleigh, NC, he specializes in producing wall-size portraits that will blend with any décor. Although he does incorporate fun and trendy images in his shoots, his primary goal is to produce timeless, classic portraits that families can proudly display for generations.

Clients can buy either a hand-painted or photographic portrait, a digitally painted photograph, or a mixed-media portrait in which the surface of the print is embellished with brush strokes, chalks, or pastels. As a painter and photographer, Gray sells his work at a range of price points. As he points out: “You never know what each client will want. Everyone has different tastes and budgets.”

Portrait ©Sam Gray

Because his work is so distinctive, Gray has built a loyal base of customers that includes upscale clients from all over the Carolinas and beyond. Sam Gray Portraits have appeared in numerous magazines ranging from Veranda, Victoria, Southern Accents, Southern Living and North Carolina Design to the North Carolina Medical Journal. Exhibitions of his work have been displayed in several malls and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. His website gets hits from 101 countries.

He has devoted four decades of his life to photography, successfully transitioning from film to digital photography in the late ‘90s. As more and more of his upscale clients started buying the same type of digital cameras that he uses, he realized he needed to take the aesthetic qualities of his work to new heights.   

The creative and artistic side of the profession had always appealed to him, so he decided to pursue his passion for art: “I visited art galleries and museums, collected art books, and attended art seminars and workshops.” Some seminars were taught by digital artists such as Helen Yancey, Janet Conner-Ziser, and Jeremy Sutton; others were taught by traditional painters.

He was inspired by studying the works of Monet, Manet, Renoir, Sargent, Pissaro, Seurat, Sisley, van Gogh, Degas, Cassatt, Pino, and Royo. He examined the brushwork, style, and mood of their masterpieces to find elements he could apply to his own artistic endeavors. Now, when he’s not capturing portraits, he’s creating a collection of original paintings that he sells through galleries in addition to the one in his studio.

Timeless Reflections. Painting ©Sam Gray

Like many of LexJet’s customers, Sam Gray understands the quality-control advantages of being able to print his images himself. To produce prints that will last for generations, his uses a 17-in. Epson Stylus Pro 4800 printer and 44-in. Epson 9800 printer with UltraChrome K3 inks.

Gray prints most of his wall portraits on LexJet Sunset Select Canvas. But for some projects, he uses Sunset Cold Press Textured fine-art paper, as well as papers from Epson, Innova, and Hahnemuhle.

Self Portrait. Painting ©Sam Gray

“I’ve learned so much more by printing my portraits myself. Working with colors has also made me a better artist,” Gray says.

Another way Gray distinguishes himself is by winning high marks in print competitions. After he took an 11-year hiatus and focused on acquired new art skills, he was awarded the PPA Photographer of the Year, Diamond level in 2008 and 2009. This year, three of the four prints he entered into competition were accepted into the PPA’s prestigious Loan Collection, which earned him the Photographer of the Year, Platinum level. In 2009, Sam Gray became a Fellow in the American Society of Photographers (ASP).

In his application thesis, he recounted the many challenges he has overcome during his 40 years in the business. Because of the wonderful places he visits and people he meets, Gray says he is as excited about photography today as he was 40 years ago: “I cannot imagine a more rewarding pursuit.”

To see more of his exceptionally beautiful work go to www.samgrayportraits.com.   

Sam Gray was also featured in the Artist Spotlight section of LexJet’s In Focus newsletter.

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The technical-support team at LexJet has helped thousands of photographers and digital-imaging professionals learn how to use monitor calibration, soft-proofing, and output profiles to get the desired results from their wide-format inkjet photo printers without wasting time, ink, and material making multiple test prints. And we can certainly help you too!

But if you’re brand new to the world of color-managed workflows for digital photography, you might want visit XRitePhoto.com.  

In this robust and interactive learning site specifically for photographers, you can find answers to almost any type of color-management question you might have. The site provides “Need to Know” documents, Tips and Tricks, How-To Videos, and Webinars that can help you get the best possible color quality from the time you take the shot until the time you print or display your images.  

For example, in a free, hour-long webinar entitled “Beyond Monitor Calibration,” you can see how easy it can be to have your printed images match your display every time.  In the “Tips and Tricks” section, you can find answers to frequently asked questions related to monitors, printers, scanners, cameras, and projectors. This section also talks about creating and using ICC profiles for each of these devices and discusses troubleshooting and diagnostics.

You can download a PDFversion of X-Rite’s Complete Guide to Color Management booklet or access “Need to Know” documents that explain how to optimize your monitor, Photoshop workflow, printers, and viewing conditions.

“We created XritePhoto.com as a true community resource where every photographer can access all things color,” states X-Rite’s Strategic Marketing Director Lynn Quinlisk. “Visitors can participate in our blog, test their color vision, sign up for a webinar, access our color experts, view educational videos, learn from our Coloratti pro community, or entering ongoing contests.”

