Who Mattes and Frames Their Images For Home Display?

[eng45ine]

I am blown away by the images that you all post on the Cafe. I am curious to know what you do with these images...frame them and hang on a wall, sell them, give as gifts, post on an internet gallery? What do you do with these killer images after you shoot them, tweak them on the PC, share them on the internet.........?

I'll start this thread by saying that when I began shooting heavily a couple of years ago, the subject matter was youth sports action which I have sold to the athletes/parents. I have enlarged some images to 8x10 for portfolio use...but my sports images have not gone on any of my walls. Since becoming a member of the Cafe, my photographical interests have become very diverse and I have begun shooting so many different things besides sports. I have images on the walls in our finished basement which serves as a recreation room. Images of the Chicago Air and Water Show and images of fires and car crashes (I'm a firefigher/paramedic). I am planning on finding just the right subject matter to shoot, then matte and frame for display in our home as art. The images that you all post are very beautiful and have inspired me to get out and shoot for the express purpose of decorating our home.

What's your story???

 

[Ken-L]

I rarely print a photo. I think I have printed two in the last 2 years, both are framed and on a wall. I have been considering getting some more done (using an online service) to hang, and switch them from time to time. My wife and I much rather view my shots on the computer - we have drawers full of old photos, and albums full of old photos, that we never look at. I constantly change my Desktop Wallpaper to show a different picture, and have a good screensaver program to view that way too.

If I want a print for a gift, I use an online upload/printing service and have the picture drop-shipped.

 

[jfrancis]

I actually prefer to look at the printed image than a computer screen. Right now, I have about 15-20 framed images around the house. I swap them out at intervals.

 

[TR_Fox]

I am with John.

I have about 20 that hang in different rooms. Most are the ones I like and can't sell. but they are the ones I like the best.

 

[fks]

hi frank-

i have a few photos matted and framed. i got a matte cutter after paying $100 to have a framing shop mount a panoramic shot as a birthday gift for a friend.

i need a better workspace to do mattes properly. right now i use the dining table, which is inconvenient. i'm thinking of building a worktable in the garage, but it's low priority right now.

speaking of mattes, i was at a street fair last sunday and saw a neat matting job. it was a 4x6 frame with three tiny images. it's a great way to do a tryptich, but i can't imagine myself doing three tiny cutouts :shock: not the patient type here lol!

ricky

 

[Baywing]

I do all of the above. If I get a shot I really like, I'll print it out. From there, some get displayed, some go into a binder portfolio. Sales are always possible. Many of them get entered into camera club competitions. Most of the whale photos find their way to researchers for ID and tracking, the other stuff usually doesn't stray too far from home. I do have the Pbase gallery, it's an easy way to share photos with friends, etc.

 

[Uncle Frank]

I like to print my favorites. They look better, framed and matted, than they do on the computer. Nancy won't let me hang too many, though, so I have to content myself with about 10 of my pics spread around the house, in sizes from 8x10 to 12x18.

I give away a lot of pictures to neighbors and friends, and I always frame them. It makes a huge difference in presentation. For 5x7s, I often use glass clip-on frames that I buy in packages of 4 at Ikea for $4/pkg. That exta buck makes a world of difference.

Aaron Bros. holds a 1 cent sale twice a year, and I pick up half a dozen matted frames for stock. I always seem to find a way to use them . Their sales are in January and July, so check them out.

 

[manzico]

print and online...

I keep an online gallery:

http://www.pbase.com/manzico

where I put my favorites. Of those I end up printing some and then matting and framing them myself. I too keep about 20 up around the house ranging in size from 8x10 to 13x19. It's nice to have these full size prints.

Dave

 

[dbirdsong]

Why take pictures if you don't print them?
I love large prints, always have. In my living room we have 10 11x14's and 6 8x10's. In my home office I have 3 16x20 and a couple 20x30's.
I also do a lot of 4x6's on my Kodak Printer Dock Plus (Dye Sub printer)

 

[Mike Z]

Frank,
I print and mount, but not with custom framing. For prints on letter size paper, I frame with floating, black, 11x14 document frames that cost about $15.00 ea. from Bed, Bath & Beyond, but have also seen them at other stores. They are essentially 2 pieces of 11 x 14 glass held in a frame with little rotating flaps on the rear of the frame. The white unprinted portion of the paper acts as matting and the wall behind the picture is also visible between the paper margin and the and the frame. They can be hung both vertically and horizontally. I believe they are quite attractive and have received many compliments. The best part is that I can change the picture in the frame without damaging it at all. I therefore have a continually changing gallery.

