I have been using digital capture for some time now for my stock images, but since moving up to a camera with a full-frame sensor (the Canon EOS 5D) last autumn I have also been using this for my landscape work. My new autumn and winter in the dales images, including Silver Birch, Brimham Rocks below have been produced in this way.

As a result, I have for some time been looking for a digital printing process in order to produce fine art prints from my new images, as I can't use the Ilfochrome (Cibachrome) darkroom process that I used for my film based images.

So, I have been working with an Epson Ultrachrome K3 printer for a while now, trying out a variety of fine art papers.  My favourite by far has been the Impart Photo Smooth High White Cotton 315gsm fine art paper which I sourced direct from the James Cropper paper mill (www.papermilldirect.com) not that far away in Kendal, Cumbria.  This is a 100% cotton paper which gives excellent archival properties with the Ultrachrome K3 inkset, estimated at 75+ years.

I have been very pleased with the results and, although I did like the ultra high gloss surface of Ilfochrome, I am delighted with the colour reproduction in my new prints.  The paper also has a great feel to it, and is less prone to kinks and buckles than the almost metallic Ilfochrome surface, so I find I can mount it in just an acid free window mount with a backing card without the need for sticking the print to 5mm foamboard, which is much better from an archival point of view.

My recent panel of images in the Harrogate Photographic Society's Poetry in Pictures exhibition in Leeds used this process, and the results were well received, I am pleased to say.

I am therefore, from today, offering these lovely new digital prints as standard from all of the images on my website in A4, A3 and A3+ sizes.  This has the added benefit that I can can print the images myself and sign the work onto the image border inside the window mount, giving me complete artistic control over the whole process which I have not had since I printed black and white in the darkroom.

For further details visit http://www.marksunderland.com/prints.html or browse through the image portfolio at http://www.marksunderland.com/portfolio.html

Until I can also offer an A2 sized print, I will continue to produce Ilfochrome prints up to 24x20 from my 5x4 film originals (smaller from smaller formats).  Please get in touch with me directly to arrange this service from now on.

The good thing about using a blog to post my news articles is that I can include things that wouldn't go in my email newsletter, such as work in progress.

This image was taken just yesterday in woodland around Gordale Beck just below Janet's Foss near Malham.

The wild garlic is in full flower at the moment, which was the main reason for my visit, but the lighting was a bit tricky, and it was a touch windy for landscape photography involving trees!  I captured this during a bit of a lull, and I think there's just enough movement in the leaves to add a bit of impact.

For those of you who are interested in these things, this is a stitched panorama using three images from a Canon EOS 5D.  I've cropped it a little at top and bottom to produce something in the 6x17 format.

I think it works rather well - feel free to comment!

The new stock image section on Mark Sunderland Photography is always being expanded with sample stock images.  This expansion is currently concentrating on images of Yorkshire.  The thumbnails on the site link directly to the image on Alamy for immediate online licensing.  Images may also be requested direct from Mark Sunderland Photography on CD or by ftp.

To see the stock collection go to www.marksunderland.com/stock.html

There are still a couple of weeks left to see the Poetry in Pictures exhibition of work by Harrogate Photographic Society in the Tonic Artspace at Leeds General Infirmary.

The exhibition includes a panel of six of my images, entitled Poetry in Sandstone, and including The Tooth, below.

Poetry in Pictures

Gilbert Scott Gallery
Tonic Artspace
Leeds General Infirmary
Great George Street Entrance
LS1 3EX

From 3rd to 27th May 2006

Two new image series have been added to the website featuring images taken in the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale during ...   more »