LexJet is a reseller of many of the X-Rite color-measurement tools you will see featured on the XritePhoto site. So if you have specific questions you would like to discuss with a real live person, give us a call at 800-453-9538!  We are always happy to help you!

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Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), in association with American Photo and Destination Weddings and Honeymoons magazines, announces the “2010 Look of Love” wedding photography contest. From now until April 5, 2010, wedding photographers can enter their best wedding photos online at www.weddingphotographycontest.com.

You may enter as many photos as you want, at a cost of $25 per entry. Each photo is considered a single entry.

“Being a part of this very special wedding photography contest and promoting it to not only our WPPI members and convention and trade show attendees but wedding photographers across the United States is something we are happy to do,” said George Varanakis, WPPI’s Group Publisher and Executive Vice President.

Winners will be selected by a panel of distinguished professional wedding photographers and magazine editors and will be published in the July/August 2010 issues of American Photo and Destination Weddings & Honeymoons.

Ten winners will be chosen from the submissions, one winner per contest category . Contest categories include:

• Getting Ready
• Ceremony
• Couples Portrait
• Reception
• Send-Off
• Details
• Best Use of Locale
• Best Use of Local Color
• Day After
• Trash the Dress.

 Two grand prize winners will be selected from among the 10 winners of each category.

The Grand Prize includes a trip for two to The Cancun Palace Resort in Mexico, a Lensbaby Composer lens with Fisheye and Soft Focus optics, a Kubota Super Studio Pak from Kubota Image Tools, and a BODA V3 Lens Bag.

All winners will receive free registration to the  2011 WPPI Convention and Trade Show, one-year subscriptions to American Photo and Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, the Complete Collection of image enhancing software plug-ins from Nik Software, Jim Garner’s Educational DVD Vol. 1, Bambi Cantrell’s Educational DVDs and the Doug Gordon DVD Collection.

 Complete contest information can be found at www.weddingphotographycontest.com

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Two products in LexJet’s Sunset portfolio of materials for professional-quality fine-art and photographic printing have received 2010 Hot Awards from Professional Photographer Magazine.  The two products chosen as “Hot Ones” in the Inkjet Media category are Sunset Velvet Rag 315g and Sunset Select Matte Canvas.

LexJet’s award-winning products are among 57 Hot Ones chosen from the 260 entries submitted by 122 companies. The awards were selected by 52 independent, practicing professional photographers who were selected for their expertise and knowledge. They made their selections based on overall quality, innovation, design, performance, and value for the price.

“The winners of the 2010 Hot One Awards represent ‘the pro’s choice’ of new photographic products,” says Jeff Kent, Hot One Awards editor for Professional Photographer. “This isn’t some scientific analysis conducted by a bunch of clinicians in lab coats, but a poll of real pros working in the real world. The result is a list of worthy winners that help make professional photography easier, more creative and more efficient.”

Like all products in LexJet’s  Sunset product line, Sunset Velvet Rag and Sunset Select Matte Canvas were designed to deliver superb print quality, particularly with the wide-gamut pigment inksets used in today’s pro-model printers from Epson, Canon, and HP.

Sunset Velvet Rag 315g is a 100% cotton-rag, OBA-free, neutral-white paper with a slightly textured surface that resembles art papers used with traditional etching presses.

Sunset Select Matte Canvas is a water-resistant, poly-cotton blend canvas with an unsurpassed white point and a pH-neutral, acid-free inkjet coating that allows for greater consistency from print to print. An improved version of this popular canvas was introduced at the end of 2009, with a coating designed to deliver a greater Dmax and wider color gamut.

“This isn’t the first time Sunset products have received Hot One Awards,” noted product manager Alex Ried. “We are deeply honored every time a panel of professional photographers selects a Sunset product for this prestigious award.”

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 At the WPPI Show March 8-10 in Las Vegas, Canon will unveil three new models of imagePROGRAF printers for the proofing, graphic arts, photography, and fine-art markets. The three models include: the 44-in. imagePROGRAF iPF8300 and the 24-in. imagePROGRAF iPF6350 and iPF6300.

Canon imagePROGRAF ipF6300

New Inkset: Each new printer features Canon’s all new, 12-color LUCIA EX pigment inkset, which increases the achievable color gamut by approximately 20% from the previous imagePROGRAF iPF x100 series. This increase in gamut will enable users of the new printers to reproduce more than 90% of  PANTONE® colors.

 With LUCIA EX ink, photographers will be able to reproduce the finest details in the shadow areas of images and produce more expressive and crisp blacks and ever smoother color gradations than before.

