Teta Kain has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the York River and Small Coastal Basin Roundtable, a forum for information sharing and collaboration among water quality and conservation-minded stakeholders within the York River, Mobjack Bay and Piankatank River as well as the Dragon Run, Mattaponi River and Pamunkey River. The Roundtable presents the Lifetime Achievement Award at its biennial conference to individuals who have a lifetime of volunteer service focused on educating and protecting the quality of life within the watershed.
On June 22, Friends of Dragon Run will also honor Kain by dedicating the Teta Kain Nature Preserve. The preserve is located on Farley Park Road (Route 603) at the New Dragon Bridge in Middlesex County.
Like the Lifetime Achievement award, the new name for this FODR property recognizes Kain’s extraordinary volunteer service to Virginia and the Middle Peninsula through her decades of work on species counts, protecting swamps and wetlands, capturing nature through photography, as a nature guide for hikes and kayak tours, as a speaker about the natural world, as the leader of nature-focused organizations in Virginia, and as the organizer of bird counts, butterfly counts and moth nights.
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A force of nature, Kain’s enthusiasm and leadership have made key and measurable contributions to the natural world. She always has both a sense of purpose and a sense of humor. Legions of Virginians know more about nature and became nature enthusiasts based on her charismatic skill and magic. She has gifted environmental literacy to countless individuals and groups.
For 35 years Kain has been a key leader within Friends of Dragon Run, as a former president of the organization but most famously as the kayak paddle guide who led more than a thousand individuals on tours of the Dragon and the Dragon Run watershed. She is known to many far and wide as the Doyenne of the Dragon, later as the Queen of the Dragon, and now as the Empress of the Dragon.
As a leader for the Friends of Dragon Run, she also worked with the counties and their governments in the Middle Peninsula, various steering committees and commissions, and Virginia agencies and organizations to protect Dragon Run and expand knowledge of the flora and fauna of the Dragon and Virginia. Kain both inspires and educates with her presentations about the flora of Dragon Run and the rich biodiversity found in the forests, swamps and wetlands.
She is an extraordinary communicator and a life-long learner. Her energy, positive attitude, subject matter expertise and communication skills have had a clear and measurable impact on motivating people to learn about and embrace the natural world and to volunteer. Her volunteer work defines what it means to be a selfless naturalist who betters the commonwealth of Virginia. Kain is an extraordinary informal educator, a dynamic spokesperson and leader for the natural world, and a champion for the importance of conserving and protecting the natural world and her beloved Dragon Run.
Her own words describe her years in Virginia: “[I] met literally thousands of people, chased a million birds and butterflies…[there] aren’t enough hours to do all of the wonderful things to be had here.”
Friends of Dragon Run is a non-profit corporation. Its mission is to protect, preserve and encourage the wise use of the Dragon Run watershed. It fulfills that mission through education, stewardship and citizen science. For more information about Dragon Run and to join its activities, visit DragonRun.org.
Have you been struggling to properly capture the enchanting dappled light on the forest floor, waves breaking over a rugged coastline at sunrise or the milky way on a clear night? You’re not alone. As more and more of us get out into the wild in our hiking boots to soak up nature’s majesty, it’s normal to want to photograph your adventures, whether it’s for your own personal memories, social media or even for a competition. But it’s harder than it looks.
Despite technology getting better and better, it can still be tricky to understand aspects of photography like what makes a great composition, never mind the changing light conditions, and often you just end up with a camera reel loaded with thousands of mediocre photos that will never see the light of day. To help you with this conyndrum, we spoke to world-renowned photographer Charlie Waite, founder of the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition, to get some pro tips on how to frame up and shoot your favorite outdoor views with confidence and skill.
1. Photograph how it feels, not how it looks
Most of us get started in outdoor photography using our phones, and when our pictures don’t turn out the way the scene looks in real life, we start to wonder if we need to splash out on a conventional point-and-shoot camera. This isn’t really the question you need to be asking, according to Waite.
