Photography, when expertly produced, captures the beauty, emotion, and essence of its subject, and it provides you with a bold centrepiece on which to hang the rest of the decorative decisions for your room. It makes it easy to add a personal touch to the design of your living space or office.
However, not all photography prints are created equal, and if you're looking for both a statement piece, and an investment in the future - that is, high quality fine art photography that will gain in value and last for generations - there are a number of important considerations to take into account when making your purchase.
Choose the Right Style
You first need to consider what style of photography you want to hang. Given the wide variety of styles, such as abstract, documentary, architecture, street, or still life photography, it's sometimes difficult to choose which suits your space the best. Each style has different characteristics and appeal to match your personality, and we'll dive in to help you decide.
Abstract
A creative, imaginative, and unconventional style, which leans heavily on shape, colour, pattern, or texture to create an image that challenges the viewer’s perception, abstract photography can be ideal for adding some flair and intrigue to your space.
Documentary photography
Realistic, informative, and impactful, documentary style photography can capture the truth, history, or culture of a subject or event that has social or personal significance. Documentary photography is particularly well suited to adding some depth and meaning to your space.
Architecture photography
Particularly well suited to office spaces, architecture photography captures the essence of the built environment and translates it into a window onto expansive, urban landscapes.
Street photography
Spontaneity and edginess are the hallmarks of good street photography. A candid form of photography, it portrays the life, energy, or atmosphere of a city or urban environment, and adds vibrancy and culture to your space.
Still Life photography
The choice for an artistic, elegant, and sophisticated person. Still life photography is typically heavily staged, and uses its composition, lighting, or technique to create a visual masterpiece that goes beyond the ordinary.
Choose the Right Medium
Following on from the style, you then need to think about what medium you want your print to be on. There is a multitude options, like canvas, metal, acrylic, wood, or paper. And each medium has advantages and disadvantages, depending on your preference, budget, and space.
For example, canvas prints are durable, lightweight, and easy to hang, with the ability to create textured and artistic looks, suitable to many styles of photography. However, canvas prints may fade over time and are not very resistant to moisture or scratches, and so these should absolutely be placed in lower traffic areas of your home or office.
Metal prints are sleek, modern, and vibrant, able to withstand harsh conditions and easy to clean. While they do create a stunning effect with their metallic or glossy finish, enhancing the colours and contrast of the image, metal prints can be expensive, heavy, and prone to glare or fingerprints, so watch out if these are going to be in high traffic areas.
Acrylic prints are glossy, clear, and elegant and can create a three dimensional effect to give your image a real pop. Acrylic also protects the image from UV rays and dust but they can be fragile, difficult to hang, and expensive.
Wood prints are rustic, natural, and eco-friendly. This material is most suitable for warm, cosy scenes and likewise is more suited to being hung in a smaller space, with a warmer feel. However, given they're made from natural materials, wood prints can vary in quality, colour, and texture depending on the wood type and grain, and they can also warp or crack over time.
Paper prints are the classic option, both more versatile and cheaper than other materials. Coming in a variety of options in terms of size, shape, colour, and finish, prints made on paper can also be easily framed or mounted to suit your taste and style, but they're prone to fading, tearing, or wrinkling over time, and are susceptible to damage from light, moisture, or dust.
Choose the Right Format
Once you've chosen the subject and material for your print, the next thing you need to decide is what format you want - square, rectangular, or panoramic - with each having its own effect and suitability depending on the image and the space.
For example, square prints are balanced, symmetrical, and modern. They can work well with any type of image and fit easily into any space. However, square prints may crop some parts of the image or leave some empty spaces on the wall.
Rectangular prints are traditional, proportional, and versatile. They can accommodate most types of images and fill up most spaces. However, rectangular prints may distort some images or create some imbalance on the wall.
If you want to create a stunning focal point on the wall, panoramic prints are perfect. A wide, immersive, and dramatic format, they are perfect for showcasing the full extent of an image. However, panoramic prints require a large space and a high resolution image.
Choose Signed or Unsigned Prints
The final decision you need to make is whether you want your print to be signed by the photographer or not. A signed print is a valuable and authentic piece of art that can add personality and prestige to your space, while also showing your appreciation and support for the photographer’s work and vision.
However, a signed photography print may also cost more than an unsigned one and may not be available for all photographers or images. It may also have an impact on where you place the print depending on the size, colour, and location of the signature.
You need to ensure that the signature is genuine, legible, and appropriate if you want to invest in a signed piece, otherwise there's no point in it. And once you've acquired it, you need to take good care of it, protecting it from damage or deterioration.
Why Michael Elliott Photography Provides the Best Photography Prints for Your Home
If you are looking for high quality fine art black and white photography prints for your home or office, you should check out Michael Elliott Photography.
I am a freelance photographer specialising in film photography, with many years of experience in capturing stunning images of various subjects, such as architecture, nature, abstract pieces and more. I use traditional medium format film cameras to create unique and authentic photographs that have a timeless appeal.
I offer a wide range of signed prints for your home or office. You can choose from different sizes, shapes, themes, styles, moods, and atmospheres to match your interior design preferences. You can also customize your prints by choosing your preferred printing type, paper and mounting.
I am dedicated to providing you with the best quality prints for your home or office. You can browse through my portfolio and blog to see my work and learn more about my vision and inspiration. You can also get in touch directly if you have any questions or requests.
Your ultimate destination for fine art black and white photography prints - Michael Elliott Photography. Order your prints today and enjoy the beauty, emotion, and essence of photography in your space.