Joshua Holko, 2019 AIPP Epson Victorian Professional Nature Photographer of the Year

The AIPP (Australian Institute of Professional Photography) Victorian State awards, is a favorite of Moab Master, Joshua Holko, because each category he enters is judged in print, not digitally. Joshua Holko is a professional landscape, nature and wildlife photographer specializing in the Polar and sub-Polar regions of the globe. His work celebrates the extreme latitudes of the Polar environment. He is a huge advocate of the print as the finished medium of choice for his own photography.

The AIPP National and State awards remain two of the few remaining competitions to actually judge the finished print and they do so using a panel of judges all deemed experts in their respective genres and accredited as Masters of Photography through their years of success in this arena.

Joshua Holko entered twelve prints spread across the Nature, Documentary and Landscape categories. He took first place overall in the Nature category, what he felt was his strongest point. He also took the Highest Scoring Print award for the Nature Category. As someone who is passionate about print, this was an incredible honor.

All of the prints were printed on Somerset Museum Rag, Joshua Holko’s go-to paper. “Museum Rag has a gorgeous, sensuous texture that is a delight for the senses. No other paper so beautifully captures all of the colour, detail and subtle tonalities that the natural world has to offer. I would not exhibit my work on any other paper."

6 Reasons Why Photographers Should Print Their Photos

In an age where we rely on technology for just about everything that we need, we tend to neglect or forget about the analog aspects of life. This is particularly true for the media we consume, which are largely in digital format—people rarely keep physical media like videotapes, audio CDs, and of course, printed photos.

For instance, most photographers today have thousands and thousands of images saved on their memory cards and other storage devices, but have little to no printed copies. Unlike earlier analog photographers who had to use darkrooms to make prints just to be able to see their images, many shutterbugs of the digital era no longer keep physical copies (whether on film or in a printed photo) of their work.

But what happens when you lose all of the digital photos you saved in your computer or shared online? That’s where printing comes in.

You might be wondering why printing is important—especially for photographers, who tend to share their work solely on their online websites or social media pages. Here are some reasons why photographers (like yourself) should consider printing their photos:

1. It’s a better way to look back at old memories.

Do you ever find yourself wanting to reminisce about the past? Baby pictures, family reunions, high school parties, weddings, and the like? Having these precious memories on print is a better option for when you’re feeling a little nostalgic. Why? It’s simply a better experience to be able to go through a photo album as opposed to swiping left or right on a mobile device, or pressing buttons on a computer.

Another upside to having prints is you can display your favorite shots (or your most treasured memories) in your home or office. After all, what’s the point of taking all those beautiful pictures if you’re going to keep them stuck in a digital device? All you need is a good printer and some fine art paper, and you’re all set to enjoy those photos in a more meaningful and tangible way.

2. They technically last longer than digital copies.

Unlike digital pictures, actual printed copies have a longer lifespan. Think of it this way—you most likely still have copies in your family albums of decades-old photos from when your parents (or grandparents) were still young. Sure, they’re pretty battered and discolored, but they’re still there. On the other hand, the same probably can’t be said for those random selfies or artsy photos you saved on MySpace or Friendster.

When you upload pictures to social media, photo hosting sites like Flickr, or to paid cloud storage servers, there’s always a chance that they will get permanently deleted. The same goes for your computer storage or your hard drive. They can get corrupted or even lost—which means you lose your photos in the process.

If you want to get started on printing your work, make sure to choose high-quality photo paper to ensure the longevity of your prints.

3. You can display them anywhere you like.

Another advantage of printing your photos is that you can display them anywhere. As a professional photographer, you’d want to show off your best work, whether in your home, at your office, or in your studio.

Many photographers these days are content with displaying their work on social media, but there’s still something more impressive and organic about having large, blown-up prints of your favorite photos. It really shows off your skill, because plenty of photos can look good on a computer or mobile device, but not all of them will look good in print.

4. It makes you a better photographer.

Nowadays, thanks to Instagram, pretty much anyone can be a photographer. But as previously mentioned, it’s easier to shoot photos for social media than for print, and by printing your work, you force yourself to really perfect everything down to the last detail and ensure that your shots look good on both print and digital.

Printing also allows you to understand your work better. How? It helps reveal things you wouldn’t have normally seen on a digital screen. Seeing your photos in print will allow you to see what your (and your camera’s) strengths and weaknesses are.

5. You get to learn a new craft.

Photographers spend years learning how to use their cameras—but they usually don’t stop there. Back in the days of analog photography, you had to learn how to use a darkroom and develop your own photos. These days, photographers no longer need to learn how to develop film, but they do need to learn other skills, like basic photo editing and digital manipulation. Some even take it a step further by learning how to properly print their photos as well.