“We need to ask ourselves what a ‘real camera’ is? The first thing to take place with photography is the wish to ‘own the experience’ in the form of a photograph and any camera will do this,” explains Waite.
What it all comes down to has less to do with the tool at hand and more to do with the level of commitment you bring to the task.
“As some might say, “don’t photograph what it looks like; photograph what it feels like’,” says Waite.
So the good news is that with the right attitude, a little knowledge and lots of practice, your phone could definitely be sufficient for capturing your outdoor experiences, especially if you’re not trying to document a mirror image of what you’re seeing but instead trying to capture the way you felt when you saw it. It’s like telling a story.
That said, he does admit that an iPhone may not have quite the variety of features to deliver a photograph that matches what you wish to express – when I became obsessed with photographing the moon a few years ago, I soon realized my phone wasn’t going to cut it, and upgraded to a Canon Powershot SX500 which met my needs. But your phone can definitely suffice for a lot of natural scenes, so long as you have the right attitude.
2. Find depth in the details
We’ve probably all been there. You’re standing on the summit of a 14er or a Munro with 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains and can’t stop snapping. But when you get home, your photographs really don’t represent the majesty of what you witnessed up high. They just seem a bit flat. Well, according to Waite, that’s because they are.
“It is a question of noticing everything prior to making the photograph. A photograph is two dimensional and with a landscape, depth might need to be introduced,” says Waite, who offers the following tips for getting started:
Think about light and the nature of that light.
Look up at the sky and establish where the clouds are (if any) and the position of them.
Look at shadows and highlights.
Try and pre visualize what the photograph will look like at that moment and if need be, wait to see if the lighting can be improved on.
3. Decide what to reveal, and conceal
When it comes to figuring out whether to shoot in portrait or landscape more, it’s important to understand that under certain circumstances, your choice might mean that certain elements might get cropped out when it’s time to share your image. If you’re shooting for a particular platform, like Instagram or your blog, you’ll quickly figure out that certain platforms better support one orientation over the other and in that case, choose the best one for the platform.
If you’re just curious about whether one is generally better than the other for photography purposes, Waite advises that either can work, but there are some considerations any time you’re shooting in portrait orientation.
“If portrait, think about the foreground and don’t neglect the need to look at all areas of the photograph to be made. Take your time. A good house rule is to look all around the edges of the frame and omit the redundant elements that you feel are not part of what you saw.”
In other words, consider what you want to reveal, and what you’d rather conceal for the purposes of composition.
4. Shoot early or late
If you’re usually shooting when you’re on a hike in the middle of the day, it might be a bit baffling as to why your images don’t look amazing. After all, the light is at its peak so you can see everything clearly and there’s no need for flash or bringing lights. But actually, the light could be what’s causing the problem.
Years ago, I was the model for Vail’s summer campaign and every shoot involved meeting the photographer at 6 a.m. to drive up the mountain and catch the sunrise. It was grueling, especially because no one looks their best that early but also because it was freezing cold, but those photos will always be my all-time favorites because the light was softer and more varied so as not to create awkward shadows and the sky more interesting.
“Often the best time is when you are able to capitalize on shadows to convey dimension,” says Waite, recommending that you’ll actually often get your best shots earlier or later.
“The mornings or evenings will deliver more probability of shadows.”
5. Don’t be afraid of the weather
Flash will rarely be required outdoors, and in fact, to capture mood in a photograph, sunlight may not be what you need so much as clouds or even mist. To this end, don’t shy away from non-bluebird days and embrace any weather that fits with what your ‘story’ is.
“Remember that a photograph often needs to express emotion and could be seen as a ‘production’ made up of multi-dimensional elements which collectively will convey that emotion.”
6. Start simple
When it comes to outdoor photography, rarely are you short on inspiration. The question, it seems, is where to begin. Should you try to photograph an entire mountain range or zoom in on a single wildflower? Or what about wildlife? Waite’s advice is to start with something you’re likely to find on every hike – trees.
