Creating a Black and White Landscape Portfolio with Fotospeed DUO Papers & Spring Back Binders

Black and White Landscape Photography - Part 2

A few months ago, I published a video where I talked about my journey as a black and white landscape photographer. Something I never thought I would say, but hey, we all grow and change as photographers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not exclusively a black and white photographer now, it’s just that capturing black and white while on location is something I now think about.

In this follow up video I’m going to take a selection of the black and white photographs I’ve been capturing and printing them to make my first black and white landscape photography portfolio. It was something I always intended on doing and I’m very happy with the results. Watch the video below to find out why!

Useful Links and Information

Watch Part 1

🎞️  Watch The Dance of Light and Shadow - How Black and White is Changing My Landscape Photography - Part 1

Fotospeed Papers

Use the discount code Julian15 and get 15% off Fotospeed papers at Fotospeed.com

🛒 Purchase Fotospeed Art Smooth DUO 210 - https://fotospeed.com/fotospeed-art-smooth-duo-210-short-grain.html

🛒 Purchase Fotospeed High White Smooth Lite DUO 225 - https://fotospeed.com/high-white-smooth-duo-225.html

🛒 Purchase Fotospeed Matt DUO 240 https://fotospeed.com/matt-duo-240.html

🛒Fotospeed Spring Back Binders - https://fotospeed.com/presentation/springback-binders.html 

More of my printing videos worth watching:

🎞️  Fotospeed Spring Back Binders

🎞️  My Canon Pro-1100 review and setup video

 Other Useful Links

🔗 Fotospeed Art of Printing eBook - https://fotospeed.com/ebook/artofprinting 

🔗 Fotospeed Generic Profiles for the Canon Pro-1100 - https://fotospeed.com/profiles/printer/ink/ink/62/

🔗 Fotospeed Custom Profiling Service - https://fotospeed.com/support/

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 Review and Setup Guide

Going Bigger and Being More Cost Effective with the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100

If you’ve been reading this blog or watching my YouTube channel over the years you’ll know what a passion I have for printing. My love for printing was further fuelled at the weekend when I attended and hosted Fotofest in Bristol. It was a fantastic event and being in a community of like-minded photographers reminded me of how important printing is to so many people.

A few months ago I changed from a Canon imagePRO-GRAF PRO-300 to the new Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100. There was nothing wrong with the print quality of the Pro-300 but I wanted to have the capability to print A2 and to make my ink consumption more cost effective.

Over those last few months, I’ve been putting the printer through it’s paces and I’m now ready to share my PRO-1100 video. So no matter if you are thinking about purchasing a Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100, or have you just purchased one and want to know how to set it up, my video should have you covered. In my video -

• I'll share the key details on the Pro-1100.

• Tell you why I bought it and where from

• Show you how to set both the hardware and software

• Talk you through how to make your first print

• How to manage paper types and ICC profiles using Canon’s Media Configuration Utility

• Show you how to find out how much your prints cost using Canon’s Accounting Manager software

• I’ll Print some glorious A2 images

• Show you some options for displaying your prints.

• And finally share my thoughts and comments on this printer

I hope you found this video useful. If you did or just have a question or comment, do let me know below in the comments section.

You can of course expect lots more printing content from me, so please make sure you stay tuned to my YouTube channel and the blog. Thanks for watching and all just below you’ll find links to everything I mentioned in the video,

Useful Links from the Video

Purchase the Pro-1100, Inks and Tech Specs

🛒 If you are considering a purchase of the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 you can do so from Fotospeed - https://fotospeed.com/canon-pro-1100-a2-printer-12-inks.html

🛒 Canon Pro-1100 inks - https://fotospeed.com/printers-inks/desktop-printer-inks.html?default_brand=Canon&dit_printer=Canon%20Pro%201100

 🔗 Check out the full specifications of the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 - https://www.canon.co.uk/printers/imageprograf-pro-1100/

More of my printing videos worth watching

🎞️ Fotospeed Spring Back Binders - https://youtu.be/IRXr6VuRYwE

🎞️ Designing a Custom Frame from Picture Frames Express - https://youtu.be/FJYOckTLbyA?si=RSoVSVb7z6Ii91gu&t=443

🎞️ How to Become a Fearless Printer - https://youtu.be/mbB1WdLFF_s?si=pI620VKr0qnXEXix

