The setting for this Sunset Print Award winner at the Intermountain Professional Photographers competition last month is quite stunning, but it’s the photographer’s rendering of the scenery with the bride and groom that makes this one a winner.
The photographer, Todd Hicken, owner of Impact Photography in Heber City, Utah, wasn’t shooting with the competition in mind, but he knew he had something worthy when he captured the image.
“I shoot tethered so I was able to see how the light was and the overall composition. I have a laptop there with me so I can crop it and see the composition I want while I’m shooting. I knew it would be a nice landscape and I cropped it long and skinny for perspective,” says Hicken.
To give it that little extra boost, Hicken printed the image for competition on Sunset Photo Metallic Paper with his Epson Stylus Pro 11880.
“The Sunset Metallic is pretty darn close to what you can get from a darkroom print on metallic paper, and gives it a little more pop for competition,” says Hicken.
The Epson 11880 is a big printer; 64 inches wide, to be exact. Hicken says that the combination of a Hasselblad with a Phase One digital back makes it easier to sell the big prints he can produce on the Epson.
“We do a lot of big prints. Two days ago I printed a 30″ x 60″ and a 30″ x 52” with it for large family portraits. I mainly photograph families and children and an occasional wedding,” says Hicken. “This bride-and-groom image was part of a high-end photography package that was one of only two weddings I shot last year.”
Since Hicken printed on a Sunset paper, he received an iPad Mini, in addition to a Sunset Print Award trophy and pin and a gift certificate. He is also automatically entered into the Sunset Print Award national competition.
In order to be entered into the national competition, you must win a Sunset Print Award at one of the competitions where it’s being presented. To find out more, and which competitions will present a Sunset Print Award, go to www.sunsetprint.com/sunset-print-award. Congratulations, Todd!