School Picture Day for Homeschoolers!

Learn more about this exclusive school picture day just for homeschoolers! Click to enlarge this image.

Wall Design With Photography

The above is a project I've been working on all weekend. These images represent a wall that will soon be in my home. The images range in size from a large 24X20 to several 4X6's. These are not all my "best" photography, but they are all images that have special meaning to me. They are my family.

I never thought before to lay out my design in this way. But I found a layout online that really spoke to me and I found a way to do it in my own home. I began by laying out the sizes I wanted to use on a simple word template. Then I scoured my image inventory (1000's of pictures...) for just the right image to use with each size. I then edited them all to a chocolate brown and white finish - a treatment I do for many of my clients as well, and cropped them to size. I uploaded them to my smugmug gallery -this is the incredible vendor I work with for image printing. They are top notch. And ordered the sizes I wanted. It was as easy as that. Well, I say easy, but it took me the better part of the weekend to just decide on images and sizing, editing and ordering.

Each of these images will be mounted and frameless. I want the focus to be on the portraits themselves rather than the frames (though I do love experimenting with different kinds of frames and mattings). I'm using a mounting technique that is new to me and excited to try it out. And like I mentioned, several of these portraits will be quite large - 24x20, 16x20, 10x20, and 20x20. I love large images. Go big or go home, as they say!

I promise to show the final design when I'm finished. Keep the idea of large prints in mind when framing (or going frameless) in your home. A large image - whether on its own or in a grouping such as this - really makes a statement, and can be all the art you need on your walls. And since your pictures will be so personal, it really brings a whole new level of warmth and meaning to your room.

H Family - January 2010

The beauty of living in a small town is the connection to people. I discovered at my last dentist appointment that I had photographed my dentist's son at the recent school picture day I did, and she wanted to have a session with both her boys since the school session was just for her younger son. We met up at one of my favorite spots to shoot. It turned out to be a beautiful day and the boys were excited to run around and be free and silly. And just look at those pearly whites?! Gorgeous!