How to Display Your Photos on a Gallery Wall in Your Home
- National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Great Photography
- Photography: The Definitive Visual History
- Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs
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If you’re like me, you probably have way too many prints to hang on the walls of your home. But rather than displaying one image by itself, you can utilize the space around it to display other photos in a gallery wall.
Gallery walls can be a fun addition to any room. The key is to go about setting up the gallery display in the right way. Learn more about home photography on our website PhotographyTalk.com.
Here are some tips about how to display your photos you absolutely have to hear.
But first...
Before you can display your photos on a gallery wall, you need to select a company to print your photos. For me, canvas is the way to go. But the question is, what's the best canvas printing company of 2020? Check out the video above to find out!
Get Creative With Your Photo Display Placement
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When I created my first photo display, I was so beholden to old preconceptions about what a photo display “should” look like.
I made sure everything was perfectly symmetric and in line with the furniture around it. I measured, then remeasured, then remeasured. But here’s the thing about learning how to display your photos - they are your photos. You need to listen to yourself, but moreover you need to ensure you don’t get in your own way.
Sometimes photos simply fit better in a specific room of your house that you wouldn’t otherwise think about given “normal” rules.
If you like your photo gallery wall to be in your bathroom, then that’s where it should be.
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Examine Each Photo to Determine What Material to Print It On
photo by Sinenkiy via iStock
There are dozens of types of photo prints you can choose from and each brings its own unique characteristics to your wall display.
Some materials are less likely to work in your home. For example, if your personal style is very soft and delicate, a metal print with its hard edges and high reflectivity might not be the best option. You can also check another post about "at home photography ideas".
But other materials, like canvas, can work in any room of your house and give you that delicate, organic look you’re going for.
I’ve worked with CanvasHQ to create every one of my photo gallery walls. First of all, they’re a smaller company, which means their customer service is better and they’re more willing to work with you on your out-of-the-box ideas.
Secondly, they’re almost always running a promotion, so you can take advantage of killer prices on high-quality products.
Thirdly, they don’t use the same awful materials that some other printers do. Instead, they use archival-quality canvas that is hand-stretched onto your hand-built frame, and quality inks so you can be sure your photo display will retain its beauty for decades to come.
Think About Having a Theme
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While you’re learning how to display your photos at home, you need to remember that displaying photos at home is really no different than displaying photos in a gallery. Every piece needs to work off of the others.
In essence, you need a theme.
If you love your photos enough to build them a shrine in your house, then it only makes sense that you put in the work to make others love them just as much.
The theme you choose can be anything - family, home, love, struggle, the color blue...you name it!
But you don’t have to have a theme, either. Sometimes a themed gallery display can feel forced, and if that’s the case, the display won’t have the visual appeal you want.
Don’t Let Your Photo Gallery Wall Throw Your Feng Shui Off
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I’ve seen houses with a wall display that completely ruins the rest of the house. For instance, all of the furniture in your living room cannot be angled toward your photo display, no matter how proud you are of it.
The same goes for ensuring the colors of your photos add something meaningful to your space. Make sure they either play off of colors already present in your room, or the opposite, that the colors of the display contrast with other colors in the room.
In this way, you’re building an atmospheric experience rather than just a photo gallery wall.
Create Your Wall Display Multiple Times
photo by TommL via iStock
While learning how to display your photos, you don’t necessarily have to use your photos. While building a wall display, I usually cut out pieces of paper in the exact size as my photos and use them to plan where I want each photo to go.
Taping paper to the wall is much easier than hanging and rehanging your photo prints and will save you a lot of time in the long run!
This is just a simple tip to help spark your creativity before you commit to hanging your pieces on the wall.
Combined with the other tips provided above, I hope this helps give you a little inspiration and direction for making your gallery wall in your home.
