Presentation of your work

[KmH]

Today photo's are mostly displayed on electronic devices from cell phones to digital picture frames, to wall mounted HDTV's.

Clients want the images they buy on a CD or DVD to facilite that, and may be reluctant to buy prints.

The trouble is, with digital images there are technical factors related to the electronic display gizmo that can have a profound effect on how good an image looks. The average photography consumer doesn't have a calibrated computer monitor and is unaware that not all web browsers are color-aware. Who knows if their HDTV was setup properly.

So, if one wants to display their photographic work in a consistant way, they make a print of the image.

So lets break things down some.

Prints fall into 2 broad categories by size - desktop prints and wall prints.
Desktop prints are generally considered to be 8" x 10" and smaller in size. Obviously, anything larger falls into the wall print category.

The next consideration is how to present the print. There are presentation methods like gallery wraps and standouts, but framing is still the most common way to display a print.

The purpose of using a frame is to set the image off from the wall or desktop environment, and highlight it without detracting from the image.
From here I will be referring mostly to the framing of wall prints.

There are 2 styles of wall print framing - Gallery style and non-gallery style.

The gallery style of picture framing uses a fairly thin black frame with a fairly large white mat surrounding the image.
The mat ensures the wall color and/or wall texture doesn't detract from the image.
Gallery style framing is used because it helps provide consistency, particularly for exhibiting a single photographer's work. If the photographer has a recognizable style the consistant frame/mat won't detract from the style or theme.
Gallery style can work very well with most contemporary home décor styles. It does not work with “rural country’ or “rustic” home décor styles.

The non-gallery style is used if the goal is to create a frame package that is an extension of the image.
You would try to select one or two colors in the image and then select complimentary mat and frame colors to help cause them to pop or to emphasize the colors in the image.
Frame shape and style can also be used to highlight elements in the image.
The non-gallery style may also include mat/frame selection related to the décor in your or a client's home.

Skilled customer framers are great for understanding how to enhance the presentation of an image, and it is one of the reasons custom frames are understandably more expensive. Just as one can learn to do photography at a professional level, we can also learn the ins-and-outs of framing and matting our images.

The next time you are thinking about having a print made, be sure and include thinking about how you will present it.

 

[Derrel]

One tip in matting/bordering an image, either physically, or electronically is to avoid a perfectly symmetrical border around the periphery of the image. Most experienced professionals will tell you that a 1:1:1:1.5 ratio of border (speaking of the matte, not the hairline or line border proper) will make an image look much better. On a horizontal image for example, the left,top,and right matte edges would have a width of 1.0 units, while the bottom of the image would have a taller ratio of 1.5 units. This gives a subtle but very real visual "anchor" to the image as it is displayed.

 

[timethief]

Skilled customer framers are great for understanding how to enhance the presentation of an image, and it is one of the reasons custom frames are understandably more expensive. Just as one can learn to do photography at a professional level, we can also learn the ins-and-outs of framing and matting our images.

Do you know of any good reading material regarding the enhancing of image presentation through correct framing ?

Thanks for the post. Quite helpful.

 

[KmH]

There are bits and pieces all over the web. Documounts :: Custom Picture Frames, Mats, Pre Cut (Precut) Mat Boards, Photo Matting & Framing Supplies

Derrel makes a great point about an offset mat window. I almost mentioned it myself.

In addition to what Derrel and I have mentioned, there is also the consideration of materials and print mounting techniques.

Mounting and matting materials absorb airborne contaminants that make them more and more acidic with time. If a print is mounted, by either a wet or dry process, it's lifetime becomes limited because as the mount (and mat) become more and more acidic, the mount cannot be changed without also destroying the print. This is part of the reason gallery wrap and standout type mounting is not preferrable for print longevity.

So, consideration must be given to the materials used.

Archival, 100% cotton rag mountboard and mats that are acid and lignin free, combined with archival mounting and matting techniques allowing for periodic mount and mat replacement (like hinge mounting), mitigate print damage caused by being in constant contact with increasingly acidic materials.

 

[mwcfarms]

Subbing. Great post Keith.

 

[GeneralBenson]

Great post, guys!

Image presentation is much like a chain; it's only as strong as it's weakest link, and the most popular weak links for images are the monitor of digital biewing and the frame for prints. You can take a gorgeous shot and display it on a monitor that is out of whack or stick it in a frame that looks cheap or doesn't match, and the whole presentation is ruined.

 

[akeigher]

Great post.

Two things to add:

1) Get museum glass - it is more expensive but far better quality

2) A white matte and a white frame has become very popular with a lot of collectors and galleries. It seems like an odd look, but for some reason works really well because it doesnt distract from the print at all and really makes it pop.