Photo Walls

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FrameMakers

FrameMakers

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Mar 20, 2001
Posts
7,395
Loc
Powell, OH
530096_457195560980272_935202225_n.jpg

About a month ago I posted about an idea I had, it started to run off track so I am starting a new thread.

I want to start featuring local amateur photographers on our walls with small shows. I have 4 12’ walls that I want to use for this. The photographer would choose a certain number of digital images for the show. I would print the images, dry mount them and mat them at the photographers expense. I would then put those into frames with ArtGlass for the show at my expense. These frames would be reused from show to show unless they sell in which case they would be replaced. At the end of the show the matted images would be returned to the photographer in glassine bags ready for sale.

It took me a while but I finally came up with sizes that I think will fit most of my criteria. Most digital photography is a 2:3 ratio the way it comes out of the camera. In dealing with customers and even photographers, they seem to have a hard time understanding aspect ratio and why their image has to be cropped to fit different standard sized prints such as 8x10, 11x14 or 16x20. So one of my desires is to keep the images at the full 2:3 ratio or to crop them to square image.

The sizes I came up with are:

6x9 image in an 11x14
8x12 image in a 14x18
12x18 image in an 18x24
16x24 image in a 24x32

8x8 image in a 14x14
12x12 image in an 18x18
16x16 image in a 24x24

These sizes seem to play well with each other.

This is where I could use a little help
If you have photoshop or elements you can download the layered PSD file and have a go at arraigning the wall. I am planning on making up at least 4 extra frames for each size beyond what is shown in the PSD file, so feel free to copy and paste extra frames for your design.

If you want to share some of your images, you can place those behind the frames to get an even closer idea of what I am proposing.

My though it to give this to the photographers that want to exhibit so they can design the placement and sizes of the images. For those that don't want mess with that, I can show them the design before we do the installation.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/94529737/Brick Wall sm.psd
 
Now I am in the process of figuring out what mouldings to use for this. I know that most places just use a simple black moulding, but I am thinking of maybe going to more of an expresso than black. I have also done a show that used white frames and white mats with deep spacers. These looked great on the wall.

Any thoughts on how to design the framing for quick fitting and changing them off. I am thinking of using a taller moulding and a strainer that would be screwed into the frame with pocket holes. The idea is to be able to fit up 50 or so jobs in one day and to be able to do this once a month.
 
For the wall design above, I would be right at $500 for printing, double matting and drymounting. If I can fill up all four walls with this concept, it would mean 2K of extra income. :)
 
i find most photographer dont wanna mix up the sizes too much

ie most of them for a show wont do more than a couple of sizes

at the moment i am finding wenge is becoming my most popular colour for photographers
 
I like the concept very much and have been looking at various options too. I agree that photographers might shy away from organising themselves and the sizes for this but you could offer to manage the sizes etc for them as a part of the package which would get them over the hurdle. Additionally you could offer the frames for sale at a reduced rate after each showing.
 
I think that part of the reason that they may be shying away from this look for a show is simply not wanting to deal with the concept of salon hangings and the math involved.

I am going to start off with my own photography to show the concept. This style of wall hangings has become extremely popular. There are companies that specialize in providing a complete wall designs.
 
Great plan to use your own, you're right about collections selling for sure. A sale by any other name is still a sale!

I'm wondering if another addition could be to take photos of 2-3 smaller groupings (to keep price down) as options to the whole lot?
 
Hi Frame Makers! LOVE the idea...

I am a professional photographer. I do my own printing (Epson 7990, 9900), mounting (Seal 5298H) and framing in house/studio. Just recently back from 6 weeks in Africa and have populated your wall collage with photos from that trip (just for fun). You could rearrange those for the next 100 years. I like the way you have them. I would probably exchange some of the portrait-oriented ones for landscape but that's preference.

