Rising to the Challenge - printing for a world renowned photographer

Copenhagen, Denmark - World renowned photographer Morten Bjarnhof, who is known for his numerous fashion campaigns for both magazines and brands such as Gant, Rabens Saloner, Diesel and H&M, turned to Roland DG North Europe for cooperation in the production of his photo exhibition 'Jan Ahlgren - the Berlin Campaign' produced for Copenhagen Fashion Week in the summer 2010.  

Roland DG North Europe participated as print sponsor of the Jan Ahlgren exhibition, which presented an exciting opportunity to prove the value of Roland DG's large format printers as high quality photo printers. "Photographers set very high standards for their work. Therefore, to be able to work with and satisfy a world renowned photographer as Morten Bjarnhof, certainly underlines the range of possibilities and the quality Roland DG's printers deliver," says Thor Johansen, Communications Manager at Roland DG North Europe.

 

 

The Jan Ahlgren photo exhibition was not Morten Bjarnhof's first encounter with digital printing of his photographies. Initially, he had been rather skeptical and not expected the prints to live up to the usual standards of the industry. However, the outcome had been much better than anticipated and Bjarnhof decided to use the digital technology for the fairly extensive Jan Ahlgreen exhibition.

The assignment required a printer of substantial width. Therefore, the Soljet XJ-740 was used to print 11 black and white photos measuring 150 cm x 250 cm. The photos were printed on Orajet 3164 M, a matte self-adhesive vinyl which minimizes reflection, and fixed onto white fomalux boards which ensured easy handling.

"Regardless of how my photos are produced, the most important requirement to the actual production is exact depiction. This is always my major concern, but even more so when the work is for a campaign, which is my primary window of display as the artwork for large campaigns reflect my work and creativity," says Morten Bjarnhof. "It was extremely important that the prints delivered by Roland DG were of the highest quality, and I can't say that I was disappointed!"

The prints delivered by Roland DG North Europe left Bjarnhof with little doubt that digital printing will become the norm of the photographic industry. "Digital printing provides a range of possibilities that we have not seen before. The variation in media, with its varying structures, surfaces and thickness add new dimensions to our work and provides additional room for creativity. This is exactly what we are looking for and, considering the quality of the prints, I have no doubt that digital printing has entered the world of photography to take a leading role," says Morten Bjarnhof.

Morten Bjarnhof and the Jan Ahlgren exhibition

Morten Bjarnhof creates rooms of presence. His photos are invitations to step inside, take part or lose oneself. "There are no empty postulates, and in a world of purchased and paid for, it makes all the difference. The trick is to avoid the obvious and predictable," says Morten Bjarnhof about his work.

'Jan Ahlgren - The Berlin Campaign' was centered round the old Berlin feeling - a minimalistic and dark concrete universe with keywords such as structure and shelter. From this setting it was Bjarnhof's interpretation that brought the visual campaign to life. "The photos produced on the XJ-740 supported my vision and the concept of the campaign. It was extremely important that the prints could capture the blurry feeling and the darkness of the world without neglecting the details. I was really happy with the results and very pleased with the entire cooperation," says Morten Bjarnhof.

'Jan Ahlgren - The Berlin Campaign' was presented at the Danish Gallery International Fashion Fair in August 2010.

 

Learn more about the XJ-740

Find more information about Morten Bjarnhof here.