By Cassandra Balentine
Part 2 of 2
Art is meant to be shared. Many artists look to a variety of mediums to express themselves. Print is one of these mediums.
Atiba Jefferson is passionate about photography. He uses the art form to express appreciation for life and culture around him. “Growing up, I’ve always had a deep love for sports—specifically basketball and skateboarding. This passion, combined with my love for photography, has allowed me to do things I couldn’t imagine—working for major skateboard publications like Thrasher Magazine, as well as becoming a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Lakers during the Shaq and Kobe years where I captured more SLAM magazine covers than any other photographer,” he recalls.
But what he loves most about photography is how it truly comes to life through printing. “Together, photography and printing have no boundaries, allowing creators like myself to produce anything we could imagine,” continues Jefferson.
Printed Film Project
High-quality inkjet printing capabilities are often used by artists and photographers as a means to display and share their work. Artists are always finding new ways to push the boundaries of conventional tools to create something new and inspiring.
The Printed Film Project is an initiative meant to highlight ways in which print and photography can complement each other through graphic/digital design to create films out of photographic prints. This was accomplished through 300 hours of consistent printing on four Canon U.S.A., Inc. imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 professional inkjet printers, 500-plus prints, a full 24 hour day of mounting printed images, one high-quality Canon EOS C700 Digital Cinema Camera to film, and the artists and creators who participated.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 is a 17-inch professional printer with an 11-color plus Chroma Optimizer ink system. The device is engineered with 18,432 nozzles and sensors designed to continuously monitor status and deliver optimum results. It also features the Canon Air Feeding System, which prevents each page from skewing for accurate ink placement, regardless of paper type.
For the Printed Film Project, Jefferson helped create films out of prints, working together with Canon and other industry influencers, Jade Purple Brown and Magdiel Lopez. “When I first heard the idea of something that could both be filmed and printed from a Canon device, making a film out of prints, I thought it was the craziest thing. And I was so excited to try it out for myself,” he shares.
The combination of the Canon EOS C700 Digital Cinema Camera to film and Canon’s imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 for photo printing enabled him to produce high-quality images and detailed prints from B&W to a wide variety of colors—even the most difficult of shades—at fast speeds with ease.
“When working on something like the Printed Film Project that combines high-quality film and prints, pre-visualization, organization, and consistency are imperative to help avoid mistakes. Canon’s imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 printer offers consistent, high-quality printing, which is why we specifically chose that printer,” he shares.
In addition to the print engine, the inks are essential in photographic prints. Jefferson uses Canon’s inks, one of his favorites being the LUCIA PRO Ink system. “Through its dense droplet placement, accurate color reproduction, image clarity, and enhanced detailing, the LUCIA PRO 11-color plus Chroma Optimizer ink system—which comes standard with the imagePROGRAF PRO-1000—photographers like myself can produce high-quality output that helps bring art to life.”
“I have a lot of experience working within the sports industry, photographing famous skateboarders and basketball players in action. However, I also have worked with other subjects within the music industry, as well as consumer brands like Canon. While working specifically with Canon, I have been able to expand my passion for photography even further through print, helping me to grow both as a photographer and an artist,” he notes.
Art Without Bounds
The Printed Film Project is a unique initiative that brings input and output together in a way that has never been done before.
“Printing and photography have no boundaries, and this project exemplifies how creators can use their creativity to do anything they can imagine,” shares Jefferson. “The fact that one company—Canon—can bring all of this together through its high-quality equipment is what stood out to me.”
The Printed Film project highlights the power of print and photography and the possibilities that come from collaboration with graphic/digital design.
Feb2021, Digital Output