Oddly, many photographers DON'T like too much variety in crop and ratio which I find is a mistake. The image should dictate that; not the "common" image ratio (2:3). Aaaanyway, I live in Detroit but grew up in Columbus and am there often. I drive right past the Powell exit off I-23. I would love to help with your photo display wall and would love to be one of your "featured" artists. I have 11 pieces, all 40"x60", going in the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ next month and am just venturing into the gallery/design-studio arena. I have for some time thought about partnering with a framing company to sell frames/photo art together. Would love to chat more about that if you are interested...

Here is your photo wall...with photos...

Brick Wall sm.jpg

CRAIG
 
One more thing....

Just an FYI - When I shoot families/portraits I offer pre-designed wall collages as a printed product. I custom shoot for a specific collage and go to the clients home to hang them. Perhaps you could consider selling a group of matching/ecclectic FRAMES as a set/collage into which clients might be motivated to place their own images. Might help sell more frames? A group of them at once?

Here is one of the pages from my collage pricing catalog:

CPK Custom Wall Collages 4 5 6.jpg
 
stcstc - You are right and that is short-sighted on the part of photographers. If you go to a high-end art gallery you will find beautiful art framed in beautiful frames. The frame is much a part of the whole "presentation". It might actually be the final component that sells the buyer on the piece (unless it is a named artist). If I have a $1,200 photo for sale in a design studio and it's put in a $1,500 frame and together it looks stunning and sells...yes please!!!
 
Dave, you have been printing much longer than myself, so I am sure you probably already thought about this:
  • Coming up with several arrangements - Group A - D with each group having a set number of frame sizes
  • Each group would allow you to nest image sizes for printing that would allow max. yield.
 
Yes John, it will allow for nesting of the prints as well as getting maximum usage out of the matboards.
 
n1phan said:
If you go to a high-end art gallery you will find beautiful art framed in beautiful frames. The frame is much a part of the whole "presentation".
Click to expand...

i dont agree this is the same for photographs

its common to have an ecletic mix of art in shapes sizes etc

photography is much more about rules, i mean there are various composition "rules" for example. yes those rules are to be broken. but my opinion is that a to eclectic mix will put people off.
 
Those who want to sell to 99.999% of consumers will succeed doing what Dave is doing. These uber high end photographers that demand huge prices and bland framing make up .001% of photography sold in the U.S. and only a small handful of names come to mind. These super special photographers own their own galleries and therefore can do whatever they please. In this area where thousands of framed photos are sold every week only a few belong to the elite photographers club.

In this area I can think of 2 photographers that are special enough to own their own gallery and they sell a few pieces per month each. Kudos to them as they have actually made an investment and become a business. The thousands of other photographers that sell many thousands of photos per week combined in this area are all working to make name for themselves so they can become the third recognized professional in the area. Those thousands of photographers in this area all have one thing in common and that is to have a place to display their work for a shot at becoming the professional that is referred to multiple times by the "Rules of Photography" poster here.

I will frame photos in any way a photographer wishes to spend their money. The one thing that is a constant in this area is those who chose bland framing are being outsold a thousand to one by the group that chooses designs that compliment their work. I have hundreds of photographer customers and those who choose bland framing based on principle have learned you can't eat or pay the mortgage with principles. Very large numbers that start out that way come back and spend additional money to change the framing to something that will sell.

Dave is offering a chance for photographers to make a name for themselves and a very inexpensive one at that. Award winning photographers who are receiving many thousands of dollars for each image have no interest in his program since they are up to their eyeballs in cash. Up and coming photo enthusiasts who are wanting a chance to make a name for themselves can get a start using Dave's program. When Peter Lik contacts Dave to do a show Dave will follow whatever program the photographer wishes but until a photographer has paid their dues the rule will be "Dave's walls, Dave's Program". As much as this will irritate the purists there will be large numbers of those looking for an opportunity that will love to follow Dave's program. Those who feel too important to follow the program can move to NYC, Chicago, LA, Miami or even travel across the ocean to find a more important gallery setting.
 
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