Printing your photos allows you to learn a new craft—from understanding color management down to choosing the right printer, ink, paper to use in order to produce high-quality prints of your work. Once you master this part, you increase your skill set as a photographer.

And the best part? You won’t have to pay someone to do it for you.

6. It allows you to expand your photography services.

Adding photo printing to your photography package allows you to provide a more comprehensive service. Aside from giving you the option of earning extra cash, printing gives you the opportunity to deliver the best possible output for your clients. After all, imagine taking the time and effort to capture all of those perfectly composed and exposed photos, only to have them look horrible once the client has them printed elsewhere.

When you do your own printing, you retain control over image quality, size, and the overall presentation, so you get to ensure the quality of the final product.

Printing allows you to become a full-service photographer, which can help you attract both potential and long-time clients and take your business to the next level.

Harold Davis Tests Entrada Rag Textured, Here's What He Thinks...

©Harold Davis. All rights reserved.

Entrada Rag is the superb, acid-free paper that put the Moab Paper brand on the map some fifteen years ago. So as a Moab Master I was honored to be asked to evaluate and test Moab Entrada Rag Textured, the first addition ever to the Entrada Rag line, during the pre-production stage for the paper. It’s great news for photographers and artists that Moab Entrada Rag Textured is now generally available.

Like the original Entrada Rag Bright and Entrada Rag Natural papers, Entrada Rag Textured is of course acid-free. Also like Entrada Rag Natural, it is a 100% cotton paper that is somewhat warm-toned. This is a very thick sheet (300gsm) with a great sense of “hand” that is entirely OBA free, and (like the original Entrada Rag Natural) boasts an extraordinary tonal and dynamic range for a matte paper. Note that Entrada Rag Textured is single-sided, as opposed to Entrada Rag Bright and Natural, which come both in single-sided or double-sided versions. The tonality of Entrada Rag Textured is much like the creamy feeling of Entrada Rag Natural, rather than the very bright white of Entrada Rag Bright.

Entrada Rag Textured has become one of my favorite go-to printmaking substrates. © Harold Davis

As you might expect, the primary difference between Entrada Rag Textured and the original Entrada Rag Natural is, of course, the texture of the surface. But what you have here is an elegant, refined texture---not an over-the-top "watercolor" paper.

(Above) This image is a long exposure made from a moving Venetian vaporetti. In post-production I lightly texturized it. The blend of the texture and the Entrada Rag Texture helps create a unique and subtle effect. © Harold Davis

Just as the warm-toning of the Entrada Rag Natural paper is subtle, the texture that Entrada Rag Textured presents is also subtle. Photographs printed on Entrada Rag Textured will look like art, and the finished print will be a delight to handle as well as to look at. In other words, Entrada Rag Textured charts a middle "Goldilocks" course: textured, but not too textured. It is a paper that is indeed "just right", and makes the image look great, not a paper that is so "too-too" that the presentation becomes about the paper rather than the photo.

Of course, like any high-end specialty paper designed for modern photographic printing, Entrada Rag Textured is not one size fits all. It works better with some kinds of images than others. To get a sense of the kinds of images that really "marry" well with Entrada Rag Textured, and to learn what this paper does best, we made numerous test prints in my studio using my large format printer.

One thing I found is that this is a paper that really works well as part of the print presentation. In other words, I would never print right up to the bleed-line (edge) with Entrada Rag Textured. It makes much more visual sense to allow the paper to show around your image---and to strongly consider the imposition and spacing of the print on the paper as an integral part of printing-making with Entrada Rag Textured. Showing an inch or two (and sometimes more!) of Entrada Rag Textured around the borders of any image enhances the art print and gallery effect of this paper.

To emphasize the antique look in this print I added a border before printing it on Entrada Rag Textured. © Harold Davis

The combination of a moderate warm tone, refined texture, and high dynamic range is a pretty spectacular set of characteristics for any paper, and helps to make Entrada Rag Textured a winner that is appropriate for a wide range of images. Of course, it is not, never will be, and should not be used like you would use a more glossy photo paper (glossy papers with a more "photographic" finish of course have a great place of their own in the world). So in my experience, the images that work best with Entrada Rag Textured are artful, and intended as art (as opposed to, for example, journalistic-style imagery).

With monochromatic imagery, I would strongly consider toned or somewhat old-fashioned photos (as opposed to "straight" black and white) for Entrada Rag Textured.

