The tall, dark and handsome subject of Suzanne Fischer‘s award-winning image, Headin’ Home for Christmas, has been a muse for her in years past. She’s photographed the cowboy, Bob Beebense, while he’s been camping out, riding in a blizzard, standing with his horse and more poses over the past few decades. But it was this quiet moment in the snow, bringing home the tree, that landed Fischer her first-ever 100-point score in the Professional Photographers of America’s Northcentral District in Iowa and the Sunset Print Award, thanks to the pristine snow and sweet storytelling of the shot. “The first prints I entered into a competition were of the same cowboy,” says Fischer, who joined the Professional Photographers of America in the 1980s. “I’ve taken pictures of him and entered him every year.” This particular shot was taken last December outside a cabin near Fischer’s home in Atlantic, Iowa. Fischer set up on a hill just north of the cabin to get the shot. “I like to do shots...

A self-proclaimed “print competition junkie,” Grandville, Mich. photographer Kari Douma is a judge’s dream contestant. “To me, it’s absolutely mesmerizing to hear what the judges have to say and to see all the beautiful images,” she says. “I would go to print competitions and write down every comment they said, what they liked as well as the negative things.”

LexJet is pleased to announce two new products from HP now in stock: HP PVC-free Durable Smooth Wall Paper and HP Premium Poster Paper. These two new latex-compatible products are available in 3-inch cores and offer lots of new application options for your customers.

Gazing at photographer Dennis Hammon‘s image “Safe Harbor,” it’s easy to slip into a daydream of an early morning by the lake, the water still, the ducks circling together … and feel a sense of calm.

Photographer Ben Shirk isn’t afraid of a challenge. In fact, when considering what to shoot for this year’s print competitions, a friend dared him to created an award-winning photograph in-camera, rather than relying on his advanced Photoshop skills for creative editing.

It’s not hard to tell where master photographer Kelly Schulze’s heart resides … she signs off email correspondence with a “Peace, Purrs, and Tail Wags,” and she owns Mountain Dog Photography in Monkton, Vermont. Yes, she loves all things furry or scaly, and has dedicated her business to capturing their personalities in portraits. Case in point: Ivory, the albino rabbit she photographed at the Humane Society of Chittenden County, where she has volunteered her photography skills for several years. Ivory’s red eyes and bright pink skin were shot against a blue background, which Schulze says may have seemed “creepy” to some viewers. At a friend’s suggestion, she changed the image to black-and-white and suddenly had an award winner on her hands. She won the Sunset Print Award at the Vermont Professional Photographers competition for this image, titled Hare Apparent. “I’ve always been into animals, and I started photography as a kid,” she says. “After college, I figured out how to put...

You may not think that an accounting, finance and human resources professional would be inclined to turn out gorgeous photography like the winning image, WaterCourse, pictured at left. But maybe you haven’t met photographer Jamie Steeno yet.

Most people take one look at stormy, rainy skies and wouldn’t think twice about spending the day at the beach. However, photographer, Gareth Rockliffe, begs to differ. He loves stormy days at the beach. In fact, he prefers them.

“Breathtaking” is a fitting description for the image “City by the Sea” by Kathryn Meek, a photographer and winner of the Sunset Print Award at the APPA competition in Arkansas.

One quick way to increase your offerings to customers … and improve your bottom line … is to invest in print finishing equipment. We turned to Michael Clementi, who heads up LexJet’s Experience Center, to give us tips on how and when to expand your business. I want to add finishing services to my business. What are some good equipment investments? Laminator: Adding a laminator to your business will open up new avenues of revenue. You’ll be able to mount prints to metal, board, plexiglass or any rigid substrate that the model of laminator will allow (half-inch to 2-inch thick substrates). You’ll also be able to over-laminate prints for protection and create rollable panels for pop-up booths for tradeshows. Like any new machinery, there is a learning curve, therefore we recommend looking into onsite training from the original equipment manufacturer of whichever brand you choose. It will be worth every minute and every penny to make sure you are comfortable with operating the...