Printing
How I choose paper for a print
Every print I sell is on one of two papers. Here is how I decide which one a photograph needs, and why I stopped testing new ones.
Every print I sell is made in my studio, on one of two papers. I tested about thirty papers over the years and settled on these two in 2022. I have not changed since.
Cotton rag, for soft light
Most of my landscapes are made in soft light: fog, dusk, overcast days. A matte cotton rag paper suits them. It has no shine, so the print looks the same from any angle, and the gray tones stay smooth. Black Sand, Fog Season, and Herbarium are all printed this way.
Baryta, for deep blacks
Night skies and storms need deeper blacks than a matte paper can hold. For those I use a baryta paper with a satin surface. It has a little shine, so I ask people to hang it away from a window.
- Cotton rag: Black Sand, Fog Season, Herbarium, Dry Country, Above the Cloud Line
- Baryta: After Dark, Weather Coast, Quiet Animals, Quiet Geometry
The paper should disappear. If you notice it before the picture, it is the wrong paper.
What I tell people at the workshops
Every print is signed and numbered on the back, and it ships flat between two boards. If you are not sure which paper you want, write to me and I will send you two small samples.