“Trees are often a good way to begin and the attraction to trees will amount to their shape and the relationships that they have with one another. Look and absorb all that lies in front of you. Full immersion into the photograph you plan to make and recognition that there is a photograph to be made in the first place.”
Enter the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2023 competition
Charlie Waite started the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition 15 years ago to celebrate the UK’s most stunning landscapes. Britain’s most challenging photography competition sees photographers scaling mountains, wading rivers, battling snowstorms, chasing sunsets and clambering up skyscrapers to capture the most beautiful locations in the UK.
Entries to the 15th edition of the award are currently open for photographers young and old, experienced and amateur, to be in with a chance of being named Landscape Photographer of the year 2023. With a prize fund worth over £20,000, inclusion in a stunning coffee table book and inclusion in a nationwide photography exhibition, photographers have until 31st May 2023 to enter online, with the winning photographers announced at an award ceremony in October. Enter online here: https://www.lpoty.co.uk/competition/rules
Teens Malia Means and Aidan Yu are constantly on the lookout for the perfect picture. It’s a search that takes patience, a lot of exploring, and a little luck. Recently, it all paid off in a big way.
“I was really happy but I really wasn’t expecting it so it was a great surprise,” said Yu.
“I read the email and my jaw dropped,” said Means.
Both teens were named top 10 winners in the 10th Annual “Adventures in Nature” Photo Contest sponsored by the Nature Conservancy of Arizona. 16-year-old Mean took second place and a $2,500 prize for snapping a beauty near the Superstition Mountains.
“The mountain was covered in fog, you could barely see, so we start walking into it and we see this rock face, and it’s covered in fog and you’re like wow it looks like it’s from a different planet,” said Means.
“This year, we had 200 students from ages 13 to 18 across Arizona submit almost three hundred photos,” said Bretta Nelson with The Nature Conservancy.
Judged by professional photographers, Yu caught their eye with two of his photos. One from the Salt River draped in vibrance at sunset. The other captures a rather stealthy bird that calls Arizona home.
“I got incredibly lucky with that shot, honestly. I was laying in the dirt, and it just so happened the roadrunner came toward me, and I got the perfect shot,” said Yu who walked away with $500.
Many found that perfect shot including Arianna DuPont of Tucson who captured a Rare March Snow in Sabino Creek. She celebrated her first-place prize over Zoon with her photography teacher.
The whole experience left these up-and-coming artists even more focused on finding that next great photo.
At The Frying Pan Gallery, connect to nature through local art and live music
More time in nature was one of the small pleasures of the pandemic, says Scientific America. We found some New Englanders who embraced the idea of going back to nature years ago
Updated: 8:30 PM EDT May 26, 2023
