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Fine Art Nature Photography and Quality Custom Picture Framing |
The following is a series of articles that cover various aspects of Custom Picture Framing. We hope they will be interesting and informative.
Custom Picture Framing
“How does it work?”
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Many of you have never had custom picture framing done. Here is a bit about the process, your and the framer’s expectations, the cost and more. Custom framing can be an emotional and nerve-wracking experience. Emotional, because if you are taking the time and the expense to preserve and display something, it has significant meaning for you. Nerve-wracking because it is a new experience and there are many unknowns, one of which is the cost. I will try to set your mind at ease. The Process Select the object you want framed and bring in to us. This can be almost anything you want to preserve, a photo, a piece of art, a sports jersey, your dad’s war medals, almost anything. If it’s your first time, just bring in one item, to try us out and to understand the process. We will spend time with you to choose the best frame, matting and glass. We consider the object and also where it will be displayed. We will then give you a cost quote. This is called the design process and is given at no cost or obligation to you. The next step is to make a
deposit, normally ½ the cost of the job. This is a good faith gesture on
your part; that you will return to pick up the finished work and
protection for us if you don’t. When the job is completed, we will
notify you. This is normally about 2 to 3 weeks. (For a small charge,
you can have a
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The Expectations You should expect that you will receive your framed piece that is of the highest quality, a completely unique design that is creatively executed, and this at a reasonable cost. As framers, we expect you to be open with us on what you want your finished piece to look like. We will do the best we can to make that piece look great but we can’t work miracles. For instance, if you bring us a poster that is wrinkled and torn, we can frame it, but it will still have wrinkles and tears. We also expect you to pick up your finished job soon after being notified that it is finished. If you can’t, for any reason, we understand, just contact us and keep us informed.
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The Cost The cost of framing a piece can vary enormously because of the large number of variables. For instance, we have more than a thousand frames from which to choose, and almost as many mats. There are 8 or so glass choices and an almost infinite number of ways to put them all together. Don’t panic! You don’t have to deal with all of these choices, we are there to help with that process and we will take as long as necessary to arrive at the best design Oh yes, the cost. Please bring in the item you would like to have framed and let us help you create a unique and beautiful piece that you will be proud to hang on your walls. A fair amount of the cost of a job is the labor that goes into it as well as the highest quality materials available. There is no charge or obligation for this service. Only then can we give you a firm quote. If this is out of your budget, we will work with you to make the framing as affordable as possible.
-Jim Baumgardt / Image Counts |
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Hobby Shop Framing vs. Custom Framing From time to time in our frame shop we here the following: You want to charge me over $100.00 for a 16x20 frame? I can get a 16x20 frame at “(fill in the blank)” for $40.00! There are a number of reasons for the difference in price. Here are a few of the most important. 1. Quality, “Hobby Shop” frames are mostly made to be affordable. To do this they are mass produced, usually overseas, using the cheapest and often the poorest materials available. The workmanship of the frame is often minimal also. This may be acceptable to display a poster in a collage dorm room or in a hotel room but it is probably not what you want in your home. The aim of custom framing is not only to provide a means to display a piece of art or memorabilia but to also to preserve it. Custom framers use the best materials available, quality woods that are cured and finished using materials that are beautiful but that will not harm your art. The mats used are processed to be acid free, again so as not to harm your art. The glass choices not only enhance the look and visibility of your art but will block the harmful UV light that will rob your art of its beauty. Finally the entire framing package is assembled to withstand the environmental factors that may affect the life of your art. 2. Uniqueness, a framed piece should complement the room it is in and vice versa. The number of choices available in a mass produced frame are very limited. A custom framer can design a framing solution that will work with any decor, and also offer an unusual and creative design. 3. Odd Sizes or Shapes, Most art will not fit into a standard size frame without it looking like it shouldn’t be there. A custom framer can design a frame to fit almost any piece of flat or 3 dimensional art. We at Image Counts have framed pieces as small as a postage stamp and as large as a wall in a great room. We have framed items as diverse as bugs, sports jerseys and shrunken heads, really. 4. Not good at DIY? Assembling a great looking frame yourself is not as easy as it may appear. We have re-worked many do-it-yourself frames. It also takes time put together a beautiful frame. What is your time worth? 5. Don’t have an Artistic Eye but you know it when you see it. We do. We also have the time and samples to work out a great looking design with you.
