We all love taking photos. For most of us, every picture snapped on our cameras, phones and tablets represents a moment which we have felt the need to capture and keep safe forever. However, are our treasured memories really as treasured as they used to be?
Almost everyone is guilty of it. We take hundreds, in some cases thousands of photos every year but never really do anything with them. Instead, supposedly precious memories sit unseen on phone and camera microSD cards until we finally get round to uploading them to Facebook.
The Forgotten Importance of the Family Portrait
It never used to be like this, though. Once upon a time, every photo was a celebration. Film would be developed and friends and family would gather round eager to see the finished results. Shortly afterwards, our best pictures would then be blown up and framed.
Photographs if you like, used to be about creating our own art while at the same time celebrating and immortalizing our loved ones. Of course, for a while, it looked like digital photo frames were going to be the next big thing. However, these have quickly become little more than the garden gnomes of the tech industry. They’re power heavy, impractical and altogether impersonal. The simple truth is that photos deserve to be framed properly.
Better Protecting Your Precious Memories
However, getting into the habit of framing more of our photos isn’t just about finally showcasing our precious memories. A framed photograph turns what’s essentially an easy to accidentally delete or lose file on your phone or PC into a cherished piece of artwork.
We’ve all lost our phones, we’ve all suffered from irreparable computer failures and we’ve all been felt feeling awful about losing copies of photographs and pictures which were important to us.
A physical, framed picture changes this. You can’t accidentally delete or forget where you have hung your children’s first birthday photos. At the same time, by framing pictures, pictures are better physically preserved for the future.
Personalising & Glamorising Your Home & Work Place
All that said, framing photos isn’t just about better securing your favourite images. Rather, framed pictures and photographs are the no.1 way to finally make your personal space more about you and your loved ones.
Home and workplace walls ache to be enlivened with art. Yes, displaying photographs on desks and mantle pieces adds to a places atmosphere, but nothing quite makes a statement like a professionally framed hanging picture gallery. Your home, in particular, is your family’s base. In fact, in many respects, your home is just as much a part of your family as you are. In this case, it deserves to be animated and adorned with lovingly framed pictures and photographs of you and your loved ones.
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
At the same time, framed pictures and photographs make brilliant gifts. From cherished pieces of family memorabilia to pride of place artwork which people can decorate their homes with, framed pictures and art prints are the epitome of thoughtfulness. Are you tired of presenting your mother or daughter in law with soap box after soap box each Christmas? If you feel like finally gifting something which they will really appreciate, why not present them with a framed family portrait or an artistic print of a certain special someone?
A Quick 101 In Picture Framing
Of course, picture framing is an art form in of itself. The right frame will complement a picture by making it stand out more. The wrong frame, on the other hand, will make your latest photograph or art piece stand out for all the wrong reasons.
The above being the case, it’s important to be discerning when shopping around for picture frames and in Australia we have two options. We can either measure the pictures which we want to display and shop for a suitable frame on the high street, or we can employ the services of a professional framer.
There is a third option, though. At places like Frameshop, people can upload photographs and artwork which they plan on displaying in their home and use Frameshop’s custom picture framing tool to select the right frame for the right picture every time.
The latter option takes away the worry of buying something which looks great in the store but looks positively atrocious once it’s actually up on the wall. In fact, designing your own frame provides all the same benefits of a professional picture framing service, just at a fraction of the cost.
How It Works
In practice it’s simple. Firstly you either upload your image or select the size of your existing photos. You can upload images just to preview the colours or you can have them printed too, which really makes the whole process so much easier! Then you decide on the frame you’d like, from raw timber to decorative and polished silver finishes, there is literally a huge selection. After this, you decide on what (if any) kind of mat border you want to have around your picture and you’re done!
Extra Benefits
However, what makes online framing really stand out is the ability to choose from a whole host of other extra options. Are you planning on displaying a particularly precious photo which has been passed down through generations? If so, at places like Frameshop you can add things like UV resistant glass into your finished picture frame. This way, you won’t have to worry about art or photographs being ruined over time by excessive ultraviolet light exposure.
The biggest benefit? Because you can upload your picture or photo after you have designed your frame, you never have to worry about picking the wrong frame for either your picture or your homes existing decorative style. Even better, after uploading your picture or photograph, you can choose to have it professionally printed on a variety of paper types.
Of course, you don’t have to choose the latter option. However, if you plan on displaying images and family photos which you need to get printed anyway, it makes sense to get them printed and sized professionally.
Are You Ready To Start Framing Your Photos Again?
If you are already sifting through digital archives of pictures looking for something worth framing, you’re making a brilliant decision. Everyone from always on the go mums to aspiring professional photographers will find a visual gem or two tucked away on an SD card somewhere.
Even better, when you do finally get around to printing and framing your personal pictures, you’ll be astounded at the difference they make to your home. However, if for whatever reason you’re not ready to start printing and framing just yet, make sure regardless to try and get into the habit of always backing up your photos. A framed family portrait will last for at least several generations if it’s cared for properly. Hardly anyone, though, will likely know or care where their current iPhone is in a few years’ time.
Images from our Pinterest page here.