I have also discovered 18 x 24 Ready Frames that are made by Nielson Bainbridge. They are described as Archival Gallery Frames with museum quality mat-board. They are Black Metal Frames with 8 ply cotton rag mats with 10 1/2 x 16 1/2 openings with beveled edges and Foam Board Backing. I use them with either 13 x 19 or 11 x 17 prints. The mat, photo and backing are all held in the frame with removable clips and, which again make it easy to change photos in a frame. They each sell for approximately $42.00. I purchase them at a store called the Art Store, which is a **** Blick company. I have not seen them on line, however.

Being able to display my photos in my home and office has given me great pleasure.

Mike

 

[PhotoByMark]

This is a good question.

I was just thinking about this the otherday. I have 1000's of pics, a few that I like but, I just have not had many printed out. Always, on the list of to-do's for sure. I did for XMas last year, take a family portrait and give everyone a framed pic for Xmas. I am hopeful to do it again this year and hopefully get a better one. I do need to make myself print out some of the better photo's for an album and perhaps some of them for hanging in the house (and who knows maybe sell a few someday? - I do not feel that I am good enough yet). I have printed a few out and are hanging up in my workplace as well.

As always I would love to see some pics of everyone's favorites that they have printed out. There are definitely some talented people on this site.

 

[Flew]

Great thread Frank.

Keep the good info coming folks. I'm learning a bunch!! :wink:

 

[eng45ine]

Great thread...thanks everyone for taking the time to offer your thoughts. I hope this thread keeps going for a while...the ideas and preferences are interesting. Definately no right or wrong philosophy...

 

[PhotoByMark]

I think this is keeping with this subject matter.

How does Dye-Sub printers compare to ink-jet in quality and cost. And are color laser printers good for printing out pics. I know that they really are coming down in price in the past few years.

I have a Canon S9000 printer and I like it however, seems like I am always replacing the ink - I think the cartridges leak when not in use (maybe not?) but it sure seems like it. Or maybe I have one of those of evil ink gremlins :twisted: sucking out the ink late, late at night.

 

[TOLady]

Frank, I have a 'spare' room where a lot of stuff gathers, including frames! I'm a sucker for buying frames. I always keep meaning to print out a whole bunch of pics, frame 'em and stick 'em on the walls. Bare hallways just waiting for pics. I live in a three storey house so there are lots of hallway walls. All my friends remark about the lack of my photos on my walls and I keep saying "yeah, one of these days, gonna print them up and frame them" and somehow that day just never seems to arrive. Now you're making me feel even MORE guilty!! LOL

 

[fks]

hi sandi-

every time i go to ikea with friends, i end up buying a bunch of frames. i just put them in my closet (they were lying around on the floor). hopefully it won't be "out of sight, out of mind."

ricky

I'm a sucker for buying frames. I always keep meaning to print out a whole bunch of pics, frame 'em and stick 'em on the walls.

 

[dbirdsong]

I think this is keeping with this subject matter.

How does Dye-Sub printers compare to ink-jet in quality and cost. And are color laser printers good for printing out pics. I know that they really are coming down in price in the past few years.

I have a Canon S9000 printer and I like it however, seems like I am always replacing the ink - I think the cartridges leak when not in use (maybe not?) but it sure seems like it. Or maybe I have one of those of evil ink gremlins :twisted: sucking out the ink late, late at night.

Dye Sub printers use a ribbon instead of ink and it is melted into the paper making it a much more durable print.
The nice thing about them is that you buy the supplies as a kit that are matched. 40 pieces of paper and a cartridge that will print out 40 prints (that is what the Kodak Printer Docks do, they are pict-bridge printers but I prefer to print them just like I would to my ink jet printer.)
I would love to get the Kodak 1400 printer that does 8x10's and sells for about $500.
One really cool thing about Dye-Subs is that you get waterproof and finger print prints that last for about 75 years.
I love making a print for someone and putting it in their drink. It doesn't hurt them.

