Jonas Classon is a professional bird photographer, who started his own business at 15 and is best known for his stunning multi-award-winning shots of nocturnal great grey owls. He regularly prints his photos, in sizes up to an impactful 120 x 160cm.

Turning spectacular digital images into detailed large-format photographic prints is something of an artform in itself, and it's a process that many photographers find a little daunting. Here, Jonas shares his secrets for success, exploiting the synergy between his high-resolution Canon 365bet体育投注_365bet体育娱乐场-app官方下载@5 and L-series lenses, and the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 A2 printer, while Suhaib Hussain, printing expert and Product Marketing Manager at Canon Europe, also offers his technical insight.

Jonas currently shoots with a Canon 365bet体育投注_365bet体育娱乐场-app官方下载@5 and finds it perfect for capturing images destined for large-format prints. "The 45MP sensor gives me the freedom to crop images creatively and still retain more than enough resolution for really big prints that are incredibly detailed. Indeed, you can appreciate whole new levels of fine detail in print, compared with looking at images on screen."

Jonas's go-to lenses for his bird photography are the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM and Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x, which he attaches to 365bet体育投注_365bet体育娱乐场-app官方下载@ System cameras using a Canon Mount Adapter EF-365bet体育投注_365bet体育娱乐场-app官方下载@. He finds they give him the perfect blend of super-telephoto reach and aperture speed, although he's also very much looking forward to trying the Canon RF 600mm F4L IS USM lens.

"For clarity and sharpness across the whole image frame, as well as for autofocus speed and build quality, Canon L-series lenses are a must for me," he says. "The optical image stabilisation of these lenses was pretty amazing when I used to shoot with my Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, but the 365bet体育投注_365bet体育娱乐场-app官方下载@5 takes stabilisation to a whole new level. Working in tandem with the camera's in-body stabilisation system, I can shoot at just 1/50 sec and pretty much guarantee getting consistently sharp images."

There are currently three models in Canon's pro photo printing range, each aimed at slightly different uses. The Canon PIXMA PRO-200 A3+/13-inch printer uses eight dye-based inks that give an unbeatably smooth finish on glossy paper, whereas the 10 pigment inks of the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 work better for fine art and matte media. Stepping up to A2 printing, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 has an even larger range of 12 pigment-based inks. Both of these imagePROGRAF printers feature a Chroma Optimizer cartridge, which ensures excellent uniformity when printing on glossy and semi-gloss or luster papers.

Jonas spent years getting his prints made at a local lab, which involved a two-hour drive, several times every week. He'd been put off creating large-format prints at home, thinking it would be time-consuming, complex and costly. "I was honestly shocked. The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 was easy to set up, after which I phoned a friend for technical advice on print settings. He told me to just press Ctrl-P and that everything was pretty much automatic. I created my first big print of an owl in flight, taken a year before, and felt like I'd been transported back in time. The print was so realistic, with such incredible detail and natural colour rendition, that it was like reliving the moment.

"The speed is pretty amazing too," continues Jonas. "With the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000, I can create an absolutely top-quality A2 print that will last for well over 100 years, in less time than it takes to have a cup of coffee. And speaking of quality, I love making prints on matte paper and fine-art media. The printer delivers an incredible tonal range with the kind of ultra-deep yet detailed blacks that you just can't get with a computer monitor. I also love the way that I can make borderless prints on matte and fine-art media, instead of just on glossy and luster papers. That adds a lot of creative freedom."

Suhaib says that accuracy is a key element of the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000's design. "There's an anti-skew system to avoid any errors from misaligned paper, and a vacuum paper transport section that ensures the paper remains perfectly positioned throughout its transit through the printer."

Ultimately, Jonas strongly believes that every photographer should have their own printer. "Until you create a print, you can't really judge the quality of the image. Making your own prints is also deeply satisfying, and makes your work much more fun and creative. It'll even save you a lot of time and money in the long run."