The subtle mid-tones of this photo of a row of cypresses is a great match for the ability Entrada Rag Textured has to render subtle tonal gradations. © Harold Davis

With color imagery, I get great results essentially across the gamut of landscape photography, particularly in imagery where the real strength is in separation of mid-tones. My personal preference on Entrada Rag Textured is for color imagery that has elements that echo antiquity, and so lie in the cross-roads between modernism and older traditions of printmaking and art.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Entrada Textured Rag has become one of my "go-to" printmaking substrates. Combining high quality reproduction with a sensitive and sensuous surface that is entirely fiber, I expect to be making prints with Entrada Rag Textured for a long time to come.

(Left) The rendering of the structure underneath the Art Deco Yaquina Bay Bridge in Oregon is a good fit for Entrada Rag Textured: the paper shows and holds details, even in the areas that are almost black. The paper handles ink well and doesn’t overload, even in very dark areas. © Harold Davis

Moab Master Named Platinum Medalist at International Photographic Competition

  

Jim LaSala is honored by peers and jurors for high-quality photography.

Flemington, NJ– Jim LaSala was named a Platinum Medalist during Professional Photographers of America's 2016 International Photographic Competition. LaSala's work will be on display at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 8-10, 2017. This International Photographic Exhibit is held in conjunction with Imaging USA, an annual convention and expo for professional photographers. 

 

A panel of 46 eminent jurors from across the United States selected the top photographs from nearly 5,700 total submitted entries at Gwinnett Technical College in Georgia. Judged against a standard of excellence, just over 2,428 images were selected for the General Collection and 1,007 were selected for the esteemed Loan Collection—the best of the best. The Loan Collection images will all be published in the much-anticipated "Loan Collection" book and over 200 selected General Collection images will be published in the "Showcase" book by Marathon Press. 

The level of the award is determined by how many of those four images receive the highest possible honor: acceptance into the PPA Loan Collection, which is displayed at photographic exhibitions, conventions and other photography events. LaSala was named a Platinum Medalist, meaning that three of his merited images entered the PPA Loan Collection. In 2016, he was one of only 61 Platinum photographers of the Year.   

About PPA:  Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the largest international nonprofit association created by professional photographers, for professional photographers. Almost as long-lived as photography itself, PPA's roots date back to 1869. It assists nearly 30,000 members through protection, education and resources for their continued success. See how PPA helps photographers Be More at PPA.com.  

www.jimlasala.com

jim@jimlasala.com 

In Search of Great Men

A train journey in 2011 from his hometown in North Carolina to Virginia, inspired fine art photographer McNair Evans to explore contemporary America through the country's passenger rail system. For over three years, Evans has embarked on biannual two-week long Amtrak trips, what the artist calls a "public artist residency," using the time to meet and converse with fellow passengers, record their stories and photograph the people and the landscape.

Presented for the very first time by the San Francisco Arts Commission Galleries, Evans' epic project, In Search of Great Men, combines compelling original photography and first-person, passenger-written journals that capture the unique cross-section of train travelers, offering the viewer a poignant and empathetic view of their lives. The images are printed on Juniper Baryta Rag 305.

View exhibition details.

How did you choose Juniper for your gallery?

For years I had worked with the Moab Colorado Fiber Satin, which is an excellent paper. Legion Paper’s printing expert Evan Parker and I had been discussing the papers performance and suggested that given the warm, moody quality of my photographs, that I might like Juniper.

How did the Juniper paper portray your artwork/ personal style?

Juniper produces a rich black point while holding detail in the shadows much like a traditional C-print. This, along with the papers warmer stock, help me produce images with depth and rich colors in the darker print tones.

Who did the printing for the exhibition? Which printer did they use?

I do all my all own printing, and always have. Many people think that Inkjet printing, because it is computerized, is automatic. This couldn’t be further from the truth. With the introduction of such control comes the responsibility of precision of vision. Because of the sheer volume of the show, San Francisco’s Rayko Photo Center dedicated a brand new Epson 7890 and studio space to my printing. I’m generally most productive in the evenings and night time, so would print until about 3 Am, and then literally sleep beneath the Epson.

Any advice for other exhibitors choosing a paper for their gallery?

When choosing an exhibition quality paper, it’s helpful to consider the visual characteristics of your imagery. Do most of your picture occupy the highlights? Are there regularly large areas of shadows? Does your vision run cool, or are there more warmer tones. Understanding the pallet of your project or work will help you pick a paper the performs well in those specific areas. 

Join us at WPPI in Las Vegas!

What will you see at booth 1507?

Moab Master Gallery

The entire Moab Paper range will be displayed including Slickrock Silver, Entrada Rag, Lasal Exhibition Luster & more with images from some of our Moab Masters inlcuding Jim Graham, Chris Lalonde and Norman Seeff. 

