I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. Claude Monet
The Vision
The inspiration for this series comes from nature itself, its boundless energy, vitality and myriad of forms. My Flora Nova is inspired by the flowers around us; the explosive bursts of vibrant and vivid colours. The end product is something that hopes to capture the dynamic energy of nature.
The Artist
David Ferguson is a photographer based between Scotland and Germany. A passion for travel has already taken him to over sixty countries. Each year he looks to explore new places or re-visit old favourites. Photography has became an integral part of his travel experience, allowing a deeper connection to the places, cultures, nature and people he has had the privilege of encountering. To view his travel photography please visit www.david-ferguson.com
The Process
The process of creating each My Flora Nova image involves a 3P process: Photographing, Processing, and Printing.
Photographing
Each image starts out as a high resolution, full-frame RAW photograph using the Nikon D850. The camera's 50 mega pixel sensor is widely regarded amongst photographers as having an industry leading quality through its ability to capture images with incredible detail. The majority of photographs are captured using a macro lens which facilitates the capture of incredible close-up detail. The importance of the equipment choice becomes ever more evident in the processing of the image.
Processing
When processing each original photograph, aspects such as the retention of detail and the accentuation of the subtleties in colour, tones and textures are balanced. Processing is without doubt the most laborious stage and involves in excess of 30 steps to take the image along the creative path from photograph to being ready for print. The process workflow involves a number of attempts to refine so that in the end the quality of each image is assured on a consistent basis. The fluidity of nature is represented through the application of an oil paint-like finish to the image. The 'splash' effect of the image represents the boundless and explosive energy of nature.
Printing
Particular attention is paid to the printing process to realise the full impact of a My Flora Nova image. Colours from screen to print are maintained through the management of colour space to ensure that the image is transferred into print with no loss to the intended vibrancy, subtlety and texture. This is achieved through the careful selection of printer, inks and paper. Printers are selected on their ability to produce large format prints in high quality with accurate colour reproduction. The importance of paper and ink selection cannot be underestimated in the creative process as this ensures that colours are accurately captured in print. Without the colourfast properties of ink and paper being taken into consideration during the print process images can fade significantly in relatively short periods of time as a result of UV rays in daylight.