As photographers moved from film to digital photography, they gained a new flexibility that changed the entire process. However, what was lost in that transition was a need for a more tangible connection to images that only a printed photo can provide.

Full disclosure: This sponsored article is brought to you by Saal Digital.

I have only printed a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of images I’ve shot since I got my first professional-grade digital camera (the Nikon D1). The lack of physical output isn’t confined to the 4×6 or 5×7 prints from a lab with a developed roll of film. I also have made fewer wall-sized prints of my digital work than my film work.

I’ve always owned a high-end photo printer, and there are some shots I’ve hung on my wall, but often, the experience of making wall-hanging prints is cumbersome, and the results aren’t great. Unless I had a print framed professionally, the paper would sag over time, distorting the images.

The better option, and the one I turn to when I want to hang something on a wall or provide something for a client, is to turn to one of the expert photo services, where I can rely on their expertise to produce the best possible images.

Saal Digital is a high-quality print provider that prides itself on its output and is ”working to develop our products further to achieve higher standards and meet our customers’ needs.” SAAL Digital offered to create prints from some of my work so I could share the results. While they sponsored this post, they had no say over what I could write.

I picked four types of print: a metal print, a brushed metal print, a gallery print in a matte finish, and a Fine Art print using Hahnemuhle Baryta.

Saal Digital offers many other photographic solutions, including photo books, albums, gift boxes, cards, calendars, and more. Still, to me, the proof of a printmaker’s quality is large-format output.

With these four different print styles, I selected images I wanted to hang that would benefit from the characteristics of the media.

I selected a long exposure night shot in Joshua Tree under a full moon for the aluminum metal print. The lodge I was staying at had a western-themed location set designed for weddings and events to use as a backdrop. I’ve always wanted to have this on my wall, but most media can’t capture the shimmering skies of the long exposure, and most prints I’ve made lose all details in the shadow.

The matt-finished HD gallery print was used for a high-detail photograph my son took while we were on a photo trip to Brazil. A shot of a cayman (it’s like a small alligator but lower on the chain of predators, a favorite meal of jaguars) had incredible detail in the eye of the reptile. The cayman had startled us when our boat pulled to shore so someone could photograph a bird, we noticed the cayman sitting just inches from the side of the hull.

At such a large size, the print would be a good test of the detail of the aluminum print, and I figured the matte finish would make the image look more lifelike since a glossy coating would give a shine to the creature it didn’t have in real life.

One of my favorite images is a shot of a snow monkey at the Central Park Zoo while testing a super-telephoto lens. The image was shot as dusk approached, and the background dropped into darkness. The expression on the monkey’s face was so human that it became one of my favorite portrait shots.

Finally, for the fine art framed poster, I picked a macro shot of a bee that has a nice mix of background bokeh and foreground sharpness. Since I’m familiar with Baryta paper, I had specific expectations for the results and wanted to see how it matched similar prints I’ve made on the same paper.

The process of selecting the materials and uploading the images is straightforward. Pick a style and size, and use their online tool to upload the photo. Many online photo output houses have complex and unnecessarily cumbersome tools, but Saal Digital’s site is straightforward.

My order was placed on December 6th and arrived on the 13th, which is no small feat considering how large the prints were. The largest print was the Cayman, measuring 30×40, and the smallest was the 12×18 fine art print, so I was interested in seeing how the variety of print sizes were packed.

Saal Digital ships via DHL, and the box arrived with a bit of a crumpled edge (thanks, DHL!) I was worried about the contents, but Saal Digital had the prints packed incredibly well-protected, and nothing was damaged.

The prints are exceptional. My favorite is the shot from Joshua Tree, as it’s a print of an image I’ve always loved but have not been able to produce well on my photo printer. The metal surface is exceptional, bringing out each star hanging in the sky, especially when light hits the print. Color is vibrant in the output, which is exactly what I saw in real life, and it has quickly become my favorite wall art.

The Cayman photo maintained all the detail in the original shot, right down to the astounding detail in the eye of the Cayman. In the original image, it’s possible to see the silhouettes of people on the boat, including my son, holding the camera while taking the photo. The print captures that perfectly, and you can see every blade of grass, every detail on the cayman.

The snow monkey photo came out exactly as I intended, with a smooth black background and a sharpness in the eyes that made the monkey look even more human. (Or, shows how monkey-like we are.) The saturated colors on the face of the animal pop without overpowering the rest of the image.

Finally, there’s the fine art print of the bee on flowers. While I’ve printed on Baryta paper, I haven’t had results as good as this print. I’ve hung it near some hyper-macro shots of flowers I’ve done, and it looks beautiful on the wall.