View the entire Moab Master Gallery. 

The new Juniper Baryta Rag will be front and center with samples to test the award winning paper yourself. Juniper is now available in 60" rolls. Check out our re-sellers by location.  

Enhancing the Printing Experience

Pro Photo Supply is having a sale event with a review of the new Canon Pro-1000 & Print Studio Pro.

Join Richard Villa with Canon as he demonstrates the features of the new image PROGRAF PRO-1000 17" photographic inkjet printer. Canon will be printing your images on Juniper Baryta Rag and Entrada Rag Bright. 

When: Saturday, November 21
Time: 10:00am-11:30am
Where: Pro Photo Supply Event Center - 1801 NW Northrup Street, Portland, OR 97209
Cost: Free, no registration required!

Photographing Flowers for Transparency

Master photographer Harold Davis is well-known for his often imitated—but seldom equaled—digital images of luscious transparent and translucent flowers.

In this Maine Media 5-day workshop offering, Harold Davis shows the techniques he pioneered to create his floral masterpieces. Arrangement, composition, photography, and post-production will all be covered, as will Harold's special techniques for shooting on a light box. In addition, several sessions will explore field floral photography, and alternative techniques related to the studio photography of flowers. Harold will also show his spectacular botanical prints in the context of a discussion of the best way to create prints of floral imagery.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to enhance your floral photography by learning from Harold Davis, the best-selling author of award-winning Photographing Flowers: Exploring Macro Worlds with Harold Davis.

Topics covered in this workshop:

• Understanding transparency and translucency
• Introduction to floral arrangement and composition
• Botanical art in the digital era
• Shooting florals in the field
• Creative field techniques
• Best practices in macro photography
• Shooting flowers on a dark background
• Shooting on a light box
• Understanding high-key post-production
• Working with Photoshop layers
• High-key HDR
• LAB color effects
• Backgrounds and textures
• Preparing to make floral pigment prints
• Implementing one’s own vision

 Workshop participants will be given the opportunity to compose, photograph and post-process their own transparent floral images from beginning-to-end during the workshop.  Field and studio sessions will demonstrate creative techniques across the gamut of different kinds of flower photography, and allow plenty of time for individual image making. The emphasis of this workshop will be to support each participant, enabling their own unique vision and helping them to become the best flower photographer they can be.

Adorama Gallery Opening: Human Nature

The Adorama Gallery and Moab are pleased to present Human Nature, a collaboration between photographers Erica Simone and Jaci Berkopec. The exhibition will be on view Thursday July 23rd through Tuesday August 16th.

An opening reception will be held on Thursday July 23rd from 6-8pm at Adorama located at 42 West 18th Street, NYC. 

RSVP for the event here.

The World Photographic Cup

The World Photographic Cup is a not-for-profit organization founded as a cooperative effort by the European Photographer (FEP) and the The Professional Photographers of America (PPA). Its singular goal is to unite photographers in a spirit of friendship and cooperation. The WPC governing committee is made up of photographers from across Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Japan, Slovakia and the United States.

Moab Paper would like to congratulate Moab Master, Jim LaSala, on his image “Eyes On Haiti”, that was selected to represent the United States.

"I was overwhelmed to learn my image was selected. My image was on it's way to Montpellier, France to compete with all of these other countries. After a few months the voting was over. The United States took top honors. My image reached the rank of Finalist in the category: reportage. "

Congratulations to all the World Photographic Cup winning images for 2015!

Glazer's 2015 Photofest in Seattle

Evolution of a Photographic Vision- Fine Art Printing Seminar

Hunt's Photo & Video, Melrose, MA

2-5pm, June 20th, 2015

Sign up here

Noted landscape photographer and Amherst resident Michael Zide will share the influences and insights he has gained by working in the field of landscape photography for more than 40 years. He will also provide tips about making better photographs by using the camera and post production and printing techniques in a more “intentional” and creative fashion and describes his talk as “geared for anyone who wants to take their photography to the next level.” As a photographer, Zide strives to become more in touch with gesture, light and mood and create images that truly resonate with the heart and mind to communicate with the viewer on many levels.” A Q & A session with will follow his presentation.

The seminar will also include technical points from fellow master printer Jim Roselli, who will be discussing printing artistry.