🎞️ Using a Nikon D80 to Create an A3+ Print - https://youtu.be/6X_vK5lts5c

🎞️ Why and How I Calibrate My Monitor - https://youtu.be/ozPuGrXQfeU

 Other Useful Links

🔗 Fotospeed Generic Profiles for the Canon Pro-1100 - https://fotospeed.com/profiles/printer/ink/ink/62/

🔗 Fotospeed Custom Profiling Service - https://fotospeed.com/support/

🔗 Fotospeed Art of Printing eBook - https://fotospeed.com/ebook/artofprinting

🔗  ICC Profile Toolkit - https://icc-profile-toolkit.software.informer.com/

🔗  Canon PRO-1100 sotware including Professional Print & Layout, Media Configuration Utility, and Accounting Manager - https://www.canon.co.uk/support/business/products/wide-format-printers/imageprograf/pro-series/imageprograf-pro-1100.html

Papers Used in this Video

Use the discount code Julian15 and get 15% off Fotospeed papers at Fotospeed.com

 🛒 Fotospeed Test Packs - https://fotospeed.com/paper/test-packs.html

🛒 Fotospeed PF Lustre 190 - https://fotospeed.com/lustre-190.html

🛒 Fotospeed NST BW 315 - https://fotospeed.com/nst-bright-white-315.html

🛒 Fotospeed Smooth Cotton 300 - https://fotospeed.com/smooth-cotton-300.html

🛒 Fotospeed Platinum Cotton 305 - https://fotospeed.com/platinum-cotton-305.html

🛒 Fotospeed Natural Smooth 310 - https://fotospeed.com/fotospeed-natural-smooth-310.html

🛒 Fotospeed Legacy Gloss 325 - https://fotospeed.com/legacy-gloss-325.html

🛒 Fotospeed Matt Baryta 310 - https://fotospeed.com/fotospeed-matt-baryta-310.html

🛒 Fotospeed Platinum Baryta 300 - https://fotospeed.com/platinum-baryta-300.html

🛒 Fotospeed Panoramic Paper - https://fotospeed.com/papers/panoramic-papers.html

🛒 Canon A3 Pro Luster Photo Paper - https://amzn.to/4g6dINz

🛒 Canon GP-501 Glossy Photo Paper 4x6"/10x15cm (100 Sheets) - https://amzn.to/3I3i1fW

Print Display Options

🛒 Fotospeed Spring Back Binder - https://fotospeed.com/presentation/springback-binders.html

🛒 A2 White Self-Adhesive Foamboard - https://amzn.to/4oVsqLc

🛒 A3 Self-Adhesive White Foamboard - https://amzn.to/4m0EWGP

🛒 A4 White Self-Adhesive Foamboard - https://amzn.to/4lSwLvX

🛒 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips - https://amzn.to/4p3SYtT

🛒 Picture Frames Express - https://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/

🛒 Ikea MOSSLANDA Picture ledge - https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/mosslanda-picture-ledge-white-90292103/

 🛒 Ikea Drawer unit on castors, white, 67x66 cm - https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/alex-drawer-unit-on-castors-white-80485423/

 Please note that some of these links are affiliate links (but not paid links or ads).  By buying through these links I may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price for you.

How to Showcase Your Prints with Spring Back Binders

Give Your Prints the WOW Factor

Over the years I’ve shared the various ways I display my landscape photography prints. The most impactful is the framed print, but for a larger body of work, a book or zine is also a great choice. Both options have pros and cons.

While I was on Harris & Lewis earlier this year a photographer showed me his portfolio of photographs displayed in a Spring Back Binder from Fotospeed. I was blown away! I thought it was such a wonderful way to view a collection of prints. Being able to look through a collection of hand-crafted prints was amazing. But the best bit, unlike a book or zine, is that you can add or remove prints anytime making it extremely versatile.

As soon as I got home, I knew I wanted to display my Harris and Lewis photographs in this way. So, I got to work editing my photos (not an easy task) and then selecting which photographs would feature in my printed collection. This time though I wasn’t going to print just the photographs, I would create a template that would add text and some of my branding to each print. Just to give it an extra bit of wow!

As I was doing this it occurred to me that I should share what I was doing with you! After all, I know a great many of you also print your photographs so having another option on how you present your prints will be of interest to you. Even if you don’t print your photographs, maybe this will inspire you to do so once you see some of the amazing things you can with them.

So let me show you how I prepare, print and present my photographs to give them the WOW factor.

I hope you enjoyed this video and if you have any questions or comments, please do let me know below.

