While researching for this blog a lot of online solutions like Instagram, Flicker, 500PXand a bucket load of sites came up. These solutions pop up and fade out of fashion quicker than, well fashion. If you are looking to the newest, trendiest social media app, there are plenty of influencers out there covering that. In this blog the focus is on more tangible, long lasting ways to share, and to share not to the faceless masses for likes, but to family and friends. Or maybe to sell to clients or art buyers.
A few months ago, we posted a blog “The Importance of Making Prints” where we talked mostly about why it is important to print and share your photography. In that blog we talked about some different ways to print your work, some of that is covered here,but we also want to talk about other ways besides traditional wall prints.
Most people just go with traditional photographic prints and have them mounted and framed. These look great but sometimes there are better options. Getting a Gallery Canvas Wrap will give a feel more like a painting and these are great for classical portraits, pet portraits, and even some landscapes. Black and White photos printed on canvas can evoke emotions. They will add the texture of the canvas and are good looking with a classic frame. If you want the textured look but not stretched onto a wooden frame for a more traditional look, you can get your photos printed onto canvas, or for a more subtle texture you can print onto watercolor paper.
Some people like to print on this paper and then carefully tear the edges to give a rustic look. This is also a good choice if you are reproducing watercolor,pastel, or pencil artwork. This is easy to achieve. Have your photos printed on watercolor paper with about a two-inch boarder. Then take a straight edge like a ruler and fold the paper just inside the image area (you will lose a little of the edges of your photo). Fold this back and forth (a little water will help)and carefully tear along the edge. You want a ruff edge. Do this to all four sides and you now have a rustic image.
For high contrast and very colorful photos a metal print gives a great “pop” to your photography. Subjects like flowers, Milky Way night shots, and abstracts will all make stunning impressions to your audience. Even consider Black and White photos. Metal prints go especially well in contemporary or modern spaces.Things to consider, make sure your photo is high resolution to avoid pixelation or blurriness.
Just recently a friend gave me a small book of their work. This was a very nice gift. They took a collection of their recent photos that flowed well together as a story. Very similar to a gallery show where you want a theme going through your work. The book my friend gave me was a small run, paperback book. This is a great way to get your images in front of a small group, be it friends or people with similar interests. I could see going on an adventure to another country, or an event like Burning Man, with a group and then making one of these to share with everyone who was on the trip. A week long vacation, a bachelor or bachelorette outing, even a wedding gift to everyone in the wedding. Really the possibilities are endless. This replaces slide shows that no one wants to sit and watch, but people will like these because they can view them on their own time and how they want to.
This is different than a wedding book which is another way of sharing. These are hardcover photo books, usually better paper and print quality. You can add names, short stories, and captions for individual photos. These are books you and your children can cherish. You can share with the grandparents. Think of these as anew take on the photo album.
Photo albums are still a great option. They have the advantage over photo books in that you can update them, swap out photos and keep them relevant. They come small holding 30 photo with soft covers, and large hard cover albums holding hundreds of photos. Albums are also nice because you can add other items like tickets, maps, or other items to help tell the stories of our life and adventures.
There are other items you can add personalized photos to that make great gifts. During the holiday’s cards, calendars, and ornaments are very popular. Throughout the year mousepads, Tee-shirts, coffee cups, coasters, and metal water bottles.These can be fun for yourself or as gifts to others. I know people who sell calendars of their work on their website to share the work and make a few dollars.
