My mini investigation into archival paper

It seems as though there is conflicting advice on paper on the web - isn't there always conflicting advice on the web? Afterall you can find any combination of problems and solutions to fit your scenario! However, if you take a look at Wilhelm Research they state the following;

See the PDF here >>

On an Epson 2100 / 2200 with Epson Inks

For displayed prints (UNFRAMED)
Years before noticeable fading or colour change is observed

• Epson Enhanced/Archival Matt Paper : 41 years
• Textured fine art paper was the best Epson Paper: 68 years
• Epson Velvet fine Art was the worst Paper: 34 years

Behind glass they all did better than 60 years and behind UV glass better than 100 years

Therefore I am going to stick with my Archival Matt as it does very well.

Calm, Hornsea Beach, England

Archival isn't archival in the US?!

Thanks for everyone’s comments over the last couple of days - I have had an amazing response to this blog. Thanks for everyone who pointed out errors in my English (sorry about that!). To the guy who said the picture entitled ‘Spot the Puffin’ wasn’t Puffins but Gannets – Look a little closer – there is a Puffin – hence the title!

I did have one comment that naively hadn't thought about - the print media. I had assumed that Archival Matt from Epson would be Archival. However, somebody in the US pointed out that the name had been changed over there to Enhanced Matt because it wasn't Archival. Therefore I am going to look at different print media over the next week or so. Tom Gardner (I fantastic landscape photographer based in Scotland) recommened Hahnemuhle German Etching. If anybody has any other ideas then please drop me an email.

Whilst I am talking about printing – I am also investigating the new Epson 3800. I was about to purchase the 2400 to replace my 2100 (which has served me well over the last 3 years) – but it seems as though for not much more I can get A2 print capability.

Anyway – onto what I was going to write about – Matting or Mounting prints. I am a member of the local photographic club – Frodsham Photographic Society and regularly enter competitions. For this I need to mount my prints. Currently I have just been spray mounting them. However, I realise this isn’t the best way to ‘show off’ my prints or the correct way to best preserve them and decided to invest in a mount cutter. I opted for the A2 cutter from Longridge (for approximately £130) and received it earlier last week. Having used a cheaper cutter before I was a little sceptical – but was amazed at the quality of the first cut – it was almost perfect. So this weekend I have spent a few hours cutting and mounting prints for a landscape competition at my club on Monday.

I need to investigate the mounting of my prints in more detail as I suspect that I need to ensure that I not only use acid free mount board but also leave the prints and board to acclimatise so that I remove any tendency for the print to ripple.

I hope to produce a more detailed look at mounting over the next few weeks.

I have had lots of advice on how NOT to sell my photos

Thanks to everyone for all the responses to this blog - I can't believe how many people have contacted me in such a short space of time.

Here are some on the key comments coming from my blog readers...

"I think the only "real" way is to show your stuff in galleries, at coffee shops, on street corners etc... and then have your website out there for if those people weren't carrying any cash that day."

"You do have some gorgeous stuff. I particularly like "Autumn Reflections" in your Scotland collection. I know nothing about selling photos, but I can tell you that, as a customer, I'd never buy a photograph strictly off the web. I'd have to see the actual print to know if it really appealed to me. Once I saw your stuff in person, I then might buy from a website..."

"As an artist in oils,photography, & Clay, I have found that it's not about what we like, it's about what the buyer likes. We are here to serve them. The right size, color, mood to match the living space of those who shell out the cash."

Clearing Mist - Iceland

From what you all are saying it is going to be difficult to sell art over the web. I suppose I thought that was going to be the case - photographs are a touchy feely thing...

One reader also started that I shouldn't put any technical info on my site. I have to say I disagree with that. i want people to know the story of my prints - otherwise they may as well go to Ikea and get a £5.99 print.

So it look like an exhibition is the way to go - which I always assumed. But! I think I am going to continue with the web quest for now. I don't like to be defeated - As the famous peom by Kipling states - "If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,But make allowance for their doubting too;"

"You should sell your photographs, you know!"

Or, "Do you sell your photos?"

These are the statements that I get on a weekly basis from friends and colleagues. However, my reply is always, "I know" or "I don't have time" or "Knowbody will buy them".