SARAH SWAIN AND THE BOYS ARE FAMILIAR FACES ON THE CAPE COD MUSIC SCENE. YOU GOT A CAP JUST AS THE FRYING PAN. THE ART GALLERY SARAH STARTED WITH HUSBAND STEVE SWAIN HAS BECOME FAMILIAR TO ART LOVERS IN WELLFLEET LIVING ON CAPE COD. THERE IS DEFINITELY A SPIRIT OF RECLAIMING AND REUSING WHAT YOU HAVE, AND THAT’S REPRESENTED IN THE GALLERY AND SO MANY WAYS. I MEAN, JUST FROM THE BUILDING ITSELF, BEING AN OLD OYSTER SHACK TO ARTISTS WHO ARE INSPIRED BY OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT HERE, A LOT OF THEM USE FOUND OBJECTS, WHETHER IT’S DRIFTWOOD OR SHELLS. STEVE SWAIN IS AN ARTIST WHOSE HANDCRAFTED METALWORK IS DISPLAYED PROUDLY THROUGHOUT THE GALLERY. I GREW UP ON THE WATER IN SITUATE AND ON THE CAPE. I BECAME A LICENSED CAPTAIN AND I WORKED ON BOATS AROUND THE WORLD. INFLUENCES THAT I BROUGHT BACK HERE. ANYONE WHO HAS SPENT TIME ON OR UNDER THE WATER WILL APPRECIATE HIS EXQUISITE DETAIL. WHEN I DESIGN THE PIECES, I LOOK AT LOTS OF VIDEO AND PHOTOS, SCHOOLS OF FISH. A LOT OF THAT’S FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE AND MEMORY. BUT IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A NEMO THAT SPEAKS TO YOU, COME BACK BECAUSE THERE’S ALWAYS MORE. YOU SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO EXHAUST THE STUFF THAT’S IN THE OCEAN, HOPEFULLY, BECAUSE IT’S WHERE MY HEART IS. ALSO ON DISPLAY ARE PICTURES FROM COMMUNITY ACTIVIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER SHIREEN DAVIS. A LOT OF THE BOATS THAT WE HAVE HERE ON THE CAPE, MOST OF THEM ARE DAY BOATS, SO SMALL BOAT FISHERMEN, SO I’VE BEEN PART OF THAT COMMUNITY ALL MY LIFE AND BEEN DOCUMENTING THE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THAT. A WOMAN WITH SOME VIBRANT RED HAIR STANDING STRONG IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE THAT SHE’S WORKING WITH. THREE KIDS DOWN AT THE DOCK. THAT’S THEIR LIFE. THEY GREW UP THERE. IN HER PHOTO, AS DAVIS CELEBRATES HER SUBJECTS WHILE ALSO SHINING A LIGHT ON AN INCREASINGLY RARE WAY OF LIFE. YOU’RE LIVING WITH THE TIDES AND THE WIND AND AND THE QUIETUDE OF WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND THAT YOU’RE HARVESTING FOOD, AND THEN YOU’RE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDING. YOU CAN’T BEAT IT. AS PART OF CHATHAM FOUNDING FAMILY, SHIREEN DAVIS’S ROOTS RUN VERY DEEP, VERY DEEP. 13 GENERATIONS FOR HER HUSBAND, HOWEVER, RELATIVE NEWCOMER, ONLY TEN GENERATIONS DEEP ON HIS SIDE. BY THE WAY, THEY’VE OPENED A SECOND FRYING PAN GALLERY. THIS ONE IS IN ORLEANS, AND STEVE’S WORK, OF COURSE, CAN BE FOUND IN GALLERIES ALL OVER THE CAPE. AND THAT IS CHRONICLE FOR TONIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, EVERYONE. I’M ANTHONY EVERETT AND I’M SHAYNA SEYMOUR. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND. WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE ON MONDAY.
At The Frying Pan Gallery, connect to nature through local art and live music
More time in nature was one of the small pleasures of the pandemic, says Scientific America. We found some New Englanders who embraced the idea of going back to nature years ago
Updated: 8:30 PM EDT May 26, 2023
In Wellfleet, art and community meet at The Frying Pan Gallery where you’ll find co-owner Steve Swain’s hand crafted sculpture as well as local art, jewelry, furniture, and more. Currently on display is work by local photographer/activist Shareen Davis whose latest photography (and cooking) can be found on her Instagram #fishchickphotog.Sarah Swain & The Oh-Boys Rockabilly sounds are staples in the Cape Cod music community. During COVID they produced a series of “Frying Pan Sessions” that are currently available Facebook.
In Wellfleet, art and community meet at The Frying Pan Gallery where you’ll find co-owner Steve Swain’s hand crafted sculpture as well as local art, jewelry, furniture, and more. Currently on display is work by local photographer/activist Shareen Davis whose latest photography (and cooking) can be found on her Instagram #fishchickphotog.
Sarah Swain & The Oh-Boys Rockabilly sounds are staples in the Cape Cod music community. During COVID they produced a series of “Frying Pan Sessions” that are currently available Facebook.
This photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows Tibetan wild donkeys at Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
This photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows Tibetan antelopes at Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
This photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows bar-headed geese at Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
This aerial photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows Tibetan wild donkeys at Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
This photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows wild yaks at Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
This photo taken on May 25, 2023 shows a lynx at Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
This photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows Tibetan wild donkeys at Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
Kenichi Ohno’s photograph of wading bird appearing to be in front of two disconnected backgrounds
A Japanese photographer has caused some confusion with his recent image that the internet can’t figure out. It depicts an Egret bird wallowing in shallow water, but the incredible composition of the image has left a few photographers scratching heads.
Kenichi Ohno submitted his amazing image of the Egret to a photographic nature competition, and aside from receiving an honorable mention, the photo accidentally went viral as an unintended optical illusion involving a color split down the middle.
• These are the best lenses for photographing birds
As photographers, we should be pretty good at spotting obscure optical illusions and understanding how an image can be affected by factors such as light, color tones, and exposure levels. But this image from photographer Kenichi Ohno has left even photo competition judges stumped, experts who are supposedly adept at spotting image composition errors and any editing inconsistencies.
The Nature in Japan photo contest in which Kenichi entered his image, titled Gap, saw some other amazing photos submitted by members of The All-Japan Association of Photographic Societies (AJAPS), but none as mesmerizing as the accidental optical illusion featuring Kenichi’s bird in the water.
The image features a perfect split down the center, with the left side showing the natural blue shades of the marsh water, whereas the right side appears to be a totally different muddy brown color with the white Egret dead center in the frame.
None of the best editing software was used to create this effect, so how was it done? Plenty accused Kenichi of having photoshopped the image or even using AI to create it. But what the image actually shows on the right side of the split is a wall, followed by the waterline underneath it, causing the brown reflection of this wall to appear in the water, changing the color to a muddy brown.
To shed some light on how the image was composed, and to help viewers understand what they’re really looking at, the AJAPS has shared an image on its Facebook page (above) that offers some clarity in a zoomed-out perspective of the exact location whereby Kenichi’s image was captured.
It’s amazing how our brains work. Do you remember that photo of a blue/gold dress that divided the internet back in 2015? Well, Kenichi’s Egret image requires some real perception-altering to figure out what’s going on, but once you understand the image and how it was created, the eureka moment occurs and it all makes sense.
• You might also be interested in the best free photo editing software, plus the best bird box and best bird feeder cameras to use in your garden, and not forgetting the best portable hides and camouflage gear for wildlife photography.
• Take a look at these 6 ways to improve your composition, as well as how to photograph an optical illusion using a magic mirror, and understand how forced perspective can be used to create optical illusions that bring your toy photography to life
SOLANA BEACH, CA — Patch reader Teresa Schaefer captured this photo of a Lesser Scaup diving duck at Annie’s Canyon Trail in Solana Beach.
Thanks for sharing!
If you have an awesome picture of nature, breathtaking scenery, kids caught being kids, a pet doing something funny or something unusual you happen to catch with your camera, we’d love to feature it on Patch.
We’re looking for high-resolution, horizontal images that reflect the beauty that is San Diego County, and that show off your unique talents.
Send your photos to [email protected]. Be sure to include photo credit information, when and where the shot was taken, and any other details about what was going on.
The article Lesser Scaup Diving Duck: Photo Of The Day appeared first on San Diego Patch.
North Park is known for its lake, trails, pool and picnic shelters, However, a lesser-known section of the park allows for a quiet examination of nature and provides a variety of outdoor and environmental education programs. The Latodami Nature Center covers 250 acres, including fields, woodlands, a pond and wetlands in the northwestern portion of North Park.
Like much of North Park, which has been timbered over multiple times and farmed for generations, Latodami is a testament to the area’s agricultural past. Pittsburgh lawyer J.D. Brown developed the property in the early 1900s. He was known as a “gentleman farmer” because he hired farmhands to run the operation.
The Horning family are direct descendants of Brown and named Latodami Farm after their four children: Orlando (LA), Antoinette (TO), Davia (DA) and Michelle (MI).
In 1969, as part of the broader environmental movement and in partnership with the North Area Environmental Council, Allegheny County acquired the property to develop a nature center.
