How do you view/display/exhibit your photography?

splproductions · Dec 23, 2011

I'm curious as to what people on this forum do with their photography. For any pros, I guess the answer is probably a little more obvious, but I'm curious what everyone else does.

While I don't yet own a home, I don't anticipate having anywhere near the kind of wall-space that would be required for all the photos that I would like to put up. And even if I did, I wouldn't necessarily want every wall in every room in the house filled with photos. I could see myself printing a few large family portraits over the years to go above the fireplace, and a few large prints of my trips to Machu Picchu, the Himalayas, or the deep jungles of Borneo. (None of said trips has happened yet. One day!) But other than that I'd imagine the majority of my photo-viewing and photo-sharing will be just like it's been for years, in a digital format (i.e., computer, iPad, projector, emails, etc). I won't ever be doing photo work for pay, just for my own enjoyment.

I guess now that I'm starting to put real money into my photography equipment, I'm kind of wondering whether I would ever go full-frame or not. Once my student loans are paid off, my career path will allow me a nice budget for camera gear, but if most of my work will just be viewed on computer screens, I wonder if there's really any point in spending thousands of dollars on pro gear.

So... what do you all do with your photos?

MLeeK · Dec 23, 2011

I have limited what I display in my home to a gallery wall of my family and artwork prints for my sofa and other walls. I print an album for each of my kids sports each year and I print an album for each of my kids and "life" each year. It's REALLY important to put your work into a tangible form and not just on the computer. The time we spend looking through the old photographs of my kids and family is always so wonderful. They each have tangible books to show their kids down the road and I know that it isn't going to be lost in cyber space never to be seen by the next generations. Plus the kids love to show them off!

Now for the studio space? I have prints, canvases, mounts, metals, acrylics, albums, books, jewelry, decks of cards, skateboard decks... framed, un framed... you name it. And it goes from floor to ceiling and there is more stored that if I needed to show a piece I could. But that is the difference right there-I shoot professionally for selling prints and artwork pieces.

If I didn't do this as a profession? I'd scale back to 1 camera and it would probably be a crop sensor. I am discovering lately I don't need the ability of my full frame cameras like I used to-technology is closing the gap between them. I quite often choose my Canon 7D over my 5d2 and 1d3.
I'd say instead of a full frame camera? invest in GOOD lenses and a GOOD speedlight. If you want a little bit of lighting then invest in that.

Ron Evers · Dec 23, 2011

My images are only seen here on the internet @ low resolution. I rarely print one.

Other than my son, I know no one interested in photography.

Rephargotohp · Dec 23, 2011

I print every image that goes into my Portfolio and get a 5 star rating and then some that only get 4. I don't belive that any image I make is complete until I print it. I print them at 6 x 9 on a variety of Fine art papers and the prints are "placed" on my table that contains what I lovingly call "The Pile" there are probably 400 to 500 prints in the Pile.

I also have images on my walls in a variety of materials and framing's up to 48 x 48 and 40 x 60 and are lit properly with gallery lighting.

Time to time I will take collections of images and Self Publish them as books which I sell (I also sell fine art prints)

I'm certainly not a Luddite, but there is nothing like the look and FEEL of a print. But I do have Two Websites, one a portfolio site, one a teaching site that display my work

well, that's me anyway

moze229 · Dec 23, 2011

All of my photos are neatly stored on my external drive

I browse through them on occasion and examine what I've learned. I'd like to get to the point of hanging some of them throughout the house, but I've taken very few that are worthy of such display. Like Ron, not many people that I know would really appreciate them anyway.

photo guy · Dec 23, 2011

I mainly use digital though some of my work was on display at the local fair when I entered 3 photos for judging as well as had photos on display at the fire dept booth that I took at calls I was at with them. I actually was able to talk to people at the booth who commented on the photos while I was standing by the display boards when they asked the firefighters questions about them and they told the people to ask me since I was standing there. I felt honored to have my work on display and have people tell me to my face how they liked my photos and were interested in them.

Josh66 · Dec 23, 2011

I don't get you guys that never make prints...

I don't print everything, but I print all of the good ones, and maybe half of the not-so-good ones. :lol:

I have a lot of photo albums, and a lot of prints on the walls.

What do you do when family or friends come over and want to see some new pictures? "Here, have a seat at the computer"...?

photo guy · Dec 23, 2011

Ron Evers · Dec 24, 2011

photo guy said:
Yep

x2

KmH · Dec 24, 2011

A lot of visual history is being lost because of digital cameras, and the fact that far fewer prints are being made.

In the days of film the only way to see a photo was to get the film developed. Most of the time that meant having prints made from a negative. Sometimes the film was developed as a slide instead of a print.

But everyone had albums, or boxes full of old family prints.

cgipson1 · Dec 24, 2011

Mostly 8x10 and 11x14s, all over my walls! And on some other walls too (Several local businesses)! Even have a hopefully tasteful collection on my office walls at work, and I get a lot people coming by to check them out.

chunx · Dec 24, 2011

KmH said:
But everyone had albums, or boxes full of old family prints.

Yup, that's me! It's unfortunate that so many of mine are in boxes bc the kids LOVE looking at the. I feel SO overwhelmed right now bc I have thousands in boxes & on the computer. I need to go through& print them. That's my NY resolution!

RichardsTPF · Dec 31, 2011

What do you do when family or friends come over and want to see some new pictures? "Here, have a seat at the computer"...?

Seat on sofa in front a TV. I can have my computer connect to a TV ( or a projector with a huge screen)

naptime · Dec 31, 2011

i connect the laptop to the tv, or hand them my touchpad

but, im no pro. and just getting started into real photography. but i take thousands of pictures throughout the year. my last 7 day vacation i took 4000. all snapshots of course. maybe 30 would have been suitable for printing. and that's probably a generous number.

question... your username is splproductions... may i ask way? are you involved with spl competitions?