Why do we photograph something?

Why do we photograph something?

Often it’s because we care; about the subject, location, story, aesthetic, light, or perspective. We care enough to pay attention to what captures our interest, enough to want to preserve and share it. We care enough to consider exposure, crop, and timing. We care enough to look closer, spending time in post-processing, refining the image until we’re satisfied the file is perfect.

But how many of us care enough to properly finish the image and bring it to life as a print?

Before digital cameras, photographs existed as film negatives. To be shared, displayed, or viewed, they had to become prints. That craft has become far less common with the shift to digital photography and online sharing. Printing now holds a sense of mystery, and far fewer photographers print their work regularly.

So, as a photographer, how does printing benefit you?

• People spend more time engaging with printed images. Instead of a two-second glance and scroll, viewers pause to consider how and why the image was created, what it means, and the choices behind it. A print creates a much more genuine connection with your audience.
• Clients value tangible items, something real, something permanent. Whether that’s a book, framed artwork, or a loose fine art print.
• You retain complete control over the result. A client can’t apply a random filter or extra edit to a printed image.
• The right fine art paper, like those in the Ilford Galerie range, can elevate a print from ‘nice’ to emotive, breathtaking, and unforgettable.
• Printing reveals flaws in your file. Incorporating test prints into your post-processing workflow helps you correct issues and teaches you what to watch for when shooting. Printing genuinely makes you a better photographer.
• And it’s exciting. Watching an image go from concept to capture, to processing then reaching its final form in print is deeply rewarding.

And here’s the big one:

How much time have you spent researching camera gear? Mega-pixels? Cost? After all that investment, why wouldn’t you finish the creative process by printing your image?

Convinced…. Want to know where to start?

I always recommend buying the largest printer your budget and space allow. Once you start printing, it won’t be long before you want to print bigger, so don’t limit yourself unnecessarily.

My go-to sheet media printer is the Canon Pro-1100. It prints up to A2 and is dependable, with beautifully consistent colour accuracy, deep blacks, and excellent tonal range. It gives me total confidence that what I envision is exactly what will appear in print. If you want something smaller, I recommend the Canon Pro-200s or Canon Pro-310. Both print up to A3+ and produce outstanding fine art prints. They’re essentially plug-and-play, anyone can use them.

For the best results, make sure you calibrate your monitor, use the correct paper profiles, and select the right media type on the printer. You can print directly from Photoshop or Lightroom, although I prefer to use Canon Professional Print and Layout, a free driver available from the Canon website.

The printer itself is only half the story.

My other obsession is paper. As an Ilford Master, I’ve printed on the entire Ilford fine art range. More than 28 papers, each with subtle characteristics that enhance creative intent and lift your images into the extraordinary. It’s a huge palette to choose from, and genuinely a joy deciding which paper suits a particular photograph.

The latest addition to the Ilford range is the cotton rag pearlescent collection, offering everything we love about 100% cotton rag paper with a unique pearlescent sparkle under direct light. It’s pure magic.

One of the reasons I love Ilford’s range is its consistent excellence. There’s no guessing, no surprises. Just reliable, beautiful output every time. And the available paper profiles pair perfectly with the Canon printer range so I know the results will be spectacular.

Rachael Smith is a photographer and fine art printer based in Auckland. An Ilford Master and the President of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography, she is also part of the volunteer team behind the annual NZ Photography Show, held this August in Christchurch.

*This article was published in Harvey Norman’s Imagine Magazine

www.nzphotoshow.co.nz | www.raheracreative.co.nz