Printing low-light and minimalist images with depth

Italian photographer Mauro Tronto lets nature do all the talking in his imagery. A magician of light, he depicts the majesty of the elements in minimalist compositions and dark environments – from inky, star-filled skies (see above) to forests lit with glimmering fireflies (see below). He is also adept at making high-quality prints of his photographs to sell, transforming darker-toned images into artworks that look just as good on paper as they do on screen.

"I have had a love for nature since I was a child," says Mauro. "In landscape photography, I immediately found a strong appeal that has turned into an inexhaustible source of inspiration. The landscape must be observed, understood and interpreted."

While Mauro finds his inspiration in nature, translating it into print requires considerable practical skill. He uses his Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 printer to create his photo prints, which he displays in exhibitions and sells to clients. Mauro also attends conferences on landscape photography and image printing processes, so is aware of common printing mistakes that photographers make, and is adept at avoiding them. Here he explains his process and offers his advice.

Choosing to print low-light and minimalist images with depth brings with it important considerations, Mauro notes. "The most demanding challenge in printing landscape images made in low-light conditions, as well as nightscapes, is to convey the atmosphere of the scene without losing details in the darkest and deepest areas of the image," he says.

Mauro soft proofs his images in Adobe Photoshop before any printing takes place, viewing the image on his carefully calibrated monitor to see how it should appear once printed, and making adjustments accordingly. The soft proofing process is an important part of printing, since what exists on a backlit screen will somewhat differ from what's represented on paper.

"Due to the profound difference between print and monitor colour systems (CMYK vs RGB), you will have colours that can be reproduced on the monitor but not in print and vice versa," says Mauro. "Soft proofing is a software mechanism that allows us to simulate on a monitor how our photograph will look when printed on paper. Obviously, it is an approximation, because not all CMYK colours are reproducible in the RGB colour space, but if assisted by a quality and well-calibrated monitor, the results will certainly be good."

Canon's Professional Print & Layout software offers colour management features for soft proofing and hard proofing, as well as ICC profiles and rendering intent on delivering optimum screen-to-print match results.

The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 is a printer that Mauro feels does his image files justice. "Having a quality file from my Canon EOS R5 and being able to represent it at its best on any type of paper, thanks to the imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 printer, is like driving a Ferrari at a racing circuit. It gives you security," he says. "Being able to give three-dimensionality to a print means being able to direct the attention of the observer to the main source of my message. It means giving a strong sense to my photography."

Directing his viewer's gaze is a feature of Mauro's work that is particularly effective when printed. He creates minimalist compositions, such as that showing the subtle arc of an all-white mountain slope rising above a forest, against a whited-out sky, in which the viewer almost misses the small silhouettes of climbers at first glance (see above). Once spotted, these figures draw viewers into 'reading' the image differently and inspecting it more closely.

Mauro uses his Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 printer paired with Canson® and Hahnemühle fine art papers, and says that his paper choice varies depending on the image. "Photo paper plays a fundamental role in the whole process, and I am often asked which paper to use, but it is absolutely impossible to give a precise answer," he says. "I believe that choosing a paper based on the image to be printed is equivalent to making a tailor-made suit rather than buying one from a store."

He advises buying sample packs containing different types of photographic paper – from matte to glossy, textured to smooth – to try out and to help you choose the best solution.

One factor that influences Mauro's paper choice is durability, since fine art papers are predominantly made of natural fibres and are not artificially bleached, allowing prints to last 60 years or more if properly treated. Texture should also be considered, as it affects rendering of the details and the paper's ability to reflect light and, therefore, to convey the tonal range. The weight of the paper, and its white point – which is the different perceptions of white in a paper – are also worth thinking about, he advises.

Baryta is a fibre-based photographic paper coated with barium sulphate to give it a smooth, reflective finish. "The rendering of blacks on baryta photo cards, for example, is astounding," says Mauro. "This, especially in low-light images, allows me to establish the right balance when printing an image in which there is a strong contrast between lights and shadows."

Finally, the gamut is also a deciding factor. "Different papers used on the same printer, with the same set of colours, the same print drivers and with a specific colour profile, allow me to reach different black depths and different chromaticities depending on the image I have to print," Mauro says.

This depth in the blacks, subtle variations in tone and colour fidelity are elements that sing out in Mauro's award-winning photo prints. After all, if you are seeking to photograph landscapes in a pared-back, minimalist style, each element on the page needs to captivate – and here they truly do.

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