I ordered each of the prints with the aluminum subframe, which gives the prints a very stable backing and allows for easier hanging. The hardest part of hanging the prints was finding my picture hanging wire buried in a drawer in my basement.

Unlike when I self-print artwork, the prints from Saal Digital are flawless, and the metal prints seem likely to outlive me.

The process was seamless, and the quality was excellent. I’ll use these images to show off print examples to my clients.

The full range of Saal Digital’s photo offerings can be found on their site, and their online design toolkit allows the creation of photo products directly on their website, which is particularly helpful when creating photo gifts and self-promotional tools like calendars.

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Full disclosure: This sponsored article was brought to you by Saal Digital.

A street photographer has gone viral with his epic impromptu portrait of actor Gordon Cormier who plays Avatar Aang in Netflix’s hit series Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Photographer and videographer Kien Quan has amassed over 4.9 million followers on TikTok with his dynamic and spur-of-the-moment portraits of ordinary people that he meets on the streets in his daily life.

However, earlier this month, Quan spotted actor Gordon Cormier on the streets of New York City — just a few days after the photographer had watched his television series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix.

In a TikTok video, that amassed over 29.6 million views, Quan revealed how he approached Cormier who plays the lead character of Avatar Aang on the show and captured him in a portrait.

Quan’s photograph shows Cormier mid-air on his skateboard. The image was praised by social media users for making the Avatar: The Last Airbender star “look like a real-life Airbender.”

“Usually I’m a TikTok creator who films strangers on the streets. I love telling stories about people through photographs,” Quan tells PetaPixel.

“That morning, I was doing some shots for my friend as a favor and I thought I would head out to see if I could spot anyone for a video too.

“I had literally just watched Avatar: The Last Airbender a few days ago. Then my friend spotted Gordon Cormier and said ‘Dude, I think that’s Avatar Aang!’”

A Photo Shoot with an Avatar

After speaking with Cormier and his Netflix representatives, Quan shot the Avatar: The Last Airbender actor on his Nikon Z8 as he landed a trick on his skateboard in between interviews.

Content creator Quan, who was a leading professional dance photographer, called the shoot with the actor an “organic process.”

As well as doing the photos of Cormier, Quan collaborated with animator Manthila Bandara, who is also a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, to help create the video portraits of him.

Quan had the idea of animating elements coming out of Cormer in mid-air as a way of paying homage to the character that he plays — as well as visually describing the idea of being in his “element” while skateboarding.

“I don’t bump into celebrities every day with my TikTok videos. There is a fanbase with a gigantic, emotional connection with Avatar: The Last Airbender and I think that’s why that photo resonated with people,” Quan says.

“I think Gordon Cormier also has a huge talent for skateboarding which made the portrait go viral. That was unexpected for people.

“I try to convey the story of the person through my portraits and what their energy is on that day. I think that’s what made that photo special.

“It was also meaningful for me to take his portrait. Growing up, it was incredibly rare to see famous Asian Americans that were portrayed in a positive light like they are celebrated in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

“It meant a lot to me to create this photo and contribute in my own way to the current buzz that is happening around the show.”

More of Quan’s work can be seen on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

 
Image credits: All photos by Kien Quan.

By Kimberly Pistone

For the Sidney Daily News

MAPLEWOOD – Lemke Photography is dedicated to helping families make memories. Anne Lemke started by taking pictures of her own family for her scrapbooking, and when she would post photos on Facebook, her family and friends were always impressed and said she really should offer her services to others.

Lemke began by taking some photos for some friends. After that initial experience, she said, “I realized that I could totally do this.”

She offers outdoor and studio photos. She has lighting and backdrops to do studio mini sessions. She takes special enjoyment in photographing toddlers because she will follow them around and capture some cute moments.

Lemke is always on the lookout for new spots to do outdoor sessions. She said, “Tawawa Park never lets me down.”

Lemke offers all types of portrait photography – from families and individuals, to more specialized portraits like graduation, senior year, engagement and bridal portraits. Recently she did a boudoir session and she is hoping to book some smaller weddings soon.

One of Lemke’s favorite things about her photography business is meeting a lot of new people. She tries to always capture personalities in her photos and for the clients to feel amazing about themselves.

Lemke Photography can be found at lemkephotography.mypixieset.com, on Facebook at Lemke Photography and at Instagram at lemke-photography2023. Make appointments by reaching out on Facebook or by calling 419-302-6436.

