Techniques Media Equipment

Media

All of our prints are made with the highest quality archival inks and media. Through extensive testing and calibration procedures, we have chosen three media for printmaking. Each media type has unique rendering properties as described below. Click to learn more about our environmental commitment as demonstrated through our material choices.

Satin Paper

A print on this type of paper most resembles a traditional photographic print. The surface of the paper has a bit of a sheen to it (as opposed to a high gloss) and an almost imperceptible texture. The colors rendered on this paper are very vibrant and saturated across all tonal ranges. There is very good definition and contrast in the shadow areas with deep rich blacks in complete shadow. Due to the high reflectivity, the paper surface has a very slight glare to it when viewed at just the right angle to a light source. This paper is recommended for images with lots of important shadow detail.

Matte Paper

Our matte finish paper is a watercolor paper. Colors are saturated where intended, but they don't have the "snap" that a magazine or glossy photo paper would have. Sharpness of detail is maintained but without the intense reflectivity of a glossy print. There is slightly more texture to this paper than the satin paper, but if the viewing distance is more than three feet, the texture is imperceptible. On this paper, shadows have a soft appearance, but sharpness is maintained. Matte paper is recommended for all images except those where high contrast in shadow areas and rich bold blacks are desired.

Canvas

Our canvas has a very tight weave or "tooth", and retains superb image detail and very vibrant color reproduction. The reflectivity of the surface is in-between that of the watercolor and satin prints; not as glossy as the latter, and not as matte as the former.

Our canvas prints are coated with a protective giclée veneer. This veneer shields the canvas from scratches and UV rays, and also enhances color saturation and contrast across the entire tonal range of each print. Veneered canvas prints can be framed without glass, thereby eliminating the glare issues inherent in traditional glass framing, as well as minimizing the weight of the final framed print. For these reasons, veneered canvas prints are recommended for very large prints, and for prints to be placed in areas with lots of windows or harsh light sources.

All prints are provided unframed. We carefully package all prints either rolled or flat, depending on size and your preference. We are happy to recommend the following excellent framers in the Kansas City area:

Ann's Framing
Ann Sink
913.384.2260

Corporate Art Services
Cherie Pedego
2105 Burlington
North Kansas City, MO 64116
816.421.4848
www.gallerynorth.us

Prairiebrooke Arts
Brooke and Mike Morehead
7900 Santa Fe Drive
Overland Park, KS 6620
913.341.0333
www.pbarts.com

Quality and Satisfaction Guarantee:

Kevin Sink Photography strives to produce compelling images to be reproduced as fine art prints employing the highest level of craftsmanship and using the finest archival materials. From image inception to print production, Kevin Sink Photography enforces strict quality control practices.

Kevin Sink Photography guarantees that you will be completely satisfied with the quality of our work and service. If you are not, please return your order in its original condition within 15 days of receipt. We will be happy to either reproduce the order to your satisfaction or refund the purchase price minus shipping and handling costs.

Equipment

The images on this web site are a culmination of more than twenty years of field work. Over that time, technology and equipment have changed dramatically, although Kevin believes that capturing great images still comes down to being at the right place at the right time.

Kevin used a large format view camera (Linhof Technikardan 4 x 5 field camera) for the first fifteen years of his professional career. In 2004 he made the switch to digital, using Phase One digital backs on a variety of camera platforms. He currently uses a Phase One P25 digital back (22 megapixels) on a Contax 645 camera with Carl Zeiss lenses (35mm, 80mm, 105mm, 200mm, 360mm).

Kevin usually takes a backup camera system that complements his primary system. For example, he uses a Canon 5D camera body with long telephoto lenses for wildlife shots that would be impossible or impractical with the Contax system. When Kevin was shooting on the 4 x 5 format, he would also take along a Pentax 6 x 7 camera system to use when light was changing quickly, and he needed a faster platform on which to shoot. Only aerial shots are taken without the use of a sturdy Gitzo tripod. On aerial shots he uses a gyroscope to minimize or eliminate vibration.

Kevin uses a Mac Pro computer with the following software; Capture One for image processing, Photoshop as the primary digital darkroom, Photomatix for high dynamic range (HDR) processing, nik Color Effects Pro, Viveza sparingly for certain filtration effects, and Image Print software RIP for printing.

The current printer we use is an EPSON 11880 with archival Ultrachrome inks. This nine-cartridge ink set system combined with the latest print head technology results in absolutely stunning prints on all the media we offer.