Getting To Print

Many times, we’re wrapped up in achieving the perfect image: composition, colours, lines, subject, background and more. Printing has just as much complexity: monitor and printer colour spaces, print profiles for media, calibration, coatings, viewing distances and more. I’m currently working my way towards a journeyman’s understanding to maximize the quality of my prints.

I’ve chosen this photo as one of my baseline prints because it has an incredible transition from yellow through orange, blue and purple. The photo was taken from Constance Bay, looking towards the city of Ottawa. Time was about 9:30pm in early April. Returning from a sunset shoot that petered out, I noticed the city lights reflecting off low cloud. I could barely see the umbrella, and could not see the blues and purples at all. A 3 minute exposure brought out the rich colours and lightened up the sandy beach nicely.

I particularly love the juxtaposition of the umbrella and beach chair. We would normally associate this idyllic scene with a beach in the Florida Keys or a Caribbean island. Instead we find it on a river, looking not towards a gorgeous tropical sunset, but towards light pollution.