 

[Scott Sherman]

This is an interesting thread.

I took up photography as a hobby about 5 years ago. Like some of you, I started to accumulate a bunch of pictures and figured out that taking pictures was only half of the hobby. The second half of the hobby is to use the images for something. On a lark, I decided to rent a space at a neighborhood sidewalk beach art fair to try to sell some of my pictures. There are thousands of art fairs all around. It amazed me that people were willing to put good money on the table to buy my pictures. Actually a lot of people. I started by going to Arron Bros and picking up some frames and mats and putting together some inventory. I did not care about profit. In fact, I didn't care if it cost me money to do it. I had a lot of pictures and needed to figure out a use for them. I just wanted to see if anyone would actually be willing to pay me for any of my prints.

A lot of the work here in this forum far exceeds much of what I see being purchased at art fairs that I attend. Since that first show, I have gone to many shows and from sales of my images, I have been able to sustain a nice little side income (to give you a sense of what you can accomplish). I made many, many mistakes along the way and it was a real learning process, but in the end it has been very fun and profitable. I could never do this for a full time living, but like I said, it has returned a lot and given me a lot of fun and satisfactiion in the process. I am not really that talented compared to many of you, so the point is, if I can do it, anyone can, and I would encourage you to at least think about it.

I have progressed to the point where I now do all my own mat cutting and framing at the shows. I put together a nice work room in a spare bedroom, to edit images, print and cut mats and frames etc. I only use an Epson 2200 for prints and a 1280 to make greeting cards, which are very popular.

My wife loves sitting in the booth shmoozing with people, both neighboring artists and customers and taking in the money and it is quite bonding since we do it together. Plus it makes it much easier when I tell her I need an expensive new lens or gadget (or camera). We do about 6 shows a year. We were doing twice that at one point but it just got to be too much.

If you do try it, do some research, ask questions at the fair and on line and watch to see what sells and what doesn't. There are many friendly vendors who will be glad to sit and talk to you. Be prepared though, because there will be set backs and it can be a lot of work, but I love it and so does my wife and it is a great outlet for your work and you will hear much praise and learn much about your work and yourself.

I intend to retire in a few years and will be able to make my hobby into something of a lifestyle that will hopefully pay for itself and keep me busy so I don't drive my wife crazy. I really can't wait.

 

[eng45ine]

That's a great story, Scott. I appreciate knowing where you've been and where your heading. 8)

Sandi...your friends are correct...when are you going to display your work? :?

 

[heiko]

Thanks for the thread, Frank,

I have an Epson 2100 (2200 in the US) and do some printing, but not that much. Most of my printed images are of my children, and I use them both for the family album and for relatives. My mother in law has wall for pictures and now and then I print some pictures she likes. My mother - living 2000 miles away - is also a happy customer of my family pictures, some of which are hanging in her living room.

Although ink and paper are expensive, I prefer to do the printing at home - the results even on 4x6 are much better than I can get from commercial photo printers. Moreover, I developed a liking for matte paper (A4 and A3 sizes), which adds to the images.

I took a lot of pictures at live Jazz performances in a local pub, and the owner printed some 6-8 pictures and put them on the wall. He recently asked me to produce a 40x60" b/w picture for his pub, but I haven't started to work on it yet. He actually wants to contract and pay me for that. On one side it's a challenge, on the other I sometimes feel that I'm not up to the task, yet.

I also did a lot of pictures at my kids school and distribute them among other parents, either via pbase (with restricted access only), or giving out CDs. The school also uses my pictures to promote itself (it's a private "Democratic" school).

In the past when working as an employee at a company, I used to hang up some of my favorite pictures in the office. Now I'm looking for some wall space at home to get up some pictures.

One thing I can say - there is nothing better than a large print of a picture I like. Viewing pictures on a PC screen usually doesn't do them justice, IMHO.

Regards,