 An innovative polymer structure in the inks results in greater scratch resistance and protection from color fading. It also reduces bronzing and metamerism.

Durable Prints: Wilhelm Imaging Research (WIR), the world’s leading independent image permanence testing laboratory, has been evaluating the new Canon LUCIA EX expanded-gamut, 12-color pigment inks. 

Henry Wilhelm, president of WIR commented, “A review of preliminary data from the still ongoing tests indicates that prints made with LUCIA EX pigment inks and select photo and fine art papers will achieve WIR Display Permanence Ratings in excess of 75 years for color images and well beyond 200 years for black-and-white images.  In addition, LUCIA EX pigment inks exhibit excellent short-term color drift (“dry-down”) behavior, which is critically important for color-managed workflows and in proofing applications.  The new LUCIA EX inks also achieved WIR’s highest rating for resistance to damage from atmospheric ozone, a particular concern in urban environments in situations where prints might be displayed unframed and exposed to ambient indoor air.”

New Media Configuration Tool: Because so many photographers have different preferences in inkjet media and may want to use non-traditional substrates to further improve the versatility of their printers, Canon has developed a new Media Configuration Tool. It allows customers to not only utilize Canon media, but also gives users of LexJet materials and other third-party media the ability to add and make adjustments to paper settings and enhance the precision and quality of the output.

Workflow: To expand print options and improve proofing capabilities, the iPF8300, iPF6350 and iPF6300 come bundled with a new Print Plug-In for Photoshop®, Digital Photo Professional and support for Adobe Color Management Module, enabling features such as Black Point Compensation.  Through the Photoshop Plug-In, each new model allows 16-bit RGB images edited in Photoshop to be sent directly to the imagePROGRAF printers, preserving smooth and high gradation.

 Brian Hampton, an award-winning nature photographer, had the opportunity to print with a Canon imagePROGRAF for the first time. He states, “The quality of the print is amazing.  I was particularly impressed by the iPF8300’s ability to reproduce shadow details in a way that exceeds anything I’ve seen previously on the market. It’s quite a step above the competition.”

Hampton also noted the built-in workflow solutions and commented, “The ability to export out of Photoshop via the plug-in is outstanding. Many of its capabilities perform as well as an RIP program without the additional cost

 Built-In Hard Drive for High-Volume Jobs and Reprints: To support high-volume printing and streamline workflows, the Canon iPF8300 and iPF6350 come equipped with an 80 GB high-capacity hard disk drive (HDD) that allows for faster spooling of large files as well as the ability to reprint jobs directly from the printer. To ensure the highest level of productivity and reduce overall print time, all new models are also equipped with a standard gigabit Ethernet network interface and an automatic dual-blade cutter.

Precision Technology: To fully capitalize on the dynamic color range of the new LUCIA EX ink set, each new imagePROGRAF model employs two advanced one-inch print heads, each featuring 2,560 nozzles per color and outputting a super fine four picoliter (pl) droplet at a full 2400×1200 dots-per-inch resolution (dpi) to reproduce details with extraordinary accuracy and clarity. 

Paired with enhanced plug-ins and new High Precision Printing Modes, these new imagePROGRAF models are designed to provide an extremely high level of quality in photographic and proofing prints.

The new imagePROGRAF iPF8300, iPF6350 and iPF6300 are compliant with U.S. ENERGY STAR energy-saving standards and RoHS compliance standards

The imagePROGRAF iPF8300/6350/6300 will start shipping in March for a manufacturers’ suggested retail price of $5,995, $3,995 and $3,695, respectively.

If you won’t be able to attend WPPI and see these exciting new printers yourself, we’ll be providing more details about some of the best  features of the new printers in future posts on Studio LexJet and in LexJet In Focus newsletter.

Filed under: Inkjet Photo Printing | No Comments »

Filed under: Art and Photo Exhibitions, Inkjet Print Protection | No Comments »

Whether you shoot weddings, portraits, sports, products, or landscapes, it’s becoming clear that the new, hybrid VDSLR cameras are going to profoundly affect what clients will expect when they hire a professional photographer. (Why hire two separate professionals to shoot stills and video, when one qualified professional can deliver both?)

 You can learn more about how to integrate HD video into your business during two platform classes at WPPI 2010, which runs from March 4 to 11 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

On Tuesday, March 9, LexJet is co-sponsoring a two-hour Platform Class entitled Digital Cinema. During this class, celebrity wedding and portrait photographers Charles and Jennifer Maring will explain why hybrid cameras that capture both photographic stills and HD video offer limitless potential for creative expression. The Marings will explain how to expand your horizons by creating products for delivery in print, books, the big screen, the Web, and mobile.  They will share insights into how new technologies are raising the bar, redefining what it means to be a visual artist, and creating opportunities that can affect your studio’s public relations and bottom line.