Photographing and Printing Dartmoor with Fotospeed Gloss and Lustre 310 Papers

The Challenge of Photographing Great Links Tor on Dartmoor

Capturing photographs of one of Dartmoor’s greatest tors, Great Links Tor, is challenging. Depending on your route up it can take around 45 minutes of walking (all up hill). And then, because of its elevation, it is often in cloud. But when the conditions are right it can be a spectacular location to photograph such as the time I photographed it at sunset.

Inspired by my sunset picture I was determined to also photograph it at sunrise. This was going to be more difficult than I hoped it would be. The first four attempts where non-starters as the location was completely covered in cloud. On my 5th attempt I had the opposite problem, and it was clear blue skies. Not ideal, but I was determined to make the most of it!

While I was pleased enough with the photograph when the skies were clear, it wasn’t exactly what I wanted or visualised. But that’s the great thing about Dartmoor (or the worst thing), and that is the weather can change very quickly. And that’s exactly what it did do! And that change in conditions gave the perfect opportunity to capture an image that would make for a great photograph to use as the first print for two new papers I had just received from Fotospeed.

In the video below you can see my photography adventure from Great Links Tor on Dartmoor and see what the prints look on those two new Fotospeed papers.

Great Links Tor, Dartmoor - Landscape Photographs

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Great Links Tor Sunrise #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm at 14mm, f/11, 0.4 sec at ISO 64.

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Great Links Tor Sunrise #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm at 15mm, f/13, 1/10 sec at ISO 64.

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Great Links Tor Sunrise #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm at 89mm, f/8, 1/160 sec at ISO 64, 6:17 crop.

Links to Products and Other Videos

*** Remember to us the discount code Julian15 and get 15% off Fotospeed papers ***

 🛒  Fotospeed PF Gloss 310 - https://fotospeed.com/fotospeed-pf-gloss-310.html

🛒  Fotospeed PF Lustre 310 - https://fotospeed.com/fotospeed-pf-lustre-310.html

🛒  Fotospeed Test Packs https://fotospeed.com/paper/test-packs.html?default_brand=Fotospeed

 ✔️  Download Fotospeed’s Art of Printing eBook - FREE - https://fotospeed.com/ebook/artofprinting

 🎞️  My video review of the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300 - https://youtu.be/QF3_JXuu_Ag

🎞️  My editing video with Fotospeed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rrLOnVHcCA

🎞️  My post-processing workflow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHg4agMU-GI&list=PLJU6FMi6Tvo97OcghsCsBlKGLXY2BcMdx

A GREAT Landscape Photograph Deserves a GREAT Print

The Wind - Friend or Foe?

Windy. It’s a word that I am using a lot recently to describe the conditions I’ve been experiencing while out photographing Dartmoor. The wind can make landscape photography challenging with fear that your camera will get blown over or that you’ll end up taking blurry photographs. As for shooting video, leaving my camera on a tripod (even with spikes) on its own while I go off and talk somewhere always makes me nervous!

The wind can also be an asset. Strong winds often mean fast moving cloud, providing me with the hope that any gaps in the cloud, while short lived, will shortly be followed by another gap.

The Journey to Great Links Tor

Looking at the weather forecast before I set out for Great Links Tor, I was hoping that the strong winds that evening would be my friend. There was lots of low cloud forecast, but some gaps were also predicted. I was hoping the wind would make sure those gaps kept coming and provide me with a few breaks in the cloud.

As I started my ascent to Great Links Tor; things didn’t look brilliant. There was a lot of cloud, and it was very low down. So low down that Arms Tor (around 130 lower down) was barely visible. As I ascended further, the cloud level did appear to rise, and I could just about now see Great Links Tor.

Patience is the Key to Landscape Photography on Dartmoor

Arriving at Great Links Tor, the full brunt of the wind hit me! The wind was fierce, which made it cold, and as I now was above the base of the cloud layer, it was also eerily dark. So, I did what every landscape photographer should do and that’s wait. And wait some more. And get cold. T hen frustrated. Then I considered going home.

However, patience is key and in true Dartmoor fashion I could see breaks starting to appear in the cloud, and patches of light formed on the landscape. I filmed a few pieces to camera to pass the time and then it clouded over again. I waited some more and then…. well, you’ll just have to watch my video to find out what happened!

Landscape Photographs of Great Links Tor on Dartmoor

Here are the Dartmoor landscape photographs I captured in the video. Let me know which is your favourite.