So - I have decided to sell my photos. At first it seemed like a simple task, afterall I have a website and know a bit about web development. Also - I am a salesman! So it all seemed to make sense - ot so I thought....

My thoughts were to sell a limited set of photos through my website only and then if that went ok have an exhibition next year. I don't just want to end up selling prints to friends - if I am going to do this I want to sell to people that have never met me but have seen my images and like them for what they are. If that is because it reminds them of where they have been or a type of light on a mountain that they remember then great. The money isn't an issue to be honest - yeah I would love to get paid for a passion of mine but what really excites me is somebody would be willing to pay for my images to be hanging on their wall. That would be a real honor and something I would be very proud of.

Dewent Water at dawn, The Lake District

To be honest - I don't think what I have done so far is really going to work - but I have set up a really simple contact form on my site to begin with. I think it will be useful for people that ask me about my images - at least now I have somewhere to point them! More importantly I have decided on a price - £70 for an A3+ print. I think that is reassuringly expensive but not over the top (in fact good value for a 1 of 50)

Other the next few months I am going to try and promote my images and I think I need to do the following 2 things...

• Create a niche - difficult to do as although I feel my landscape photographs are unique, they don't really have a theme. Do I go for an area - such as Wales or The Lake District? Or B&W?
• Get people who are interested in purchasing fine art to my site! - this could be people that have visited the areas I have been maybe? Or people looking for presents?

The next few months are going to be exciting if nothing else...

Yeah! - the best time of year is here for us landscape photographers

Most people long for the long summer days and warm weather. But as a bit of a freaky photographer I always look forward to when the nights draw in. That means 3 things to me

More dramatic weather - such as hoar frost, mist, and snow
Longer 'golden hour' - as the sun stays closer the the horizon throughout the day
Most importantly - Longer time spent in bed! - sunrise is 7-8am!!!

One of things that suprises me about any photographer (me included) is how we change our behaviour when we travel. I spend a lot of time in the Lake District and Wales taking photos but never really venture too often onto my doorstep.

So - project for this weekend - take more photos closer to home!!!

There are plenty to be had as these two images prove - both of which were taken about 1/2 mile away...

Wheatfield - Cheshire

Sunrise of Cheshire

D200 Diary and Premature Baby

I bought a Nikon D200 about 10 months ago and started to write a diary on my website - which is what got me into this Blogging. I couldn't believe the interest I got from it. I have meant to start an official blog since then but quite a lot has happened since then. About 2 weeks after I took delivery of my D200 I took delivery of Thomas Danson - he came 8 weeks early though (unlike my D200, unfortunately!). So that was fun....

Anyway - to cut a long story short - I have now written a more detailed review of the D200.

D200 - 10 months on >>>

Here is an extract from the review (a mini photo story)

Blea Tarn, The lake District

Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 lens - 1/10s / f13.0 / 17.0mm iso500 (RAW)

This is one of my most recent photos, taken in the Langdales - one of my favorite places in The Lake District (NW England). I got up early to take this and even persuaded my wife, Ann to come with me as we were staying at my parents and therefore had babysitters. I told Ann that there would be a great sunrise and it was well worth sacrificing a potential lie in (they don't happen with often with 2 little ones below 3!). I had planned to go to Blea Tarn as it has easy access of the road and I know the sun would shine on Harrison Stickle in the distance. There was a great sunrise - but it was windy too - and as Ann kept telling me - and very cold! so the reflections weren't quite as good as I had wanted. After about 1 hour we left - and I was really pleased with the what I had captured. However!! - to my horror when I stopped for the next shoot I had forgot to set the ISO back to 100 from 500 from the previous day. Although this does look noisy on the screen at 100% it looks ok printed - but doesn't have the smooth tones that a low ISO has. Leason learnt!!!

Hello world

Well this is my first post to the blog. I hope to be able to post share my experiences of taking landscape photographs. I am not sure how this will go at the moment but I want to talk about

• Why I took the shots
• Where I went and why I went there
• What equipment I am using and what I think about it
• Any tips I can give you for the location
• Composition of shots

I am 35 years old and live in Cheshire, UK. I have been into landscape photography for 22 years now and started out with a passion for B&W images. Some of my best memories of photography are actually in the darkroom watching images appear in front of my eyes. Now all the images I take are digitally produced and printed.