Prints that Win: Temptress

Temptress by Pete Wright

Pete Wright’s photography is all about capturing and producing the tiniest details, from the initial setting all the way through to print. It was Wright’s attention to detail, in addition to his technical expertise, that made Temptress a Sunset Print Award winner at the recent PPA Southeast District competition.

Wright pulled out all the stops for this photo shoot, which he did for a clothier and a jeweler. Both clients gave him free reign to produce images that would make them shine. Wright chose to render the images in his signature style, Film Noir.

“I went to both of my clients and told them what era I was shooting, so they pulled out vintage clothing and jewelry. We had a hair and makeup artist come in and created the look we wanted for the models. Then I went on a hunt for a location and found a music studio that had created a speakeasy bar authentic to the era with the correct lighting and fixtures,” explains Wright. “My lighting style is different because I still shoot in the way they would have shot in the ’20s and ’30s. I don’t use any kind of modern soft boxes. Instead, I use modifiers like Fresnels, Snoots and Barn-Doors that are more appropriate to the era so that the lighting is very dramatic and the shadows very purposeful. And, when you have someone sitting for a photo, they know they can’t move and you pose them exactly the way you want them to so the light falls just right.”

Wright adds that he also rented vintage furniture and appointments, like a crystal decanter from the era, and had the hair and makeup artist and experts from the clothing and jewelry store on hand to make sure everything about the scene was perfectly in place so that he could concentrate on the lighting and capturing the image.

Wright shot the male and female models together and then separately. For Temptress, Wright directed the female model to sit in the chair, pick up the cigar and to “act like she owned the place.” He says it’s important to set the scene for the models so they exude the attitude needed to tell the story the image is meant to portray.

“A lot of the strength of the image was in how it was lit, the confidence in how she was posed and how she came across, and the research that went into finding the right location. As much as I like to take credit for my images, it was a team effort to make sure that all those little things you might overlook are taken care of so you don’t have to worry about it on the back end,” explains Wright. “It was so different than what people are used to seeing. Most of what the judges see at competition is rendered in color. When you don’t miss anything and every decision you make about the shot was thought out the judges notice that.”

Wright adds that the final touch is choosing the right paper to print on, and printing it with master photographer and printer Jeff Bowman. Wright used Sunset Photo eSatin Paper for the final print, and says the paper is especially crucial for his black-and-white prints as it renders true, deep, rich blacks that he can’t get elsewhere.

“Because we do so much black-and-white photography it’s so important for us to use a paper that shows the true black. I see a lot of prints where the blacks are not true black; they’re a little muddy and don’t have the depth and contrast,” says Wright. “Jeff Bowman introduced me to eSatin. I always noticed his images looked so great on that paper. We’ve been printing our competition images together on that paper for six or seven years, and we’ve always had great success. When an image is put under the lights and you use something with a high gloss, it becomes too reflective and almost milky under the lights. If you’re using an art matte paper, especially with black-and-white images, it can come off the printer looking great, but after a few hours, because the ink is still soaking into the fiber of the paper it looks more grey and muted. They’re great for a watercolor or pastel image, but not for the majority of my competition prints.”

Wright adds that another important differentiator for his competition work is that he and Bowman prints it themselves. The ability to control the output, and to re-do the print if necessary, is crucial to his success at competition, he says.

To find out more about the Sunset Print Awardcompetitions where the award is being presented, a portfolio of past winners, and the Sunset inkjet media product line, go to www.sunsetprint.com.

LexJet Updates Popular Sunset Photo Papers

Print picture-perfect images every time with LexJet's next-generation Sunset photo papers. Photo and framed print: Jeff Bowman, Commonwealth Photography, Chester, Va.

LexJet has improved its award-winning Sunset photo paper line to take advantage of the wider color gamuts provided by the latest inkjet printer and ink technologies from Canon, Epson and HP.

Sunset Photo eSatin, Sunset Photo Gloss and Sunset Photo Semi-Matte are also thicker and heavier to make production and handling smoother and easier. Sunset Photo eSatin and Sunset Photo Gloss weigh in at 300g and 11.5 mils thick; Sunset Semi-Matte is 270g and 10.5 mils thick.

“Sunset photo papers have always been a popular choice for discerning professional photographers and print shops who want to deliver prints to their customers that are more substantial and durable than mass-market inkjet papers,” says Alex Ried, LexJet product manager. “Because they’re delivering a print that not only feels like a high-quality product, but produces super color and excellent contrast, Sunset photo papers are a key component of their customer retention and referrals.”

Ried adds that choosing between the three Sunset photo papers for a given project is subjective. “It depends on what you like, how you would prefer to present your images, and most importantly, what your customers like,” he says.

For a beautiful satin finish similar to the E-surface papers used in traditional darkroom printing, Sunset Photo eSatin Paper has been the go-to photo paper for wedding, portrait, outdoor and exhibition photography, as well as high-end display graphics projects. Sunset Photo Semi-Matte has a similar gloss level to eSatin, but with a smoother finish. Sunset Photo Gloss, as the name implies, provides a smooth, high-gloss finish for maximum impact.

“First of all, I love the weight of the Sunset Photo eSatin. Compared to any other paper, it just screams quality, plus the colors are perfectly accurate and the saturation is gorgeous,” says Jeff Bowman of Commonwealth Photography in Chester, Va. “It is superior to lab prints, hands-down. I’ve used it for competitions and have had other photographers come to us for prints because the quality is so good.”

All three of the next-generation Sunset photo papers are available from LexJet’s nationwide network of distribution centers in a variety of sizes, from 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. sheets to 60 in. x 100 ft. rolls.