Fotoviva Art Prints

So the Fotoviva Art Collection continues to grow from strength to strength and we have just reached our 300th image. No prizes to him but Martyn Starkey’s equestrian picture ‘White’ is the photograph which happens to be the 300th - and what a shot it is!

A truly magical atmosphere was created with the sepia toning and elegant composition of the horse that shows the grace and beauty these magnificent creatures possess. If you like horses this is an art print you really must own! It is available printed on canvas, acrylic or poster art in a range of sizes to suit your walls.
Congratulations to Martyn and to the rest of the Fotoviva team who continue to help build the ‘quality not quantity’ collection with stunning photographic art that makes your jaw drop!

A big welcome to Martyn Starkey who has joined the Fotoviva photography team. We are thrilled to have his images available for sale on the site and he has his own unique style of work which compliments our collection.

Martyn lives in the central part of England and mainly shoots around the Nottinghamshire area. Photography and digital art have been a love of his for many years but only recently has he found the time to take some more artistic pictures.

He currently use a Canon 400d camera with various lenses and programs such as Photoshop and Photomatix for post processing. He likes to use the HDR (High Dynamic Range) technique and lots of processing to create very artistic views of the scenes he shoots. Bright colours and soft focussing abound in his work which really draws attention, especially when printed onto canvas and hung on the wall.

Martyn says “I love wide angle landscapes and really enjoy producing dramatic skies which I hope enhance what is already present in the original pictures.”

More of his artistic work will be uploaded in the next few weeks so keep checking back!

Andrew Gibson, one of the Fotoviva Team who specialises in travel photography, has posted on his photo blog about some inspiring photojournalists who each have a collection of photographs from South America that will amaze you with their thought-provoking style.Take a look at their images which certainly are not the usual photographic work you would find on the internet, more like works of art from days gone by. While you’re there you can find more interesting posts from Andrew about travel photographers and general photography tips and tricks to help improve your own skills.

The new Nikon D700 is the second full-frame, FX-series DSLR camera from Nikon. Using the same 36×24mm, full frame, 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor as the more expensive D3 model, the D700 also offers exactly the same incredible ISO range of 100 - 25,600.

The high-speed, 12-channel readout enables the D700 to achieve a fast continuous shooting speed of 5fps, or 8 fps with the Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 fitted. The Nikon D700 has a more compact design than the D3, and also features the same integrated dust reduction system as the D300 model. The Nikon D700 will cost £1999.99 and be available from July 2008.

”The Nikon D3 has taken the action photography industry by storm, motivating many pros to change their brand of choice, and we expect the D700 to continue that trend,” said Robert Cristina, Manager Professional Products and NPS at Nikon Europe. He added: “The D700 excels in the extreme low-light and high-contrast conditions under which today’s cameras are judged and affirms Nikon’s ongoing commitment to meeting tomorrow’s imaging needs.”

The D700 inherits the superior image quality of the D3 and uses the same core technologies such as the highly-sensitive 12.1 effective megapixel CMOS image sensor. The D700 also features the same innovative EXPEED high-speed image-processing system, 14-bit A/D conversion and 16-bit processing pipeline to provide the detail and smooth gradation necessary for outstanding print enlargement and reproduction. The D700 is ideal for those seeking a perfectly-balanced DSLR on the move, without compromising durability or environmental resistance to moisture and dust.

The D700 incorporates an image sensor cleaning system that uses high frequency vibrations to reduce the accumulation of dust on the image sensor surface. A responsive 5fps is possible with the compact 1500mAh EN-EL3e lithium-ion battery, with up to 8 fps possible by attaching the optional MB-D10 battery pack using the powerful 2500mAh EN-EL4a battery if desired. The practical i-TTL built-in pop up flash with 24mm lens coverage is ideal for discrete flash lighting when a full size Speedlight might be too cumbersome. Despite its attractive price tag, the D700 boasts a comprehensive range of features that include a highly responsive shutter release time lag of just 40ms, the acclaimed accuracy of the 51-point MultiCAM3500 AF system, DX Crop Mode and Live View with contrast-detect AF displayed on the same high-definition 3-inch TFT monitor used on the D3 and D300.

One of the most significant advantages of FX format cameras is the viewfinder experience which offers outstanding solid glass pentaprism, 95% coverage and adjustable AF point LED illumination for a bright, uninterrupted view. The D700 also has the ability to display the Virtual Horizon level indicator during Live View mode.

System Improvements to the 1,005-pixel RGB sensor have allowed information from the sensor to be utilised for auto exposure, auto white balance and autofocus. 3D-Tracking in AF, for example, achieved by using the Scene Recognition System, tracks subject colour position and automatically shifts the AF points used to match the subject’s movement within the frame. This system also contributes to higher accuracy of auto exposure and auto white balance.