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Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

After releasing a heavily edited photo of Kate Middleton and her children for U.K. Mother’s Day, the Palace’s damage-control campaign presses on. Middleton, who is reportedly recovering from a “planned abdominal surgery,” has been the subject of rampant conspiracy theorizing for weeks, and the scarce photographic evidence showing her on the mend has also been called into question. Obviously, a poorly Photoshopped family portrait only fueled more wild speculation — as did a message purportedly from Middleton claiming responsibility for the bad editing, which appeared on the couple’s official Twitter account after multiple news agencies retracted the image due to its drastic alterations.

And now it seems a flurry of anonymous sources have been dispatched to make sure we understand this is one hundred percent Middleton’s fault. One told the New York Post that she feels “awful” and wanted to admit she had done the doctoring “immediately,” believing that honesty is the “best policy.” Over at the Mirror, a purported friend surmised the princess was probably “upset by the furore” over her “innocent family photograph.”

Meanwhile, Prince William appears to be going about business as usual while his wife allegedly spirals out over all the less-than-stellar feedback on her Photoshopping skills. On Monday, he joined Queen Camilla at a Westminster Abbey service and then zipped over to an event for his environmental program, the Earthshot Prize. There, he talked about the challenge of fighting climate change, telling a crowd of attendees, “It is not an easy task.” Neither is editing a photo of the royal family, apparently.

Kate Middleton Apparently ‘Upset’ About Photo-Editing Fail

Leica, the esteemed German camera brand, has announced the inauguration of its first immersive flagship store and gallery in the vibrant Meatpacking District of New York City, at 406 West 13th St.

This new establishment may be worthy of pilgrimage for photography enthusiasts, further enhancing Leica’s presence in Manhattan, while complementing its existing hubs across the city. It is a flagship store and gallery, underscoring the city’s renowned spirit of creativity, providing a haven for visual storytellers to discover inspiration and access tools that facilitate genuine visual expression.

Beyond retail, it aims to act as a hub for the art and culture of photography, though of course the new venue offers a captivating retail experience where customers can immerse themselves and acquire Leica’s comprehensive range of products, including cameras, lenses, and accessories.

Occupying two floors and spanning over 3,000 square feet along 13th Street, just steps away from the Highline and The Whitney Museum of American Art, the newly unveiled flagship store and gallery has been meticulously crafted to cater to a diverse clientele, ranging from seasoned professionals to avid photography enthusiasts.

The ground floor houses the Leica boutique, a haven displaying the complete lineup of cameras, lenses, sport optic products, the Leica watch collection, and the innovative Leica Cine 1 Laser TV. Additionally, visitors can immerse themselves in the captivating exhibitions at the Leica Gallery NYC, showcasing the works of established photographers alongside emerging talent.

Ascending to the top floor, guests discover a realm of inspiration. Here, a Leica Library awaits, inviting exploration through an array of meticulously curated photography books overseen by acclaimed photographer Todd Hido. Adjacent, the photo studio stands as a haven for creatives to experiment with Leica’s cutting-edge technology. 

Finally, the outdoor rooftop beckons visitors to engage in conversation, foster community, and spark collaboration amidst the picturesque cityscape—an unparalleled opportunity to delve into the rich tapestry of art and culture that photography embodies.

Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of Leica’s Supervisory Board has this to say about the announcement:

“Leica has always been at the forefront of the photography industry, and our new Meatpacking flagship will further cement that position, this new space will open up the world of Leica to the public and give people more opportunities to engage with up-and-coming talent, fellow Leica fans, and renowned photographers.”

While Matthias Harsch, CEO of Leica Camera added:

“We are excited to expand our presence in Manhattan with the opening of our flagship store and gallery in the heart of the Meatpacking District. This new location, in one of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods, provides photographers with a space to explore, connect, and find inspiration. We are thrilled to expose more people to the Leica experience, allowing them to discover the critical role photography plays in our society.”

This latest addition signifies the brand’s seventh Leica Store and third gallery in the United States.

The exclusive grand opening of Leica’s flagship store and gallery in New York City’s Meatpacking District (406 W 13th St.) is slated for Thursday, March 14, 2024. The event will include a ceremonial ribbon cutting, a reception, and an exhibition showcasing Leica’s newest offerings.

Moreover, the grand opening will extend into a weekend filled with immersive experiences accessible to the public. This includes a panel discussion featuring colleagues of the esteemed Leica photographer Elliott Erwitt on March 15th from 6 PM to 8 PM, a captivating talk and book signing with Ralph Gibson on March 16th from 6 PM to 8 PM, and opportunities for photowalks guided by Jason Roman and Gulnara Samoilova.

By Laura Sharman

Published: 11:18 EDT, 12 March 2024 | Updated: 11:47 EDT, 12 March 2024