Thinking outside of the picture frame

Many photographers long for their images to be seen by a wider public, beyond their family and their fellow members at the local camera club. Some photographers do enter competitions or send their images off to dedicated photography magazines, this is not a bad thing, but overall they are still only showing their images to the photographic community when their images could appeal to a much wider population.

Manchester calendar 2012 by martinspaperstore
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Photographers spend lots of time both behind the camera and on the computer honing their skills to produce the best image they can, right down to the type of photographic paper the image is printed on and what type of matting and frame will best complement the image. Even on the internet, websites and galleries use design and imitation matting to best display the image all framed by the viewers monitor.

Snowdonia by martinspaperstore
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Even moving a little bit outside the ridged frame of wall art can get your images in front of a whole range of people that would otherwise have never seen your work. Producing calendars or greeting cards and your images will be viewed by all kinds of people that you would never imagined liking your work. Greeting cards with just an image and no verse do sell but you will have more luck if you add text to the front and a verse inside for a specific occasion, birthday, sympathy, wedding and holidays.

Mushrooms in Sepia by martinspixs
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Pushing even further beyond the frames of wall art with a quick look at some of the bigger POD (print on demand) websites and you find that you can have your image on many different types of products. Before you click away, think of this as a marketing method. If you have an image that would work as a canvas print then why not as a “T” shirt or sweatshirt, just how many people will see your image as that person wearing it walks down the street? Go into a coffee shop and see how many smart phones / iphones are on the tables and how many people are using laptops, customized skins for both phones and computers are becoming more and more popular maybe you have seen them already and if so why should it not be your image on those skins.



Maybe you are not ready to jump into the global market but you would still like to put your images to use and let others see them. How about incorporating them into hand made greeting cards, the time and effort you put into making a card helps to display your sentiment. If you do not know where to start then why not look at Crafts U Print for tips, inspiration, and supplies.


Think outside of the picture frame and get your images out in the world for people to see and appreciate.

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