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Great Links Tor at Sunset #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/11, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.

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Links and Other Videos

I mentioned a lot of videos, playlists, and products in the video, so I’ve decided to list them here as well:

💰💰💰 Special offer from Fotospeed - Hahnemuehle Test Packs are half price until end of April at Fotospeed.com 💰💰💰

🛒  Get your Hahnemühle test pack here - https://fotospeed.com/papers/hahnemuhle.html?paper_test_pack=1

 The paper I used to make the prints are

🛒Hahnemühle Fine Art Baryta 325 - https://fotospeed.com/papers/hahnemuhle/fine-art-baryta-325.html

🛒Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 - https://fotospeed.com/papers/fine-art-paper/photo-rag-308.html

🔗  Check out Fotospeed's free ebook, Art of Printing, at https://fotospeed.com/ebook/artofprinting

🎞️ The printer I used in this video is the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300. 🎥 Watch my video review of this printer here - https://youtu.be/QF3_JXuu_Ag

🛒 Purchase the Pro-300 here - https://fotospeed.com/canon-pro-300.html

🛒 Finally, I purchased my matt board from Picture Frames Express - https://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/

🎞️ You can see how I use Picture Frames Express designer software here - https://youtu.be/FJYOckTLbyA?t=443 🎥

🎞️ See more of my printing videos in this handy playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJU6FMi6Tvo_kuUIioDAagRJ6zsvo1X3P

🎞️ See how I manage and process my photographs in Lightroom in this playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJU6FMi6Tvo97OcghsCsBlKGLXY2BcMdx

Capture and Print - Landscape Photography from Dartmoor

Photographing Dartmoor - East to West

In my last blog post, Why I Love Dartmoor 2, I shared with you the experience of capturing a landscape photograph of East Mill Tor on Dartmoor. Thanks to some planning and a little fortune (always a requirement), I managed to capture a photograph of East Mill Tor with which I was incredibly happy.

Looking west from East Mill Tor you can see the appropriately named West Mill Tor. It’s not a location I photographed very often so with the excitement of my East Mill Tor visit still inspiring me I made plans to go west!

The Last of Those Early Alarm Calls (For Now)

While the weather forecast wasn’t as promising as my visit to East Mill Tor, it still had enough potential for me to set a 04:30 alarm call. It would be the last of those very early alarm calls as the clocks would be going forward in a few days. This would be only a temporary reprieve from the early alarm calls. Some of my favourite Dartmoor photography locations are best shot at dawn in the summer. It’s not unusual for the alarm to be set at 03:30 for those locations! (I’ll be doing more wild camping this year which will hopefully negate the need for some of those alarm calls).

Photographing Dartmoor Requires Patience

Though my alarm call for West Mill Tor might be early, you can at least park close by. It’s not much more than a 15-minute steady walk up to the summit, however, upon reaching the summit I was greeted with what can only be described as a strong and constant wind. This would make the photography hard and shooting video even harder!

And it’s at this point you pick up the story in the video below…

Links and Other Videos

I mentioned a lot of videos, playlists, and products in the video, so I’ve decided to list them here as well:

🎥 Watch my editing and printing session at Fotospeed here - https://youtu.be/1prQocy-GoI

🎥 The printer I used in this video is the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300. 🎥 Watch my video review of this printer here - https://youtu.be/QF3_JXuu_Ag

💳 Purchase the Pro-300 here - https://fotospeed.com/canon-pro-300.html

 Use the discount code Julian15 and get 15% off Fotospeed papers at Fotospeed.com

💳 The paper I used to make the print is  @FotospeedUK  NST BW 315 And you can purchase the paper here - https://fotospeed.com/nst-bright-white-315.html

💳 Finally, I purchased my matt board from Picture Frames Express - https://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/

🎥 You can see how I use Picture Frames Express designer software here - https://youtu.be/FJYOckTLbyA?t=443

🎥 See more of my printing videos in this handy playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJU6FMi6Tvo_kuUIioDAagRJ6zsvo1X3P

🎥 See how I manage and process my photographs in Lightroom in this playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJU6FMi6Tvo97OcghsCsBlKGLXY2BcMdx

Landscape Photographs of West Mill Tor on Dartmoor

Here are the three photographs I captured in the video. Let me know which is your favourite.

