Presentation Is Everything
I have always been a firm believer that how you present your images is just as crucial as how you photograph them. To me it is the completion of the project, it is part of the artistic creation of the image.
As photographers we always talk about showing our work and with this era of technology I think we focus too much on our websites and social networking and not actually displaying our “art”. The reality is, we create images for people to display and enjoy. We have the ability to create something more than just digital files. To me a a digital file is an incomplete work of art, and while it may be beautiful, are we really seeing it’s true potential? As an artist (whether a photographer, painter, sculptor) I think it is important to define yourself with your artwork by displaying your work in your home and in your office. A painter doesn’t expect someone to buy digital images of their art, why should a photographer expect the same? Seeing a final print in person can say so much more than just viewing an image on the computer screen.
When it comes to presenting your work there are so many different options and while I would love to hand make everything I do…I feel each image I create needs to be presented in it’s own special way. Sometime that means looking else where for options, whether it be framing companies, the junk yard, or even in your own attic or backyard. For example I just received a new acrylic print from our lab, Pictage. They started offering acrylic prints (as well several other mounting options) and I had to see what one of my favorite shots of New York City (taken in 2001) would look like printed this way….and of course I loved it! I had been trying to find a way to display this image for several years and I had just never thought of this. I’m so glad they started offering this and am excited because it is my artwork presented the way I envision it…on the wall, not on the screen! Sometimes you have to keep looking at all of your options until you find the one that you are the happiest with!
In my studio and home I have several different images hanging on the walls, some are on easels and some are on shelves. They are all printed on different types of papers from inkjet to wet lab. Recently we started using painted canvases to mount our artistic prints, all because I truly believe that the presentation is part of the art. In general when it comes to displaying my work I like to keep it simple, the only rule is I stray away from “normal sized” prints (no images between 5 x 7 and 11 x 14). Everything is either small or large! Here are a few examples, but to really get the full experience you’ll have to come to our studio to view it! I would love to hear and see how others feel about presenting your work..so please feel free to share!




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They’re all beautiful Kelly! Each one looks great and fits it’s end product! So nice to see finished work!
Love the acrylics, naturally, but that print on painted canvas is beautiful!