The ultrahigh-definition [920,000-dot VGA (640 x 480)], 3-inch LCD monitor with tempered glass provides a 170° viewing angle. The large monitor is remarkably effective when confirming the focus with enlarged playback images. The wide viewing angle enables easy recomposing of the frame in Handheld mode with Live View. Image Sensor Cleaning Vibrations at four different resonant frequencies steer dust away from the optical low-pass filter in front of the image sensor. This function is automatically activated each time the camera is turned on and off, and can also be activated via the menu.

Ok so that’s some of the technical jargon for you pros out there, but when was the last time Nikon released a bad camera eh? If you have the money and some compatible lenses then you can’t go wrong with this beast of a DSLR.

All our art prints are now available to buy online from the largest web store on the planet – Amazon. The Amazon.co.uk site offers just about anything you could possibly want from books to cds and dvds, iPods and garden furniture. There was a large selection of images on canvas already but we feel with our great collection we have a chance of becoming a strong seller. Due to limitations with their system we cannot offer bespoke sizes but do hope to add triptych canvas art options in the future. It’s still early days yet so we will see how things go over the next few months. You can find the main Fotoviva Storefront here.

Fotoviva have been approached by ITV television to supply several art prints for their ‘60 Minute Makeover’ show. The episodes will be aired in September so we will post again when we know the actual dates. This popular daytime show gets over 1 million viewers each episode so stay tuned for more details in the summer!

We have just opened a new section devoted to panoramic art prints on the main Fotoviva store. The collection of images will expand over the coming weeks and feature wide-angle landscape and fine-art views from around the world which can be purchased in a range of sizes as either poster or canvas art for your wall space.

Over at Digital ProTalk David Ziser posted a very complimentary article about our Art Prints on his highly respected photo blog. The title of the article reads:

“Please place one hand, palm up, under jaw before viewing”

David shows a picture of Graham Cormie’s ‘Hopeman Dawn’ photograph and says he particularly likes the Seascape Art Collection. “It showcases some outstanding images and is worth the visit just for the viewing of so many inspiring images…tons of inspiration available.”

Thanks to David for rating our collection so highly. His blog is well worth a daily read. David Ziser is an internationally renowned portrait and wedding photographer. Studio Photograph magazine has extolled…”Award winning photographer, David Ziser, is showing the world how to take wedding pictures.” His ‘Digital WakeUp Call’ tour was acclaimed as one of the “best ever” seminars on digital photography.

Tim Wallace has been busy adding new Automotive Art Prints to the Fotoviva Collection with some stunning Aston Martin and Mini Cooper S photographs. These are not just car pictures but works of automotive art that bring out the passion and beauty of these cars. Check out the new prints and see Tim’s own video from YouTube.

We are pleased to announce the newest member of the Fotoviva Team, Howard Goff. With a collection of stunning seascape images Howard is a great addition to the contributors and a thoroughly nice guy!

Howard told us “I am delighted to be joining the Fotoviva contributor team. As a long time admirer of the photography of Jacky Parker, Don Tiffney and Tim Wallace, I am immensely pleased my images will now be complimenting their fine work on the Fotoviva website. I have always viewed Fotoviva as a reliable, trustworthy and ethical company with high levels of customer satisfaction. Their current business strategy offers the perfect distribution channel for my needs. I look forward to forging a strong and successful partnership with the company.”

Howard says his interest in photography started in April 2006 when he purchased a Canon 30D. Initially the aim was to capture images of the beautiful places he visited on his boat, namely along the south coast of England, the Channel Islands and the north coast of France. His philosophy in life is that ‘Belief is 90% of achievement’. He also says that “My aim is to bring a smile to someone’s face each and every day.”

“I have always been attracted to water. 90% of the images I take are of it or something associated with this intriguing element. I am seldom happier than when I am by water or on it. Strange considering I swim like a brick!!!”

“For the coastal shots, I always use a tripod and remote release. The camera settings used are manual exposure, spot metering, ISO 100, Raw and the picture style is set to Neutral (no sharpening or saturation). To balance the sky and foreground I use a set of ND Grads. I always check the histogram after each shot and retake if necessary.”

“I have taught myself to use Camera Raw and Photoshop. For me the post-processing is just as enjoyable as the field work. I love it!! As my skills with the camera increase unfortunately there is less to do in Photoshop. I spend 6-8 minutes on most images in a set workflow. You can see details on my Website at www.360360.co.uk.”

Howard was interviewed and had a feature about his photography in a recent issue of Digital Camera magazine. This included a couple of spreads of his images showing how far he has come in only a few years as a photographer.

“Before taking up photography I had really only heard of David Bailey and wouldn’t recognise one of his images if it fell on me. Most of my inspiration has come from DCM and its website. I have learnt much from Don Tiffney whose technique is flawless but in truth Colin Russell’s gallery has inspired me the most.”

‘Aim to get an image that’s never been taken before and will never be taken again’.
That is my ambition.

We look forward seeing more of Howard’s work in the near future, but in the meantime visit the Fotoviva site to see what he has to offer right now in acrylic, poster or canvas print.