When there is not much breeze, I go after images capturing the mood and atmosphere of the sea. Here, just after sunrise, I found PMA Yeah Baby east of Tasman Island.

My goal is to make beautiful fine-art archival prints. Back in my office on Bruny Island I find a black point and a white point in the image, adjust contrast then crop the photograph. After that I highlight the crew and work the highlight and shadows in the wake. Then check the detail in the bow wave and spray. The edges are subtly darkened to contain the viewers’ eye. Saturation of the colour is enhanced then finally local sharpening of the hull and sails gives the finishing touch. The result is a print which will last for generations.

Compare this with a digital file stored on a phone for example. It will be lost when the phone is updated. If it is moved to a DVD it won’t last long because what will read the DVD when DVD drives are obsolete? How about a hard drive which is likely to fail eventually. To prevent this you need to back it up on three hard drives which require monitoring.

None of these options comes close to the archival qualities of a beautifully crafted fine-art print which meets the museum and longevity requirements and respects the ISO 9706 standard.