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.

This Sunset Print Award-winning photo from the New Hampshire PPA print competition, entitled Firehole River, almost didn’t happen. The photographer, Jeff Dachowski – a former Sunset Print Award winner, decorated photographer and PPA judge – had pneumonia when he captured this scene in Yellowstone National Park at Firehole River.

Michael and Tina Timmons, owners of The Portrait Gallery, Vassar, Mich., have been featured here before for Prints that Win, but for their printing expertise. Sterling photographers in their own right, they also know how to print for competition, and print winners.

A bridge can be a metaphor for many things. For photographers, it’s about bridging the gap from capture to print.

Andrew Jenkins’ The Man in the Mirror has all the elements of award-winning photography: A compelling and unique design that tells a story and draws viewers into the scene, capped by Michael Timmons’ renowned printing expertise. Timmons used Sunset Photo eSatin Paper to print The Man in the Mirror, laminated with LexJet 3 Mil Gloss UV Premium Low Melt laminate. Timmons and his wife Tina own and operate The Portrait Gallery in Vasser, Mich. The Portrait Gallery’s printing has become a mainstay of competitions across the U.S. “Sunset Photo eSatin is our print material of choice for competitions; it’s a stronger, more durable paper and the colors, tones and hues reproduce much better than most other materials,” says Timmons. “The print is mounted to foam board and then laminated with the LexJet gloss laminate to give it more pop at competition. The high gloss laminate really adds a three-dimensional look to the image. It’s completely amazing when it’s all finished.” Obviously,...

Michael Timmons of The Portrait Gallery in Vasser, Mich., gets around. As noted in a yesterday’s post about Duncan MacNab’s award winning image, Timmons printed Duncan MacNab’s award-winning print on LexJet Sunset Photo eSatin. For Andrew Jenkins’ LexJet Sunset Award and Best Color Portrait winner at the PPA Northeast District competition, Timmons printed The Curator on Sunset Photo eSatin as well. “The print was incredible. I don’t think there’s anyone in the country printing better images on eSatin than Michael,” says Jenkins. The Curator himself is Warren Motts, who runs the Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio, which houses the largest privately owned collection of military memorabilia in the United States. Motts is also a past president of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). “Warren is an incredible man and I wanted to take a portrait of him in his environment. I took a road trip with my father, spent the day at the museum and created the portrait at the end...

A great print can make all the difference at photography competitions. It’s certainly not the only difference, but it can provide that little extra boost that makes judges take notice. Take, for instance, Duncan MacNab’s entry, End of the Line, which won a LexJet Sunset Award for Excellence in Image Quality at the 2011 PPA Western District Competition.