Framer's Block - Part Deux

Paul N

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Posts
17,354
Loc
CT, not far from the LI Sound
Long post, but please bear with me.

I usually have great ideas and can really frame decent stuff, from antique prints / botanicals to all kinds of paintings.

But I noticed that, occasionally, I am at loss when it comes to photos, especially very colorful family photos.

Scenario/ Example: Professional photo of a father + 2 kids.
Color composition:
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  • Background is very light blue-gray</font>
  • Father is wearing a light blue shirt with dark blue stripes.</font>
  • the kids are wearing clothes that include red and light blue colors.</font>
Usually, it takes me less than 20-30 seconds to find the right mats for anything, but with this scene I had to step back and think a bit longer. I settled on very dark blue bottom mat and a warm tone beige (skin tone) for the top one.

Both went well with a gold frame and the customer was quite happy. But I felt a bit weird that I had to hesitate at first.

How do you handle photos with lots of colors (or scenes similar to the above)?

What would you have done differently?

PS: What I am trying to convey here, is that all those colors created a color-overload in my brain! Just 2 weeks ago, I framed 4 large pictures, also by a professional photographer, of 3 girls in a garden. The customer loved it so much, she brought 3 more one week later.

Sometimes I wish the Grumble has a gallery with separate categories where one could get some inspiration in situations like this.
 
I think expecting to find the perfect mat in 30 seconds every time is a bit of a high standard. Some things take more time, and have more than one solution. I have found that some things just jump out at me, but others are real stumpers, especially when the customer is standing there going, "No, I don't like that at all" every time you set something down.. but that's another post. Just relax and don't expect perfection in less than 20 seconds.
 
I always struggle with color photos too. Two words: Gray Suede.
 
I also lean toward gray tones when it comes to lots of colors, but in this situation, with the background also being very gray, it was too much.

And as Jay said, suede seems to warm up and works well in such situations.

Crescent has a good new collection of suedes (Moorman Collection) that I requested and received recently. I think it would also help in such situations.
 
Of the 9 new fabrics Frank has added to his 600+ fabric line-up... 6 are suedes.

I think all but the white suede would have done up that photo nicely.

end of February could always slide on down to Orlando and take Nona's great classes Designing with Color. :D Of course, I wouldn't want to be accused of making a shameless plug for Nona... :D

Shameless. Shameless I say. Your turn now Nona.
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I would pick a light blue-gray mat, a little darker than the background but with the same color tones. Then, go for a soft silver fillet and frame. Silvers work very well with blue and gray tones, usually better than golds. My favorite combination with photos like these is a LJ 150CS fillet and a Munn Frameworks Antique Silver Louis XVI frame. If the customer balks at the cost of the Munn frame, Studio's 44732 will save the job and still look good.

Pat :D
 
One thing I never, ever, did was use skin tones for a top mat. Just don't like the look/color.

I had a tendancy to use a white or off-white for the under mat, and use something that goes with the background for the outer mat. I thought that using colors that blended with the background made the subjects "pop" more.

If the photo is 11 x 14 or larger, many times I would use a fabric liner instead of a mat. I a)liked the depth of a liner; b) fabric is classier; c)it defined the photo without adding alot of width; c) if glass was being used, I had a ready made spacer (glass over the liner keeps the liner clean, too).

Sometimes those group photos looked good in an oval.
 
With ovals, for portaits - single or group, I like a double mat, oval inner and rectangular outer with a fillet, about half an inch in from the oval, takes up some of the extra space at the corners nicely
 
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