A few weeks ago, we talked about decorating with books as an inexpensive way to let your personality shine through in your home, and last week I shared my tips for capturing more of your family’s memories with photos. This week, I want to talk about using those photos to decorate your home.
Often, we relegate pictures to collages or small prints on a picture wall, but you can also use photos in place of traditional art. With that in mind, here are three tips for using your photos as art:
1. Go big!
For the most part, larger pictures make a bigger impact and stand out more than the standard 4x6s or collage mats of the past. Most digital cameras now take pictures that can be blown up to ridiculous sizes without pixelating, so take advantage of the technology and go big where appropriate.
2. Group pictures by color, subject and/or style.
To stand out as art (rather than just a typical family picture wall), group pictures thoughtfully and carefully. First decide what type of pictures you want to highlight on a particular wall. Close-up portraits? Photojournalistic-style photos where the subjects aren’t posed? Landscape or scenery photos? Choose how many you want and what size you’re going to print them. Find frames that match or coordinate. And finally, decide whether you want black and white, sepia or colored photos. Remember that you’re using larger photos, so you’ll use less than you might with smaller ones, but grouping pictures so that they go together can affect the whole feel of a room!
3. Try something different.
One of my favorite photography styles is to just use what would typically be thought of as the bottom half of a photo, whether they be the legs of a newly walking toddler or a family photo where the kids are within the frame but only mom and dad’s legs can be seen. Other styles include taking pictures from behind or that are off-centered or skewed.
Children love to see pictures of themselves, and I love to look at other families’ photos when we visit the home of a friend. With the advent of digital photography, it’s so much easier for ordinary people to take photos that are worthy of being called art. It may take some time and practice, but framing these pictures is a wonderful way to celebrate the people, places and things we love.
Do you use photos as art in your home? What is your favorite tip for taking frame-worthy photos?