Allegheny County acquired Latodami Farm in 1969 and created a nature center in North Park. Photo by Ethan Woodfill.
Many of the original outbuildings — including a chicken house, pigsty, turkey pens, milk house and horse stable — were removed. The main house (now three apartments), foreman’s house (naturalist office), Latodami barn and storage barn remain.
The open-air Latodami barn, which was built in 1914 for milking dairy cattle and storing feed and equipment, serves as a nature center with local plant and animal displays. It also contains a small, heated classroom.
Naturalists Meg Scanlon and Katrina Stanley are two of the four full-time staff members at Latodami.
“It’s a nice quiet side of North Park, a place to get into the solitude of nature and escape all the craziness of the suburbs,” Stanley says.
Latodami is a particularly kid-friendly space, as the trails are short and easy to moderate, and there are plenty of educational opportunities.
The center conducts programs for all ages and during all seasons, including maple syrup-making, Tuesday Night Hikes, litter pickups, meditative walks, and Owl Prowls.
“We’re trying to get owls to fly into us or talk to us,” Stanley says. “Typically we’re seeing Eastern Screech Owls, Great Horned Owls and Barred Owls.”
A Girl Scout Troop works with Meg Scanlon at Latodami Nature Center. Photo courtesy of Latodami Nature Center.
North Park encompasses more than 3,000 acres, making it home to a number of microhabitats and a plethora of flora and fauna.
“Despite the deer and invasive plants, we have an extremely unique variety of wildflowers and a huge population of native trees,” Scanlon says. “We can find trillium or orchids, and over 270 species of birds coming and going. We’re very fortunate because of the quality of the soils and the habitats that we have such huge diversity.”
The center also manages all of the mature meadows that exist in North Park. These meadows, which were once cropland, are home to wildflowers and woodcock.
Remnant apple orchards also remain on the property, and the center is working on planting new orchards.
“We’re the only true apple orchards that are managed in North Park,” Stanley says.
The Pond Trail is a great short hike for kids at Latodomi Nature Center in North Park. Photo by Ethan Woodfill.
The center offers educational resources on its website. There are also trail and historical signs located throughout the property.
“We’re trying to get people to appreciate and love the outdoors — the plants, animals, weather and insects. Getting them to experience it enough that they don’t have fears for it and that they can learn to appreciate the big and the little things,” Stanley says.
“We can try to get that everyday person that maybe has no interest in nature connected to the land and planting that one seed of interest that sparks them.”
Know before you go
While the barn is only open for scheduled programming, the grounds are open to hikers from dawn until dusk. Trail maps are available outside the barn.
The Latodami Nature Center is located at 575 Brown Road in Wexford. Parking is limited.
Events and programs are posted on the Allegheny County website and on the center’s Facebook page.
Latodami Trail Map.
Trail guide
Blue Trail (Crow’s Trail)
Look and listen for crows, barred owls and screech owls on this 1.2-mile, moderate loop.
Pond Trail
Great for kids, this short 0.25-mile loop is close to the nature center and takes hikers around the pond.
Orange Trail
Remnants of the pigsty and turkey pen are on this easy 0.23-mile loop. This was one of the first trails constructed at Latodami Nature Center.
Skyline Trail
Named because the hike feels like walking up into the sky, this easy 0.38 trail has an observation deck where you can view the remains of the windmill and cistern used by the original farm to pump and store water.
While many art collectors look to museum quality Acrylic Fine Art Photography prints as the top of the line choice in nature photography wall art, countless others look to the worlds best metal prints as a striking, durable and more affordable alternative. With a bright, high gloss surface and modern visual appearance, metal prints are displayed in homes, businesses and art galleries around the world. In fact, in locations where humidity and heat are a factor, like Hawaiian Photography Galleries, metal prints are sold almost exclusively as their high end product.
So what exactly is a metal print? Can you sharpen an edge and shave with it? Use it as a shield when sword fighting? Melt it down and turn it into a wristwatch? These are just a few of the questions I will answer as we take a deep dive into metal art and metal wall decor below. Grab your hard hat and buckle up.
