In our Beyond the Lens series, we dive into the stories of award-winning photographers and what fuels their success. A recurring theme? Many have elevated their craft by embracing professional printing! Join us as we explore their inspirations, workflows, and the impact of bringing their images to life in print. These talented artists aren’t just capturing moments- they’re taking full creative control, ensuring their vision is realized with the highest quality and precision.This month, we continue our series featuring Dennis Hammon, a highly experienced and passionate photographer who has dedicated his career to mastering the craft and mentoring others. With decades of industry involvement, he has played a key role in shaping professional standards and fostering education.

Sometimes the key to award-winning photography is not to shoot with a competition in mind. In the case of this Sunset Print Award winner at the recent Twin Cities Professional Photographers Association competition, this image evolved into an award-winner. Rod Oman, who owns The Imagery Photography Gallery with his wife, Stephanie, was working at the Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing as part of a fundraiser for the organization. Oman was joined by other photographers, makeup artists and models as they created scenes focusing on vintage WWII aircraft. “We were shooting the exterior of one of the airplanes, and someone suggested we shoot inside the plane. I shot away with the model, Elizabeth Noir, looked at the images in the camera back and thought it might be cool to work up,” recalls Oman. “It was really a simple shot with natural light, but the post-processing is what makes it different.” Here’s Oman’s original capture before he applied some magic in post-processing. ...