One of the beauties of our modern, connected world is the access to all sorts of cool images. We see them every day on social media. Often, however, there is disconnect between photography and art. How many images do you see posted on Instagram that you immediately think would look good hanging in your home of office? Not many, I would venture to guess. But here is another way to think about it…

Your home or office has unique features. It might be a color scheme, the use of square corners or rounded corners in your architecture, or the theme of existing furniture and decor. Choosing imagery for your walls must fit within and complement those features. So what do we have to work with?

Shapes: Photographic images can be finished in most any shape imaginable. This is a great distinction from paintings. If you see an image you like, try to imagine the possibilities of using it in different shapes like squares or rounds rather than the standard rectangle:

One of my favorite installations is a square of squares. I find that the symmetry combined with variations of subject matter can result in a wonderfully compelling installation.

Choosing the Medium: With the recent ability to print on most any surface, photographic images have taken on an art form unto themselves. We now print on metal, glass, wood and canvas in additional to photographic paper. This allows for better matching to your decor. Prints on glass (acrylic) are modern and have great depth. They don’t require any framing and are perhaps the “cleanest” presentation on the market. Metal prints have a color tone that really “pops” and can be hung with or without frames. Canvas prints have a softer, more traditional art feel. The choices are available to fit your taste and style.

To Frame or Not to Frame: Glass, metal and canvas prints are ready to hang and don’t require a frame. Where installation is on a concrete or brick wall, unframed images present unbelievable well.

In rooms with natural wood trim or white trim, I find that a matching frame adds another dimension. With metal prints, I love the feel of a “float frame” where there is a small gap between the image and frame that makes the image float. A black frame also makes a modern image really stand off as well.

Size: The final element is size. This is where the fun really begins. When buying a painting, one is generally limited to whatever size the artist chose for the single image. With photography, however, any image can be printed in a multitude of sizes to fit the cozy corner or create a masterpiece on the end wall. Let the mind expand and imagine the possibilities!