What Is A Metal Print?
Metal Prints are photography prints produced using a product produced by UW Solutions called ChromaLuxe. ChromaLuxe is an aluminum substrate with a very fine multiple layer polymer finish that contains a specialized, formulated coating providing the foundation for a visually stunning and durable fine art print.
Essentially a thin sheet of aluminum, ChromaLuxe prints are also surprisingly light with durability unmatched in fine art printing. ChromaLuxe prints are produced using a technology called sublimation, where inks are infused directly into specially coated metal sheets, creating images with stunning color, vibrancy and resolution. ChromaLuxe panels are scratch, fade, water and flame resistant. Requiring nothing more than simple glass cleaner, they are effortless to clean as well. Metal prints can be produced up to 48″ x 96″ creating large, captivating image displays for the ultimate in metal wall decor.
Plates of chromed steel are woven together into a living fabric, stretching from a fiery sodium-vapor inferno below to the pastel rescue of the sky above. Caught in the warped space of the iron cavern, the walls seem almost to move. Fine Art Limited Edition of 100.
What Are The Benefits of Metal Prints?
In the world of fine art photography you have a long list of possiblities. You can have artwork printed on wood, metal, plastic, stone, glass and even create a luxurious shower curtain or coffee mug! So what are the benefits of metal prints and why should you choose them for your next wall decor project? Let’s find out!
1. Durability
Metal prints are virtually indestructible. They can be displayed in damp and humid environments like bathrooms and outdoor pool areas. In fact, if you want to, you can take a blowtorch to the surface of the print and it will be just fine. All ChromaLuxe products meet ASTM standards for flame spread and smoke development, making them exceptionally safe for every environment. They can be displayed in the hottest and most humid environments on earth with no concern at all. The truth is that metal prints can withstand just about any common (and most uncommon) stressors you can throw at them.
2. Scratch Resistance
When displaying artwork in a public area or in the presence of wild and crazy children (or grown ups) you may have concerns about accidental damage. Metal prints have incredible scratch resistance and really need to take a beating to see any effect at all to the surface of the print. That sword fight you’ve been looking forward to may just be in your future after all!
A dry plain of alkaline mud is anodized by desert minerals into a celestial nebula of iridescent hues. The gold and indigo of the cracked causeway mimic the reptilian fauna that call these barren wastes their home. Fine Art Limited Edition of 100.
3. Aesthetic Appeal
Metal prints are quite striking and provide a clean, crisp and modern appearance to your artwork, allowing them to either stand out and make a statement or blend in to existing decor depending of the size and how it is displayed. Metal prints can be displayed unframed, or framed with a number of aesthetically pleasing float, edge and surface mounts. Metal prints can be produced in sizes up to 48″ x 96″ and can even be cut to virtually any shape you can imagine.
4. Lightweight
Metal prints are very light, especially when compared with an Acrylic Face Mounted or externally framed piece of art. This makes mounting a metal print effortless, allowing an individual to hang the piece by themselves in most cases. Every metal print from ChromaLuxe is lightweight and easy to carry, relocate or display without additional mounting hardware required. Because a metal print is a single sheet of lightweight aluminum, you never need to worry about the print falling off the wall or separating from the frame, no matter where or how long it is displayed.
5. Effortless Cleaning
Grab a bottle of windex and your least favorite kids soccer jersey, because that is all you will need to shine a metal print right up with no effort at all. I have pieces in my home I have never had to clean more than simply dusting the top edge. Unlike paper, framed glass or canvas prints, you can get them dirty, wet, hot and bothered…uh, if you want to.
Golden light from the early morning sun illuminates a forest of beautiful aspen trees at the peak of autumn in Telluride, Colorado. Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.
How Long Do Metal Prints Last?
