ChromaLuxe Outdoor metal panels are specially engineered for outdoor use. The weather-resistant coating on Outdoor panels provides the same high-end image quality of other ChromaLuxe products while offering unmatched resistance to water, UV light, and the general wear-and-tear of the elements.
Two unique exhibits have utilized ChromaLuxe Outdoor panels to bring nature photography to life in its natural habitat.
Underwater Gallery in Amorgos, Greece
Deep in an underwater cave in the Aegean Sea, ChromaLuxe Outdoor panels were used for the world’s first underwater photo gallery. The exhibition was the brainchild of free diver and photographer Stefanos Kontos, who in 2018 merged his two passions into one pioneering event.
Kontos has been photographing the marine life of his native Greece since 2008. He captures all of his underwater photography while free diving—a form of diving in which the only air supply is a single breath held from the surface, rather than the use of breathing equipment. Kontos wanted to display his photographs in the same environment in which he captured them, putting on a special gallery for his fellow free divers.
The gallery was staged 20-50 feet beneath the surface in an amphitheater-shaped cave along the coast. The innovative coating on ChromaLuxe Outdoor protected the images from the corrosive elements of the open seas, which allowed the underwater gallery to be displayed without additional glass enclosures for each piece. This not only simplified the gallery so it could be installed completely by free divers, but also retained the high-definition quality of Kontos’ images unobstructed, allowing others to enjoy his work to the fullest.
Wilderness Up Close in Zingst, Germany
The Max Hünten Haus is a photography center and printing studio in Zingst, Germany, a small town near the country’s border with Denmark on the Baltic Sea. Each year the Max Hünten Haus organizes exhibitions with an environmental focus, showcasing photographers whose work captures wildlife and natural landscapes. In 2020, forest ranger and former European Nature Photographer of the Year, Klaus Echle was chosen to display his images for the exhibit Wilderness Up Close.
Echle’s intimate photographs of the flora and fauna native to the surrounding forests were showcased outdoors in the Postplatz, a small park in Zingst. In order to preserve Echle’s work for the duration of the outdoor exhibit, custom ChromaLuxe Outdoor panels were made to fit the requirements of the staging area, nestled between trees throughout the park.
While the specific challenges were different from Kontos’ underwater exhibit, Echle’s outdoor exhibit also required the all-around durability provided by ChromaLuxe. ChromaLuxe Outdoor panels have been tested extensively for UV resistance in southern Florida—an environment known for its extreme sun exposure—and offer further protection against wind, rain, snow, and the impacts of high-traffic areas such as fingerprints and graffiti. ChromaLuxe Outdoor’s UV resistance protected Echle’s photographs from fading, while the lack of a need for additional glass enclosures eliminated the issue of condensation between an enclosure and the image. With the help of ChromaLuxe Outdoor’s protective properties, the Max Hünten Haus was able to display Echle’s stunning portraits outside, rain or shine.
Whether deployed deep beneath the ocean waves or in a forested park, ChromaLuxe Outdoor metal panels are built to withstand everything nature can throw at them. With an unequaled combination of durability and image quality, ChromaLuxe is a natural choice for artists exhibiting their work in the great outdoors.
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