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A Wild West Mill Tor Sunrise #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm S f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/2 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL

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A Wild West Mill Tor Sunrise #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm S f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/2 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL

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A Wild West Mill Tor Sunrise #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm S f/4 at 16mm, f/13, 1/3 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL

Why I PRINT My Landscape Photographs - From Capture to Print

The Print is the Photographs Rightful Inheritance

I don’t often quote people, but Charlie Waite got it right when he said, “The print is the photographs rightful inheritance”. Ever since I Discovered the Joy of Printing 5 years ago, nothing has given me more pleasure than making a big print of one of my photographs. There is something hugely satisfying about watching one of your photographs gradually feed out the printer. It’s that final stage that is the most rewarding. Holding your photograph in your hands. Seeing it on a computer monitor just isn’t the same.

Over the years I have printed hundreds of my photographs, but very few of them end up in frames and on my wall. Most are printed and displayed on my picture ledges where I not only study and learn from them, but I also enjoy them. They might stay there for a few days, even a few weeks, but at some point, they are replaced with new prints.

I have two framed photographs on my wall, both commended images from the Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. While I am immensely proud of those photographs, I’ve always been aware that I don’t have a framed photograph of Dartmoor.

A Dartmoor Connection

Dartmoor is my local area. An area that I derive an immense amount of pleasure in photographing. So, I set myself the task of not only capturing a photograph of Dartmoor, but one that I would be pleased to print, frame, and hang on my wall. I wanted to capture a photograph that would inspire me to discover and photograph Dartmoor. I wanted a photograph that captured the things that I love about photography on Dartmoor. I wanted a photograph that would allow me to reconnect to a moment experienced on Dartmoor.

Sounds easy, eh? Not exactly. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you know how hard photographing Dartmoor can be. Frustrating is a better word. It’s just as well I love being outdoors as the photography isn’t always satisfying.

Patience is the key with Dartmoor and with some planning and a little luck, I was finally able to capture a photograph that I could hang on the wall. In the video below you can watch me capture the photograph, print it, frame it, and hang it on my wall. My photographs rightful inheritance. Well said Charlie, well said.

East Mill Tor, Dartmoor

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A Perfect Morning at East Mill Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 23mm, f/13, 0.6 sec at ISO 64, pre-processed in DxO PureRAW 2.

Editing and Printing

If you’d like to see how I post processed this photograph, I’ve done a whole video on that which you can view below.

Lastly, if you’re interested here is a list of gear and services, I used to create the print.

• How I manage and edit my photographs - video playlist.

• Photograph printed with the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300 - my video review

• Paper from Fotospeed

• Picture frames from Picture Frames Express - see how I design my frames in this video.

Bring Your Photography to LIFE with the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300

Print Your Photography!

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know how passionate I am about printing my photography. For me, the photographic process isn’t complete until I’ve made a print! There is something hugely satisfying in watching one of your photographs come to life as it feeds out the printer.

When I took delivery of a Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300 printer I thought it was an excellent opportunity to share a video that not only looks at the technical aspects of this printer but also show why printing your photographs is so important. Most of all I wanted to show that printing can be fun and rewarding.

It’s a jam-packed video and rather than repeat the content in text form here, I’ll let you enjoy the video.

Links, Products and Other Videos

I mentioned a lot of blog posts, videos, and products in my video, so I’ve decided to list them below for your convenience.

• You can buy the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 from Fotospeed here.

• Here are the Fotospeed papers I used in this video:

  • Cotton Etching 305 -

  • Natural Soft Textured (NST) Bright White 315

  • Legacy Gloss 325

  • Platinum Etching 285

  • Platinum Gloss Art Fibre 300

  • Platinum Cotton 305

•  I purchased my mounts and frame from Picture Frames Express

• Ikea Picture Ledges

 Here is a list of the other videos I mentioned:

• Monitor Calibration in 5 Minutes

• How to Use Fotospeed’s Profiling Service

• Why You Should Print Your Images

• How I Manage my Images in Lightroom

• Printing and Framing a Special Image

 Here is a list of the links I mentioned in the video:

• Fotospeed Printing Tips and Tricks Group

• Fotospeed Blog Post on Monitor Calibration

• Fotospeed Blog Post on Printer Profiling

Keep Calm and Embrace the Grey

It’s All About the Light

Over the years some of my best photos have been shaped by the light. I’m always seeking the type of light that will lift my compositions from looking a little dull and flat into something with texture, dimension and contrast. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that you can’t get good images in flatter light, but the images that I like creating often require good light to make them a little more special.