Quite simply, your metal prints will outlast you. ChromaLuxe Metal prints are a durable product that is resistant to weather such as sunlight, rain, and other environmental conditions that can result in yellowing, fading, or aging. ChromaLuxe metal prints were tested by Wilhelm Imaging Research and achieved a permanence rating of more than 60 years using two distinct ink sets. This rating is more than three times better than silver-halide photo papers. In reality, your metal prints could look just as stunning the day you check out, as they did on the day they checked in.
Acrylic Prints Vs Metal Prints
Often times collectors of my work look to me to help them choose between acrylic photography prints and metal prints. To many, the price of the artwork isn’t the first consideration, but comes secondary to quality. In the world of fine art photography prints, quality is measured by both image quality and print quality. One won’t matter unless both are the very best money can buy. Instead of simply telling you my personal preference, I’d like to share the winning qualities of each.
Transform your space with Aaron Reed’s luxury fine art photography print, Embers, from his Panoramic Wall Art collection. Order yours today! Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.
Visual Qualities | Metal Vs. Acrylic
Many of the visual differences between metal and acrylic photography prints can only be identified when comparing the two side by side. At first glance, when not illuminated, a metal print will often appear brighter than the same image printed on a silver halide paper like Fujiflex. Once properly lit, the acrylic print takes on an ethereal glow, making the image appear backlit, or illuminated from behind. A metal print does not share this same effect and simply appears brighter when illuminated.
While typically not identifiable by non photographers, the fine detail of the image when comparing the two mediums is clearly won by a traditional photographic print mounted behind acrylic glass. This does not mean a metal print has poor detail, it simply does not have the same level of detail and fine detail and tonal shifts that a traditional photo medium possesses.
When color and contrast are compared, a metal print has a lower color gamut, higher contrast and as mentioned previously, often times appears brighter overall under comparison. This brighter, high contrast punch is one of the reasons metal prints work so well in public display, when high quality lighting is often not used. All things considered, if you are looking for the very best image quality overall, a traditional photograph behind acrylic glass wins almost every time.
A lone cypress guards the stony shores along California’s Seventeen-Mile Drive. Part of the only indigenous cypress grove in the world, its twisted visage bears witness to many seasons of chill fogs, bitter gales, and crashing waves. Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.
Physical Qualities | Metal Vs. Acrylic
Where visual qualities of metal prints slightly underperform when compared to traditional photo papers, when physical qualities are compared, metal truly brings home the gold.
A metal print is both lighter & stronger while boasting strong resistance to water, heat, humidity and surface scratching. As a single sheet of aluminum vs the three glued layers of an acrylic print, separation of materials is non existent.
The combination of weight, durability and brighter overall appearance without external lighting makes metal prints a top choice of many interior design, hospitality and medical facilities around the world. Artwork can be displayed, moved, cleaned and admired almost worry free after initial installation.
In the home, where more care can be taken, higher quality materials are appreciated and external lighting is often used, traditional photographic prints behind acrylic glass have always been my personal preference and suggested medium. That being said, the same benefits above, that clearly tip in favor of metal prints ring just as true at home as they do in the workplace. Many collectors of my work purchased their first piece of art on metal and have never looked back.
Either Way You Win
Over the past decade I have directed my work to be produced as both metal and acrylic prints many thousands of times. I have personally viewed no less than one hundred of my images side by side on both mediums. While I typically will have a personal preference one way or the other, my experience with fine art photography printing allows me to make adjustments when finalizing the images for print that bring the visual similarities closer together, despite which medium of choice is requested. Either way, you win.
The placid waters of a seaside lagoon reflect the fires of dusk along Iceland’s western coast. Suspended as if in midair, the verdant monolith of Kirkjufell sits like a forgotten ziggurat, guarding the land of auroras from the frigid waters of the Arctic. Fine Art Limited Edition of 100.
Transform your space with Aaron Reed’s luxury fine art photography print, The Window, from his Panoramic Wall Art collection. Order yours today! Fine Art Limited Edition of 100
Waves pulverize the living rock in Garrapata State Park, along California’s central coast. The ruddy hues of ice plant beds create an illusion of imaginary fall as evening falls across the far West. Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.