Making It Here: Photographer Michael Zide

Illuminated Ground: Gallery Talk with Michael Zide

A Year in the Life of an African Wildlife Photographer and Better B&W Printing

Thursday, April 23, 2015 | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Speakers: Andy Biggs

Event Type: Photography

Skill Level: Intermediate

Location: B&H Event Space

Click here to Register

Come and share 90 minutes with renowned African wildlife photographer and workshop instructor Andy Biggs. Andy will share a typical year in his life as a wildlife photographer by discussing the myriad safari locations he travels to in Africa. From the wide open savannah of the Serengeti in Tanzania to the seasonal waters of the Okavango Delta in Botswana, Andy will tell you how he travels from jet planes to bush planes and helicopters to Land Rovers. Receive practical advice about how to photograph wildlife and discover how he travels internationally to hard-to-reach locations. Andy will share his award winning photographs, along with the stories behind each image, and what equipment he used to create beautiful images. You will also learn how he creates more impactful fine art black and white prints when he is back home and in his studio. He will discuss how he selects his papers, what printers he uses, how to get rich, deep blacks and a wide tonal range and different options for software for better B&W output.

Photographers are Sleepwalking into a 'Photographic Armageddon'

"Photographers must print images they want to preserve, or treasured photos may be unavailable to future generations when digital storage media wears out or becomes obsolete." -Chris Cheesman

Amateur Photographer Magazine reports the "stark warning from the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) and Photo Marketing Association after Google vice-president Vint Cerf recently warned of a ‘digital dark age’ where data stored on computers will be lost for ever.

"Speaking at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Jose, California, Cerf said last month: ‘When you think about the quantity of documentation from our daily lives that’s captured in digital form, like our interactions by email, people’s tweets, and all the World Wide Web, it’s clear that we stand to lose an awful lot of our history.’

Turn the clock back 175 years when the emerging photographic trend of the day was more salt-print than selfie. Photography pioneer Fox Talbot was busy churning out prints from the earliest form of paper photography.

Yet, Fox Talbot’s work lives on today, bringing history to life in an exhibition at Tate Britain that documents daily activities and key moments of the mid-19th century, such as the building of Nelson’s Column."

Read more at Amateur Magazine. 

Maja Bogdanic was one of six fine-art photographers who exhibited her work in The Curator group show last summer. Her work, "Patterned," was inspired by her high school years in Serbia, where she studied fashion and textile design and was taught to find influence in nature. The series (pictured above) explores the relationship between nature and patterns through vivid, graphic imagery.

In addition to the group show, The Curator 2015 is offering the following prizes:

$3,500 Cash Prize


$200 gift card from B&H
VIP Expo Pass to PDN PhotoPlus Expo Oct 22–24, 2015
$250 gift card to moabpaper.com
 Premium Portfolio Membership

The winners will also be published in a gallery in the July issue of PDN and an extended online gallery.

Visit www.pdncuratorawards.com/about.shtml for all information on how to enter this year's competition.

   

Photographing Flowers for Transparency

Master photographer Harold Davis is well-known for his often imitated—but seldom equaled—digital images of luscious transparent and translucent flowers.

In a unique 5-day workshop offering at Maine Media Workshops+College, Harold Davis shows the techniques he pioneered to create his floral masterpieces. Arrangement, composition, photography, and post-production will all be covered, as will Harold's special techniques for shooting on a light box. In addition, several sessions will explore field floral photography, and alternative techniques related to the studio photography of flowers. Harold will also show his spectacular botanical prints in the context of a discussion of the best way to create prints of floral imagery.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to enhance your floral photography by learning from Harold Davis, the best-selling author of award-winning Photographing Flowers: Exploring Macro Worlds with Harold Davis.

Workshop participants will be given the opportunity to compose, photograph and post-process their own transparent floral images from beginning-to-end during the workshop.  Field and studio sessions will demonstrate creative techniques across the gamut of different kinds of flower photography, and allow plenty of time for individual image making. The emphasis of this workshop will be to support each participant, enabling their own unique vision and helping them to become the best flower photographer they can be.

Welcome to John Stanmeyer, Our Newest Moab Master

Moab is proud to have John Stanmeyer join the Moab Master team. 

Working regularly for National Geographic Magazine, was on contract with Time Magazine for over 10 years and photographing for numerous other global publications, Stanmeyer has been the recipient of numerous honors including the prestigious Robert Capa award, named Magazine Photographer of the Year, awarded numerous World Press, Picture of the Year and NPPA awards and in 2008 received the National Magazine Award for this in-depth essay on the global Malaria epidemic.

Having printed for years my work in exhibitions at galleries and museums around the world, no other paper renders more beautifully and effortlessly than Moab Exhibition Luster 300. I am elated to have embraced with passion and purpose all my printing to paper that presents humanity as I had borne witness to 

-John Stanmeyer