A good print starts off with an excellent original, either film or digital capture. The majority of images on this website were made during the last 3 years on 6x17 panoramic and the Canon digital cameras. I've used Fuji Velvia film, in transparency and color negative formulations. The first step for film originals is scanning.

Scanning

Doing the scans myself lets me adjust the scanner settings to get just what I want in the scan. Many times I will rescan an original to fine-tune the tonality and/or color. Often I will do "double scans" where I scan once for the highlights, and once for extra shadow detail, and combine these later in Photoshop.

Fine Tuning in Photoshop

Photoshop has a steep and frustrating learning curve, but it allows much more fine control over an image that was possible in the darkroom. To "optimize" an image, I usually adjust the shadow and highlight end points, the contrast in the image, and overall color balance. Let's say I wanted to darken the edges of an image, a very common adjustment. In the darkroom, it could take up to half a day to reprocess the print to see the change. With Photoshop, the results can be seen on the monitor—in real time! This allows for a great increase in the fineness and sensitivity of the adjustments.

When I think the image is starting to look good onscreen, I'll then make some proof prints. Depending on the image, it can take many iterations to achieve the desired result. When it finally starts to "sing", I save the Photoshop "master" file, with all adjustment layers intact, in case I want to make any further refinements.

Printing

To make excellent prints, you need excellent printer. And printers are getting better and better every year. (I complain that it's getting too easy to make good prints!) I use Epson printers and they excel in all situations. I usually print on papers such as Hahnemühle Digital FineArt, Canson Infinity, Museo FineArt, Epson Exhibition, Moab Entrada and Ilford Galerie, which gives excellent blacks, with a very nice surface texture and minimal bronzing. This is a great time to be a photographer!