Prints That Win: Misty Morning

Last November, photographers Kathryn and Gary Meek were vacationing in China, when one misty morning, they spied a junk boat moored to just a little wisp of a dock on the Yangtze River. Even though it was at rest, Kathryn Meek said she was struck by the serenity of the scene. She pulled out her camera and started shooting. One of the images she captured would later become “Misty Morning,” winner of the Sunset Print Award – Illustrative category in the PPA Southwest District.

“It is one of my favorite shots. The trip was a cool experience and I was able to get a really cool shot,” she says.

To properly convey the ethereal feeling of the scene for the print, she used LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper. “It really made the image pop,” she said of the award-winning paper.

How Bumblejax Gives Mounted Photos Some Real Pop

When Seattle, Wash.-based Bumblejax wanted to create an ecommerce site that allowed anyone to have access to high-end, modern face-mounted photo displays, they tested out several different photo papers before settling on the winning product.

“The thing about acrylic face-mounting is that not all papers work well with it,” says Tate Dwinnell, who runs Bumblejax with his brother, Corey. “Sometimes the texture in the paper causes ‘silvering.'”

About five years ago, they came across the award-winning LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper, and they were sold.

“After testing several metallic papers, we’ve found that the LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper offers up the best luminescence and dimensionality,” says Corey Dwinnell. “In other words, this paper really makes your images pop!”

While the metallic paper did its job with photo reproduction, adding the acrylic took their finished products to the next level. Bumblejax creates mounted imagery that’s anywhere from 6×6-inch squares to 96×48-inch panoramas. Projects range from corporate jobs and photo shows to decoration for offices and homes.

“We really see an incredible ‘pop’ from the Sunset Metallic Paper when it is face-mounted to acrylic, especially in a gallery setting with proper lighting,” Corey says.

With the right lighting, the artwork almost has a backlit effect. Bumblejax uses CrystalClear Permanent Adhesive to adhere the print to either 1/8-inch, 1/4-inch, 1/2-inch or 1-inch acrylic, which can give the finished piece an almost 3D appearance.

“It’s a more modern aesthetic,” Tate says. “It’s frameless and floats from the wall, so you don’t see any hardware. It’s a real sleek, high-end modern look.”

Take a look a the gallery below to see Bumblejax’s work: