Mark Lucock
Fine Art Nature & Landscape Photography
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Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, Australia © Mark Lucock |
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Background Mark
Lucock was born in 1958 and grew up in Suffolk. After graduating from
University with a degree in Applied Biology, he obtained his PhD in 1991
and is an elected Fellow of the Society of Biology and a Chartered
Biologist. Mark moved from the UK to the New South Wales Central Coast
in 2003. Whenever
he gets the opportunity, he is out photographing the natural world. His
work features a range of destinations – including the UK, India, SE
Asia, Australia, North America and much of Europe, and reflects the broad
spectrum of nature and landscapes from around the world. Mark has had many publications in the popular press. His first book Photography for the Naturalist was published by GMC Publications in February 2002. This book, which is lavishly illustrated, covers the technicalities and aesthetics of shooting all kinds of animal, plant and landscape images. Mark's second book was released in February 2003 and is titled Professional Landscape and Environmental Photography: From 35mm to Large Format. This book again deals with technicalities and aesthetics, but looks at photography in all manner of environments, from steamy rainforests and dry deserts to bustling cityscapes at night. His third book was released in October 2004, and is titled: Succeed in Landscape Photography. This book is published by RotoVision SA. These books were all from the pre-digital era, but are still, none-the-less a rich source of inspiration and technical know how with respect to larger film formats and provide a useful background to camera craft. His next book came out in October 2007, and examines issues associated with digital photography such as workflow, image editing, marketing, web design and of course camera craft. This book, Digital Nature and Landscape Photography, was published by PIP. His latest book is The Digital Compact Camera - Release Your Compact's Full Potential. This beautifully illustrated paperback was published in November 2009 by Ammonite Press. The book is packed with inspiring photographs from all over the world and is divided into sections on travel, nature and landscape photography each full of exciting case studies that allow the reader to learn how to improve their photographs on a picture-by-picture basis. In addition to this, there is plenty of information on how to choose the best compact camera for your needs, storing images and postproduction. Two self published books are also available and are entitled; Face to Face: Natural History Portraits and Cambodia Through the Lens.
Personal
Perspecti No
matter how nice it is to have your images published, there is little to
beat seeing a huge professional gallery print depicting the best of your
work. Successful prints require good cameras that produce medium or
large format transparencies, or top tier digital SLRs that have superb
lenses that can cope with today's high pixel count sensors. Pictures that work should draw you into the
scene, providing a ‘virtual’ portal to the place that the picture
was originally taken. Today,
with improved digital camera equipment or sharp colour transparency emulsions,
many famous landscape
photographers are doing much to raise the status of natural wilderness.
In the US in particular, their images have helped to preserve pristine
areas of nature from exploitation. Their products are beautiful large
format photographic art that keeps the spirit of our landscapes alive,
and maintains a place for wilderness within the hearts and souls of
people from many nations across the globe. This, above all else, is why
I believe the art of creative nature and landscape photography is
important. The power of a beautiful image should never be
underestimated. I hope that my efforts can, in some small way, make a
similar contribution. For
clarity and tonal range, I shoot landscapes primarily on a large format
5"x4" Ebony View Camera or full frame Canon digital SLR, while the smaller
cropped frame Canon digital SLRs are used for
close-ups and action, and are confined mainly to editorial work. I've
completely given up on 35mm film, but really enjoy using APS-C sized digital
compact system cameras (I use the Sony NEX system) for photojournalism and travel photography (see my latest book
- The
Digital Compact Camera - Release Your Compact's Full Potential).
Most
of the images shown here were taken on either Fuji Velvia, the finest
transparency film for landscape work that is currently available, or a
Canon digital SLR. You can order
prints, posters, and cards online directly by going to my Artflakes page,
and rights managed digital files through
the stock sales link of this site. You can also order bespoke
Kodak Endura Colour Metallic prints
that are of extraordinarily high quality derived from a large
format transparency or large camera sensor, and which print up 'huge',
should you require this for your home or business (not via Artflakes). To avail
yourself of this bespoke service contact me directly via email
letting me know which image from my stock image pages
you would like as a print. I will then let you know the maximum size and
what the cost would be. When
you buy one of my bespoke prints, you are
buying an original piece of art that will last a very long time. A lot
of thought goes into the process of creating these images, and I'm
constantly assessing different ways of outputting images. When you hang
one of my large prints, you will be bringing a precious part of our
natural world into your home – an experience I hope you will enjoy for
many years to come. Today, there are many options open to buyers of photographic art - prints are available on a range of premiere media, often using special chemistries or ink sets. These include (to mention only a few) Fuji Crystal Archive, Ilfochrome, Kodak Endura Colour Metallic, Ultrachrome or UltraChrome Hi-Gloss prints. You can expect many years to elapse before any noticeable fade occurs on Crystal Archive media, and Ilfochrome prints. The latest generation of Epson large format inkjet printers offer even better archival qualities. However, at the present time, my bespoke prints are exclusively available on Kodak Professional Endura Metallic Paper. This paper has become my favourite medium to print on. It has a superb glossy finish, but also has a metallic sheen that creates exceptional visual interest and depth. Colours have an enhanced gamut, are rich and vibrant, with the final print offering a truly unique product. In fact, by using a proprietary combination of laminated film layers, images have a striking three-dimensional effect which, in this humble photographers opinion, makes this product stand out from most of the alternative photographic chemistries that are available today. Best of all, the longevity of this product is an outstanding 100 years for typical home use. Such archival characteristics are extremely important if you are looking to make a significant financial investment in photographic art. Again, please note this service is distinct from products sold via my Artflakes page which include framed prints, canvas block prints, posters and greeting cards . All bespoke prints (not Artflakes prints) are available as open editions, and can be shipped to you free of charge. Have a look through the search archive to see if a location or subject might be available to print up:
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