Winter in the UK can be a challenging time for photography. The weather can be rather unsettled and grey flat days tend to be the norm rather than the exception. With so much overcast weather I decided it was once again time to #EmbraceTheGrey and I knew just the place to go.

Right Subject for the Conditions

Back in December 2018, I had visited The Cobb and the image that I captured changed the way I viewed that location. Rather than a location I would only visit when the waves were big and the sky glorious, I really wanted to capture a photograph when it was all still, flat and overcast. I almost got what I was looking for on that visit but I actually wanted it to be even more overcast! I wanted it to be even greyer!

For some time now I’ve been hoping to get those very conditions so I could make the photograph that I had in my mind’s eye. When a recent weather forecast predicted the conditions I was looking for, I thought it was finally time to head back to The Cobb.

In my latest video below I will share with you the experience of going back to The Cobb to try and capture the image I had envisioned all those months ago. I’ll also show you how I post-processed it and how I printed it.

I do hope you enjoyed the video. Though I’ll always be chasing that glorious light, hopefully, this video has shown you that having a subject or location that you can embrace the grey with is not only useful but can also lead to some very pleasing images.

Do you have a favourite location where you #EmbraceTheGrey? Let me know in the comments below.

And finally, here is that image you saw me capture, print and frame.

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Embracing the Grey at The Cobb, Lyme Regis, Dorset - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 16mm, f/13, 182 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and 6 Stop ND

Printing Notes

In case you didn’t catch everything in the video, here is what I used to print the image:

• Printer - Canon Pixma Pro-10s (http://amzn.to/2Anrcj7)

• Software - Edited in Lightroom and printed using Canon Print Studio Pro

• Paper - Fotospeed’s Legacy Gloss 325 with custom ICC profile (https://www.fotospeed.com/Legacy-325/groupproduct/3103/) - one of my favourite papers!

• Frame - Picture Frames Express (https://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/)

Printing and Framing a Special Landscape Photograph

Success in Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year

Entering big photography competitions can seem like a waste of time.  Some of these competitions can attract 1000's of entries, sometimes even 10,000’s of entries .  Getting shortlisted can seem like an achievement sometimes.  How do you create a winning image though?  There's no easy answer to that question.  Judging, even in the same competition, can vary from year to year.  Just look at the winning images from Landscape Photographer of Year since it started.  It's really hard to "know" what the judges are looking for.  

However, there is one thing I do know.  If I don't enter I certainly won't win anything!  There is also one piece of advice I can share , and it's a piece of advice given to me by a photographer and photography competition judge.  He told me that if you think you have a strong image then keep entering it into competitions year after year.  Even if it doesn't get placed in one competition, it might in another.  It's also worth entering the same image in the same competition a different year.

I've always remembered this bit of advice, so ever since I took the image of Stob Dearg (Buachaille Etive Mor) you see below, I've been entering it into competitions.  This perseverance has finally paid off and the image has received a commended award in the Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.  It's the 2nd time I've entered it into this competition, and 4th time in all competitions.  So if you have a good image that you think could win an award, don't be put off by the first failure.  Keep trying!!

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First Light on Stob Dearg, Buachaille Etive Mor, Glencoe - Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 28 mm, f/11, 1/25th sec at ISO 100.

Printing and Framing

The image is one that I am immensely proud off and it brings back many happy memories of my adventure to Glencoe (which you can watch here).  While it will be a real privilege to see it in the yearbook from the competition, I really wanted to make my own print of it, frame it, and give it a permanent place on my wall. 

In the video below I show you how I went about printing the image, selecting a paper, framing it, and eventually hanging it on the wall.

If you are interested in doing something similar yourself, here are the products I used in the video:

• Fotospeed Cotton 305 - https://www.fotospeed.com/Platinum-Cotton-305-Paper/groupproduct/2937/

• Fotospeed Baryta 300 - https://www.fotospeed.com/Platinum-Baryta-300/groupproduct/1437/

• Fotospeed Legacy Gloss 325 - https://www.fotospeed.com/NEW-Legacy-Gloss-325-Paper/groupproduct/3103/ 

• Picture Frames Express - https://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/

• Conservation Tape - https://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/picture-frame-supplies/tapes/74/

• Picture Hanging Strips - https://amzn.to/2TWuE2l

I hope you enjoyed this video and blog post.  Do you have any photography competition tips?  How do you go about displaying your prints?  Let me know in the comments below.