Wednesday, September 1, 2010

How magnifying your flaws will improve your focus

September Tip of the Month

Too many aspiring photographers spend hours on end fiddling with images on the computer without ever committing them to print. 

Perhaps it’s because of the sheer volume of shots, or the amazing tools available to share photos online, but over the years I’ve learned that one of the best ways to improve my skills is to enlarge and display my favorite photos. 

When you print a photo, particularly when you go larger than 8x10, it magnifies the imperfections. I know what you’re thinking…why would I want to show off an imperfect piece?   

Well, enlarging and displaying your photos, even the slightly flawed ones, will improve your focus in three ways:

1) Printing and displaying your photos ensures that you will put more time into planning for your photo. You are more particular about quality of the images you shoot if you know you will be published.

2) Once your photos have been taken, you will have multiple opportunities – from loading and editing to selecting frames for printing – to evaluate. This is where you are going to develop a better eye for shooting and consistency.

3) Planning and evaluating your shots will make you a better photojournalist. You will learn to daydream about and visualize the best shots, ask yourself what is great about an event  and identify the details.

Of course, I can’t leave you without a few fantastic ideas for displaying the plethora of images you are going to create…
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How fantastic would this great Lisa Bengtsson Family Wallpaper look hung from clips or papered on a piece of plywood? Add some photos and you’ve got a darling display no one will be able to resist!

Jewel Case Photo Display

Learning to reduce, reuse and recycle is pretty hot right now. How about using old CD jewel cases to develop changeable, rearrangeable  casual art for the big blank wall in your home? Check out the tutorial here.
Vintage Window

I absolutely adore vintage windows. I picked up my first set nearly a decade ago. What can I say? I was ahead of the times. And, a vintage window makes for a great photo display. Don’t have time to go thrifting for one? You can pick up this one (or one like it) on ETSY.
Gallery Wall

Gallery photos are always a classic. Learn how to install one like Martha’s or check out the variety of options posted here.

Wallpaper

Go big or go home with this incredible personalized wallpaper!  You could also pursue a less expensive option, like do-it-yourself poster making

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Love her or hate her, Martha sure has some good ideas. Isn’t this photo screen so elegant?! And, it’s easy to recreate to. Read more about it here.

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I love this idea for a child’s room or play area. 

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Feeling a bit more creative? Check out these darling frames over at the Creative Crate. Perfect for displaying photos of your little ones!

I think it goes without saying that there are numerous photo book and canvas shops online. You might try out Blurb, Shutterfly, SnapFish and Picaboo.