Large format high quality nature photo prints can truly transform an interior space. They can inspire, impress, and command the attention of the bystander. That said, there are many characteristics which have to come together in order for a fine art print to achieve superior quality. Are you an art collector who wants to know how to tell the good from the great? Read on and learn what differentiates the high end premium quality fine art from the average landscape photo prints.
High quality nature photo prints are first made with great image content. Impressive content is the base for what makes high end fine art, just like any great meal begins with the finest ingredients. Therefore, there are several components which make up the photographic ingredients of the print.
A beautiful location provides the first ingredient for the content of quality nature photo prints. While natural beauty abounds around the world, there are certainly parts of it that are more captivating than others. If the landscape is not stunning, chances are that the print itself will not have a wow factor.
As a fine art nature photographer I have been amazed at how much the photo composition affects the final quality of the prints. The right composition of the same location/object can be the difference between a high end and a mediocre print. While composition may seem less significant, it actually affects the final result considerably. A strong composition makes a powerful statement, which captures any viewer.
Similar to composition, the object/s in the photo contribute substantially to the quality of great nature prints. High end fine art prints contain both aesthetically and visually pleasing objects. Forms, shapes, tones and sizes will influence the final look, feel, and presentation of the scenery.
Another ingredient of quality nature photo prints is the season during which the shot was made. It is true that every season brings its own natural beauty. However, the same landscape will not look equally attractive throughout the different months. For this reason it is crucial that the landscape photographer captures the location and object/s during the best time of the year.
Light is a major factor when it comes to high quality nature photo prints. In nature light can change not only from one day to another, but also multiple times within the same day. It can be so transformative that the exact same scenery can be stunning one moment, and absolutely dull only minutes later. I have personally experienced this multiple times and one example is my limited edition fine art image Perfect Five. The radiance and splendor you see in it were completely gone moments after I pressed the shutter. Once the light was gone the landscape looked almost black and white and without any vibrancy.
Finally, high end quality nature photo prints have something unique about them. This is important especially with well known beautiful locations. Since these places draw large crowds of photographers there can be a tendency to repeat the same photographic theme. Prints that contain the same object, composition, season, and light can soon lose their appeal because they all look the same. On the other hand, when an image showcases a well known location in a unique and creative way, the end result of the fine art print can truly impress.
Every nature photographer who produces high quality photo prints will process the digital image after it has been captured. There are several reasons for that. One, the camera does not see the way the human eye sees. Therefore, most times post-processing is necessary in order to bring out the beauty that was witnessed in real life. Two, a serious photographer will shoot in raw image format, which captures a lot of information. The photographer then needs to make the necessary tweaks and adjustments, in order to bring out the best of that information to life. Nevertheless, image post-processing is an art form in itself which requires mastery.
Skilful post-processing of the image can produce great quality nature photo prints. Modern software products like Photoshop make this possible. However, this software provides a lot of processing power, making it very easy to over-process a photograph. Meaning, it takes a master artist to pull out the best of the image without going too far and producing artificial results. A high end nature print is both spectacular and natural. It is stunning, without looking over processed.
High quality nature photo prints are clean and without noise. While this is usually not an issue on computer screens or small prints, it matters a great deal with large format photo prints. Serious photographers will ensure that noise is under control in their print. While some situations look natural with some noise, most times a noisy sky, clouds, or other smooth surfaces create a low quality print.
Good sharpness and detail produce quality nature photo prints. Again, both of these can be taken too far and can actually ruin the print. However, a quality fine art print will have great detail and sharpness and absence of noise, even at very large sizes. Everything done right will still be negated by a blurry image.
Hot pixels do not produce quality nature photo prints. When cameras take long exposures, usually in low light, they produce “hot” pixels. This happens because the electronic photo sensor produces heat when the shutter is open for a longer period of time. The end result is brightly colored unnatural dots on the image. They are artifacts which need to be removed before printing. This is another factor that is more noticeable on large format prints.
Great quality nature photo prints look good both on paper and a screen. On the other hand, just because an image looks good on an LED screen it does not mean that it will look good when printed. As mentioned above, detail and sharpness will be present in the final result of the actual print, which is just one of several components.
The tones and colors of quality nature photo prints look natural, bright, and vivid. They are usually true to what is represented in real life. There is a catch however. It may look drastically different from what you saw on your computer. Not all screens are made equal. First, different brands will render color tonality differently. Second, not all monitors are calibrated to the same color space. For this reason, the same image will appear differently from one monitor to another.
In addition, one should be able to see detail in both the darkest and the brightest areas of the print. A bright sky should not be so bright that it is overexposed and appears white. Conversely, a shaded area should not be so dark that it is pure black. However, there are exceptions when the photographer purposefully brightens or darkens to extremes in order to achieve a particular result. In general, a high quality print is bright, vivid, and sharp, when observed in a well lit area. These are essentials and differentiate the premium fine art from the lower quality artwork.
The finest materials and mount products are the final requirement for high quality nature photo prints. While the printmaking industry offers a variety of print mediums and mounting options, they vary in quality of presentation. Before you buy a fine art print, make sure that you understand the type of print medium and mount to be used.
I consider acrylic prints to be the best quality possible. However, not all acrylic prints are of the same quality. For example Costco offers acrylic prints, but they are no match to those offered by a high-end print lab, whose customers are serious professional photographers.
FujiFlex Super Gloss print paper is one of the best papers available. Combined with a TruLife® acrylic face mount creates a museum, or fine art gallery, quality print masterpiece. Acrylic prints produce vivid colors with great details, which give the art image almost a 3D look. The next best mount and medium in my mind are metal prints. This is why I focus on offering my limited edition artwork in both of these.
The best quality nature photo prints are not easy to produce. It takes time, skill, effort, and patience to create an impressive piece of landscape artwork. There are many great nature photographers out there. However, not everyone can offer spectacular large format premium fine art prints. As a reminder, a photograph which looks stunning on a screen may or may not look stunning in print. If you are a serious art collector you are probably looking for the best quality fine art nature photography print. This article equips you with the knowledge of the necessary components that make premium fine art.
Soothing Ocean Waves | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | LIMITED EDITION FINE ART PHOTOGRAPH 25
Gintchin Fine Art offers exclusive limited edition fine art photography by Lazar Gintchin, a nature and landscape photographer specializing in large format size prints. Each image in Gintchin’s portfolio is a unique and limited edition print. The gallery includes high-quality wall art prints in acrylic and metal mediums, providing a luxurious fine art presentation. With a diverse range of genres to choose from, art enthusiasts can curate a collection that reflects their aesthetic preferences.
