trees – Ming Thein | The Gallery

Single Origin I-V, series. Available as a set of five 12×16″ (~30x41cm) Ultraprints on Permajet Portrait White fiber paper (matte); $1,100 for all five, signed edition of 10. The price includes shipping by courier anywhere in the world. Please include your phone number for the courier in the comment field when ordering.

Origins are important. History is important. Without knowing where we come from, or where something comes from, it has no context and must struggle to define every step of the journey. Single Origin examines this idea deliberately: all five images were shot from within the same stand of trees – within about twenty meters of each other, actually – in a rainforest outside Kuala Lumpur. There is diversity and there is similarity, and at the same time, there is a coherent whole that needs the sum of its parts to exist – the ecosystem would be incomplete otherwise. Each element plays an important role, even if that role may not be immediately obvious or attention getting. Is there a better metaphor for humanity?

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About the prints
Prints are made by Printmaster Wesley Wong of Giclee Art using our proprietary Ultraprint process, which delivers extremely high real resolutions – up to 720 pixels per inch, or four times that of an iPad’s Retina display, a wide gamut, and very smooth tonal transitions. We print on either Canson Infinity Platin Fiber Rag baryta or Permajet Portrait White depending on the subject matter and size using Epson Ultrachrome archival-grade inks.

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I’ll be launching the gallery with five prints: thereafter, they’ll be singles or pairs. Please note that all prices are inclusive of courier shipping via DHL Express anywhere in the world; you’ll need to include your phone number in the comment box when you check out as it’s required by the carrier.

Forest III

This is the showpiece for the launch, which will be offered as the largest Ultraprint yet: 40×15″ image area. We’re still experimenting with the paper type to manage reflections and improve the viewing experience – but so far, it’s like having your own personal slice of forest at home.

Forest III, Shotover Gorge, Queenstown, New Zealand. Nikon D810 and an 8-image stitch. Click here for a 100% crop to get an idea of just how much detail is in this print.
You can order Forest III ($1200) as a 40×15″ (~101x38cm) Ultraprint here; limited edition of 10

Tree and River.
We spend so much time looking for shadows and light that sometimes I think it’s interesting to present a three dimensional world as a two dimensional one for that precise reason; there are enough visual cues for texture, but not so many as to destroy that illusion. It’s one of my favourite images from this trip because of the balanced minimalism and abstraction that appears almost manmade, despite being 100% natural. Note: the river was actually that color due to it being glacial meltwater containing various alluvial deposits. On the actual image you can see the near shore is actually extremely clear.

Tree and River, outside Frankton, New Zealand. Nikon D810
You can order Tree and River ($330) as a 10×15″ (~25x38cm) Ultraprint here; limited edition of 20

Alpenforest in Winter
This is the first of three images that were shot in the same river delta just outside Arrowtown, New Zealand. I spent the whole afternoon here watching the light change and the various portions of the mountainside and alpine forest change as they moved in and out of the light; colors got richer as the sun went down, then ended in an interestingly muted twilight that made everything just feel…soft, for want of a better word. I believe this image, of the dozens I captured, is the most accurate representation of that.

Alpenforest in Winter, Arrowtown, New Zealand. Pentax 645Z
You can order Alpenforest in Winter ($500) as a 16×20″ (~41x51cm) Ultraprint here ; limited edition of 20

Cascade
There were some small cascades in the river – but they weren’t as interesting (personally) as the cascades formed by the winter leaves/buds/tips (I admit, I’m no botanist) of the trees. The reddish ends formed a very delicate waterfall of color, which here, leads down to a stony bank by the water. I waited some time to make this image: it would only work when the light just hit the tree and not the side of the mountain behind; for a couple of minutes I got what I needed.

Cascade, Arrowtown, New Zealand. Pentax 645Z
You can order Cascade ($500) as a 16×20″ (~41x51cm) Ultraprint here; limited edition of 20

Spiral
The final image is one for the monochrome aficionados – the curve of mountain, flowing river and tree to the nexus of the dead and sun-bleached log at the centre I’m sure contains a metaphor for life somewhere – personally, I just find the tonality and structure very appealing.

Spiral, Arrowtown, New Zealand. Pentax 645Z
You can order Spiral ($500) as a 16×20″ (~41x51cm) Ultraprint here; limited edition of 20

Testimonials from previous Ultraprint customers can be found here.

Once again, thank you for your support, and don’t forget to bookmark the new site! MT

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Single Origin

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Launch Edition: Trees of New Zealand

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