As you may have guessed, here at ArtisanHD / Artisan Colour, Inc., we have a staff of true art and photography enthusiasts…artisans, in their own right. They range from amateurs, hobbyists, to Pro-level photographers. So when I (Mike Goldner, Director of Ecommerce & Custom Sales) recently took a family vacation to Germany, I took my camera along for the trip to capture some special vacation pictures.

Breathtaking Picture Opportunities

A long believer in the sentiment that, if you want to “take better pictures, start by standing in front of better stuff” – I knew that a few Alpine excursions would fit the bill.

“On a cloudy December morning, we crossed our fingers and started the 1.5 hour long drive from my former hometown of Miesbach (Bavaria) up to the Cable-car station in Bayrischzell. It seemed uncommonly quiet at the station…maybe 4-5 other tourists were taking the chance. But, knowing that the weather in the Alps can quickly change from one hour to the next, we decided to go for it. At worst, we’ll end up in a snowstorm – and that alone is an experience for us Desert dwellers – pictures or no pictures.”

Ascending a solid 6,700’ to the Peak “Wendelstein”, we cut through the fog and clouds. And as if in a movie, the Cabin broke through the drab weather in the valley, to crystal clear blue skies with barely any wind. Such a combination is truly rare and makes stunning vacation pictures! With visibility over 150 miles (like, you can see mountain ranges in Austria!) I knew that this would be a day made for shooting. All I packed was my Canon Rebel T5 EOS and a Canon Lens (EF-24-105mm) – but that’s all it took!

While the family played in the crisp power-sugar like snow, I scouted for the best vantage points to capture the incredible vistas. Over 40 shots were taken on the Rebel T5, and countess others on the iPhone – but a few truly stood out.

Vacation Pictures to Printed Art

Once back in the states, it was time to comb through hundreds of vacation pictures – a super fun exercise as it gave an opportunity to relive some highlights and share them with friends and co-workers. And now the hardest task was near: Selecting just ONE image to print and hang on the wall at home for a daily reminder of our truly special day.

There were about 6 that made the short-list (see above) but in the end, a decision had to be made, based on the image impact, size and where to hang it. Ultimately, the call was made to print this photo at 2’ x 5’ in size.

 

Printing Process from Start to Finish

For the material, in MY mind, there was never any other choice then Kodak Metallic Archival Photo-paper, mounted under 1/8” acrylic. The pearlescent shimmer, inherent to this media is like sparkly snow-crystals suspended behind acrylic…so that was the obvious choice.

Some editing and crop/retouching was needed to balance the highlights and make sure that the white areas won’t blow out in print, or take over the image. In the end, a 300DPI TIF was saved (Adobe RGB98 color profile) and printed by the ArtisanHD team.

As you can see, I am thrilled with the print and can’t wait to proudly display it in my home.

So, if you had the opportunity to stand in front of some amazing spots on this planet, and got lucky with a shot, then rest assured, the staff at ArtisanHD can relate to the importance of it, and what it means to the photographer…we get it, we live it, we love turning your photos into wall art because we do it too!

Have a question on how to turn your vacation pictures or special captured moments into beautiful professional art prints? Ask us how! Call: 480-245-4912 or Email us, we’re happy to help!