Framing 101 | Atlanta Child Photographer

Well, you had some fabulous images taken of your children or your family and you decided that you wanted them framed instead of mounted. What do you do? How do you decide? I can help you with that. You may or may not know that the majority of my images that are considered wall art are mounted and ready to hang instead of framed. I have nothing against framing images, I just find having them mounted to be a more modern and less complicated way of displaying my images. When I say less complicated, I mean it’s easier to select which mounting you want than it is to select which frame you want. I offer three mounting options: canvas, print wrap, and print block. With frames, there are a whole plethora you could choose from. Whether you want me to frame your images or you choose to do it, the following tips should help.

The only images that I provide unframed are 8×10/8×12. One thing that you don’t have to worry about is matting them because they already come matted. All you have to do is select the frame. Depending on the image, the color and style will be determined. Take the image below which is a sepia-toned, black and white print. The prevalent color is brown and it is an artistic image; therefore, you would want to use a frame that compliments the colors of the image and the style/feeling of the image. That is why I selected a brown, classic frame. This could even be an ornate frame with brown and black or just a classic black frame, which goes with everything. 

Here’s another image. This one is a bit brighter and perhaps a little more fun. This might be a specialty frame which should not be difficult to find online. Not sure if Michael’s or Hobby Lobby have frames that are out of the ordinary but you can certainly look. A black frame would have worked for this as well, being that she has black in her tulle skirt. In my opinion, it would have made the image a little more serious but would have worked if the decor in that room wasn’t complemented by the colors in the image. If this doesn’t matter to you, then do whatever you think feels/looks good to you.

When hanging your images, the rule of thumb is that the center of the image should be 56-60 inches from the floor. The only exception to this rule is when you’re framing the art over furniture. When placing art over a couch or headboard, for instance, it should span roughly two-thirds of the width of the furniture piece. Hang art so that the bottom of the frame is 8 to 10 inches above the furniture piece; the art should be visually connected to it, not floating high above it.

Another consideration is the size of the image. Generally, when you have an 8×10 image, it is matted and framed in an 11×14 frame. That is how my 8x10s come matted. They are ready for an 11×14 inch frame. If you want to go bigger, you can. All you need to do is purchase a mat with an 8×10 cutout with the outside dimensions being larger, like maybe up to a 16×20 if you want. You can also have mats cut specifically for whatever size frame you want. As we all know, art is subjective, as is the way that you decide to display that art. It is important that you consider the size of the framed image in relation to the size of the wall. If you try to hang an image that is too small for the wall, then it looks like the wall is swallowing up the image. If the image is too large, it’s too overwhelming. Sometimes you have a great wall for displaying but you have images that are too small to display by themselves. Then don’t display them by themselves…display them as a gallery. There are so many different configurations you can do to aesthetically display your images in a grouping. That is also something I can help you with. In fact, having several small images to display can be quite fun and test your creativity. 

Lastly, I have a tip for hanging your images. For one, make sure that you have a level. Nobody likes crooked pictures. As you know, there are a plethora of devices for hanging your pictures. Hooks, hangers, wires, and adhesives. Choose your tool of choice. If using hooks or hangers, you’ll probably need a hammer and some nails. Before you nail into the wall, you’ll need to line up the holes. The easiest way to do this is to use something like colored toothpaste or something else you can wipe off. Apply the substance to the holes on the back of the image. Line it up with the wall, make sure it’s level, then press against the wall. The residue from the selected substance will adhere to the wall and all you have to do is hammer or drill in the nails. Tada! Don’ t forget to wipe it off after drilling the holes.

Welp, I hope this was helpful for you in the event you chose to have your images framed. With all that said, it’s now time to schedule your next session. I know it has been a while. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be waiting!