SpecMode
2009-11-14, 07:08
So, I've been dabbling in photography for a couple of years now, to the point where I've become the quasi-official photographer for my department on base here in Japan. One of the projects I've been working on is a photo collage, which is traditionally presented to folks who are transferring to another command or separating from the Navy entirely (as I will be doing this coming February).
I recently finished the project, and will be sending the final result to a contracted print shop elsewhere (once I find out how I'm actually supposed to do so, anyway). In the interim, I'm planning to print copies of the collage using my own printer at home, a Canon Pixma MP560. It's no "professional"-grade printer, but the results I've gotten so far from Lightroom have looked pretty good to my untrained eye. Plus, I've got a nice variety of photo paper to choose from, varying from semi-cheap (Kodak 8.5x11 glossy) to mid-grade (Canon Fine Art Quality A4 matte) to holy OMG WTF expensive (Pictran Crystal, at nearly $5/sheet in a 25-pack). If I don't end up doing this sort of thing for a living at some point, at least I'll have the experience (and, eventually, the pro-level gear) to do a little bit of freelance work on the side.
So, does anyone in here create photo prints, either as a hobby or for a living? What sort of gear do you use, and how do you come up with good results?
I recently finished the project, and will be sending the final result to a contracted print shop elsewhere (once I find out how I'm actually supposed to do so, anyway). In the interim, I'm planning to print copies of the collage using my own printer at home, a Canon Pixma MP560. It's no "professional"-grade printer, but the results I've gotten so far from Lightroom have looked pretty good to my untrained eye. Plus, I've got a nice variety of photo paper to choose from, varying from semi-cheap (Kodak 8.5x11 glossy) to mid-grade (Canon Fine Art Quality A4 matte) to holy OMG WTF expensive (Pictran Crystal, at nearly $5/sheet in a 25-pack). If I don't end up doing this sort of thing for a living at some point, at least I'll have the experience (and, eventually, the pro-level gear) to do a little bit of freelance work on the side.
So, does anyone in here create photo prints, either as a hobby or for a living? What sort of gear do you use, and how do you come up with good results?