On Monday, March 8, Canon Explorer of Light Bruce Dorn will talk about The Moving Portrait: HD Video for Still Photographers. Dorn will talk about how portrait photographers can capture both still photographs and HD video in a single session, all while using a familiar camera system. He will share tips, tools, and techniques, for exploring this emerging trend and explain why still shooters shouldn’t be intimidated by this unfamiliar workflow. Dorn is a member of the Directors Guild of America and brings 25 years of Hollywood experience to the table.

These are just two of the more than 50 platform classes available to photographers who register for the full conference.

Business Institute: If you’re just starting out in the photography business, or need to get re-energized, consider attending the Business Institute. The program kicks off Friday evening, March 5 with an inspiring session by Sandy Puc and Mitche Graf on “Life Without Boundaries: The Rebirth of Passion.” The Institute runs from 8:00 am to 7 pm on Saturday, March 6, with four presentations by successful photographers and a panel discussion and Q&A session with all of the speakers. The four sessions on Saturday include:

• Bankable Branding by Jennifer Gilman
• The New Renaissance: Connect, Revise and Grow on the Web by Matt Hill
• How to Master the Art of Selling Portrait and Wedding Photography by Michael Warshall
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Photographers by Michael Costa

The Business Institute is offered for a standalone price of $99 or can be purchased as an add-on to a full convention registration.

“For professional photographers looking to thrive in today’s competitive business environment, WPPI is the place for them to learn all they can to succeed,” said George Varanakis, WPPI’s Group Publisher and Executive Vice President. “Photographers who attend WPPI’s educational sessions and programs are sure to leave with an adrenaline rush that will help them put all the good ideas they learn at WPPI to use immediately in their own businesses.”

The trade show held in conjunction with WPPI will be open March 8, 9, and 10 and will feature hundreds of exhibitors and new products.

WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) is an organization that serves the educational and business needs of wedding and portrait photographers. For full details about the WPPI Conference and Show visit: www.wppionline.com

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Collecting action figures is a popular hobby, as evidenced by the tens of thousands of action-figure-related auctions that can be found on e-Bay. Once a collector acquires a rare or vintage action figure, he will want to find a meaningful way to display it. 

The images for the display backgrounds are printed on TOUGHcoat Water-Resistant Self-Adhesive Polypropylene and adhered to a rigid plastic.

That’s why LexJet customer Joe Harris has launched a new website, D&J Toys, through which he sells a selection of backgrounds in two sizes.  The smaller version features an 8 x 10-in.  photographic image as the backdrop with a 5 x 10 in. floor, imaged with a complementary texture (e.g. desert sand, grass, water, snow). The larger display, which can showcase multiple action figures, is 10 x 25 in. with an 8 x 25 in. floor. Customers can also submit their own designs for larger, more elaborate displays that include walls, roofs, or other features.

Joe Harris understands the desire for professional-looking custom displays, because he has been collecting G.I. Joe action figures since 1982. The first display he produced was an affordable reproduction Cobra Base for G.I. Joe.

“These were originally offered as a Sears exclusive in 1982 on cardboard. But the cardboard didn’t hold up very well over the years, so the price of an original can be well over $1,000.” Because not many people are willing to pay that much, Harris came up with a way to remake the Cobra Base with more durable plastic.  The reproduction Cobra Base was a hit, so he branched out and started selling other types of display backgrounds. 

In his day job, Harris is a screen printer, so he is accustomed to figuring out how to print images in small quantities on materials other than paper. Shortly after he bought an HP Designjet wide-format printer for his screen-printing business, he recognized that it might also be useful in helping him fabricate the reproduction Cobra Base.

“I found LexJet after searching the Web for a source of materials for the Designjet,” notes Harris.  He has since found that LexJet TOUGHcoat™ Water-Resistant Self-Adhesive Polypropylene is ideal for the requirements of his displays: “It’s a great product that produces a really nice, vivid image that holds up very well!”  The printed polypropylene adheres well to the lightweight, rigid plastic he uses to fabricate the displays.  

Harris says “I am always looking for new ways to make use of my large-format printer,” noting that he has many other print-related ideas he could pursue if time permits.

For now, he is pleased by how quickly word has spread about his new line of display backgrounds. Other than making a few posts on forums read by collectors, he hasn’t really done any advertising. To check out the full line of display backgrounds offered by D&J Toys, visit: www.djtoys.muchtobuy.com/

“More and more people are starting to use inkjet prints in very unique ways, ” notes Kara Work, the LexJet account specialist who worked with Harris. “At LexJet, we are happy to recommend the right material for whatever product you might have in mind.”
You can talk to a LexJet account specialist by calling 800-453-9538.

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