Prints that Win: The Bike Builder

The Bike Builder by Michael Timmons

Michael and Tina Timmons are Sunset Print Award regulars, in one way or another. Both are past Sunset Print Award-winners for their outstanding photography, but have also printed award-winning images for other photographers across the country.

The Timmons’ most recent Sunset Print Award was earned by Michael at the Professional Photographers of Michigan competition for this slice-of-work image entitled The Bike Builder. It is a stellar example of capturing the essence of the subject and the environment in which that subject works.

The Bike Builder owns Arizona Thunder in Bisbee, Ariz. Michael stumbled upon the motorcycle repair and restoration shop during a road trip in the area following the Imaging USA show in Phoenix this past year.

“Being a motorcycle enthusiast, I noticed a big Harley-Davidson sign outside his shop. We were taking photos in town and stopped in to find out more. I asked him if I could take some photos and he agreed,” Michael recalls. “As soon as I saw the environment I knew I wanted to do something for competition, because of the clutter, the old parts and his character. At the time I got the capture we were having a conversation about his business. I had a tripod set up at the counter, so this scene is what you see from behind the counter when you walk into his shop. He had parts from all different makes, models and years in the shop with two or three bikes he was working on at the time.”

The image you see here is essentially what Michael captured with his Canon 5D Mark II with a 16-35mm lens on a tripod. The lighting is all natural light streaming through the window opposite the subject. The image was then converted in Photoshop with nik Silver Efex Pro 2 to black and white with some minor touchup with Silver Efex.

“When you’re working with someone in their environment, the key is to pull everything together and tell a story inside their everyday workspace. He’s real easygoing and laid back; this is what he does every day, so the story tells itself,” Michael says.

For the presentation at competition, Michael printed The Bike Builder on Sunset Photo eSatin Paper 300g, an inkjet photo paper he uses almost exclusively for competition printing.

“We’ve tested a lot of papers and found that the image quality on Sunset Photo eSatin surpasses other papers we’ve tested. We print competition images for people all over the country and everything that goes out is typically on Sunset Photo eSatin and Sunset Fibre Elite,” Michael explains. “The details, highlights and shadows print a lot better and the white point is a lot higher. We also like the weight and thickness of the paper; it’s easier to handle and it’s a lot more durable than other papers.”

Pro Photographer and Author Chris Orwig Featured in X-Rite Webinars

X-Rite Photo Marketing just announced its schedule of February 2013 Webinars designed to address specific color management topics for both professional and serious amateur photographers and videographers…

Color management webinars
Keith Malloy by Chris Orwig Photography.

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 1 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET, Creating Compelling Photographs with X-Rite Coloratti Chris Orwig: X-Rite and Nik Software team up for this live webinar with celebrated photographer, author and teacher Chris Orwig as he shares some of his photographic insight on how to create more compelling photographs. Chris teaches the importance of ensuring that camera, monitor, projector, and printers are calibrated and profiled to ensure accurate color across the entire workflow using the latest X-Rite i1Display Pro, ColorMunki Photo, and ColorChecker Passport. He will demonstrate how to add dimension, drama, emotion and mood to photographs using Photoshop, Nik Color Efex Pro 4, and Silver Efex Pro 2.

To register for this webinar at 1 p.m. ET, visit:  https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/416245282

To register for this webinar at 3 p.m. ET, visit:  https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/311625138

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET, Professional Monitor Calibration for Still & Video: As more still photographers move into videography with DSLR cameras the need for color management solutions specific to those output environments has become more common. This brief webinar will review how to access and utilize the video presets in i1Profiler software and will briefly look at use of ColorCheckers in the video footage as a visual reference. For those shooting, editing, and preparing video for output this webinar will provide the insight into X-Rite color management solutions that can streamline color control in video. 

To register for this webinar at 11 a.m. ET, visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/888211298  

To register for this webinar at 1 p.m. ET, visit:  https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/802315346

Wednesday, Feb. 20, 11 a.m. ET and 1 p.m. ET, Simply Amazing Color. Take control of your monitor, printer and camera! This webinar will review the individual ColorMunki solutions including software demonstrations and discussions of how each solution is used. This live webinar gives users the opportunity to ask questions and understand each solution in detail so they can make the right decision on what ColorMunki family solution is for them. Attendees will also enjoy special discounts.

To register for this webinar at 11 a.m. ET, visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/502969490

To register for this webinar at 1 p.m. ET, visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/752447826

For more information on all X-Rite Photo webinars visit the Webinar page found under the Learning section on XritePhoto.com. All webinars are also archived for online viewing any time.