-Jim Baumgardt, Image Counts |
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Conservation Picture Framing Conservation, in the context of picture framing, simply means framing with the goal in mind of preserving the framed material. It also means preserving while doing nothing to the material that is not reversible. To this end there are a number of techniques used in custom picture framing as well as in the selection of materials used. Mounting Techniques In hobby picture framing the art is often just sandwiched between the glass and the backing. This is never done in quality conservation framing. The reason is that any moisture that finds its way into the frame will usually “glue” the art to the glass, forever! There a number of mounting techniques available to insure that the art does not touch the glass and that the mounting method is completely reversible. A mat, if used, or spacers are inserted between the glass and the art to insure that the two never meet. The traditional method of conservation mounting is to use hinges made of rice paper and glue made from wheat or rice starch. This method is still available as are techniques using more modern materials such as Mylar or vinyl. Glass Most people are familiar with regular and non-glare glass. These are available from a custom framer but are the least desirable from the standpoint of conservation. Ultra-Violet or UV light is the most harmful element to most art and these two glass types block only 50-60% of the UV light. Custom framers offer several forms of conservation glass that will block 99% of UV light. These glass types come with a number of different surfaces that also offer excellent glare reduction to display the art is the best possible “light”. Mats Hobby type mats are made of paper which is highly acidic in nature. This excess acid will turn the mats yellow and can leach into the art and cause undesirable changes in it as well. Some conservation mats are made of paper also but contain a buffering agent which neutralizes the acid. These are only slightly more costly than the plain paper mats but offer much greater protection than the plain paper. The best mats for use in preserving valuable art are called rag mats. These are actually made from virgin cotton fiber, not paper or recycled rags, and are stable and non-acidic. Frames The wood used in picture framing is carefully dried and treated with acid neutralizing materials to insure that they do not harm the art. Additional materials used to complete the framing process such as glue, tapes and papers are also carefully chosen for their conservation qualities. Finally a moisture resistant paper is applied to the rear of the frame to seal it against dust and insects. This is called the dust cover, for obvious reasons. If the frame is to be used in a very moist environment such as a bathroom additional sealing can be applied. We call this process a bathroom seal. If long term preservation of your framed art is needed you should request this from your framer to be assured that he uses the proper materials and techniques. There may be a small additional charge for this level of care but it can pay great dividends in the long run.
-Jim Baumgardt / Image Counts |
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Is it OK to Fake a Photo? What, exactly do I mean by “fake”? I think faking means altering a photograph in a way that changes its meaning, or how a viewer reacts to it. This may be an obvious alteration or one that is invisible to the viewer. To answer the first question; it depends on why the photo was taken. For example:
I will focus on fine art photography since this is the most controversial and since it is my personal interest. A small percentage of the photos I take and market fall under the category of fake. I have replaced a boring sky with a more dramatic one, removed a fence or power pole, added a moon or even processed a photo to look as if it was a painting. When an artist paints a mountain scene it is almost always painted as the artist sees it, or more accurately how he interprets the scene. It is seldom painted to look exactly like it appears to the eye, or in a photograph. This is what makes art so interesting and so personal. Fine art photography is just another medium for the creation of art. Just like paint and a brush. I have been asked whether this is a new phenomenon of the digital age or have the “famous” photographers in the past done it also. Virtually all fine art photographers of note alter their photos. A good example is the well known nature and landscape photographer Ansel Adams. Adams used all of the technology available to him to produce his wonderful images. He used Filters, custom chemistry, dodging, burning-in, vignette, camera movements, cropping, etc. His contemporaries have often said that if digital had been available in Adam’s time he would have embraced it enthusiastically. I have also been asked whether the fact that a photo has been altered should be revealed to all viewers. Some photographers don’t reveal anything about how their work is produced. They feel it should be accepted or rejected on its own merit as art. I tend to go along with that group but if asked or in teaching situations I will explain how I created an image. Some fine art photographers refuse to alter their photos, even refusing to crop an image to improve composition. In my opinion they are not creating the best image possible because they are not utilizing all the tools that are available to them. It’s like a carpenter not using technology like a tape measure or level so he can stay “true to his art”. -Jim Baumgardt / Image Counts |