If you want to continue to enjoy your photo and picture frame for years, it’s important to know how to protect it from permanent damage.Although there are many ways you can ruin your photo and picture frame, there are four simple things you can do to keep your picture frame looking good for years.Many people don’t realize how easy it is to protect your pictures until it’s sadly too late. With these few important tips you can keep your frame and picture looking good for years.

Avoid Your Picture Frame From Getting Direct Sunlight

We all know the kind of damage the sun can do to your skin and your photos are no different.The sun’s UV rays can badly damage your photos so decrease the risk of fading and damage by preventing your frames from getting direct sunlight.

If it’s impossible for you to keep your picture frame away from direct sunlight, there are a few things you can do. The first thing would be to make a copy of your special photo so if the picture is damaged by sunlight you still have a good photo.The second thing you should do is use UV glass or UV acrylic which will dramatically reduce the UV exposure on your photo.Although your photo will be protected, your picture frame will still likely fade in the direct sunlight. Some of the frames most sensitive to fading are ones made out of natural materials like fabric, paper and wood picture frames. You should also be careful with stained or colored frames like red, green or blue picture frames.

Avoid Moisture

We all know about moisture damage caused by flooding, but have you considered damage caused by steam?Photos and picture frames can be badly damaged by this type of moisture. Be sure to avoid hanging your picture frames next to the kitchen sink or in a bathroom where it can get hot and steamy. If you choose to display pictures in these locations, be sure you have extra copies of your photos made and choose a frame that won’t get damaged by moisture. The best frames for moist areas are metal picture frames that are made out of aluminum and won’t rust.

Be cautious of picture frames with a sealed back.  A sealed back frame is either taped closed or has a paper glued to the back of the frame to protect it and give it a professional finish. A sealed back on a frame does not protect your photo but instead can damage it by trapping moisture inside.Moisture is naturally found in the air in the form of humidity.When the temperature outside the picture frame is different from that on the inside of the frame, moisture builds. If there is a sealed back on your picture frame, there is no way for the moisture to escape so it’s absorbed by your photo.

If you live in a climate with high humidity, you should consider getting some spacers or mats so your pictures will never get stuck to the glass.When a photo has consistent contact with the glass in high humidity, the photo can stick to the glass and become damaged. Spacers or mats keep the glass from resting on the picture and gives the picture some room to breathe.

Use Caution with Spray Cleaners

This may sound like an obvious suggestion, but there are many people who do not realize the damage that can be done to their photos by spraying glass cleaner on their picture frame glass.Anytime you’re planning to use a spray cleaner to clean your picture frame, always remove the photo first before cleaning. The sprayed liquid can seep under the glass and permanently stain your picture. If you don’t want to take the time to remove the picture, use a cloth with the cleaner instead of spraying the cleaner directly onto the glass.

More Frame Care Tips

Another tip to avoid damaging your picture frames is to never stack your frames without properly protecting them. If you are moving or need to store your frames, be sure to protect them with bubble wrap or thick towels.  Metal and wood picture frames are difficult to repair, so take extra precautions to properly protect them when storing.

By remembering these tips you can protect your picture frames and special photos so you’ll never have the disappointment of ruining something you love. Keep these tips in mind and you will have picture frames that retain their beauty and look good for many years.

Knowing the difference between custom frames and ready made picture frames is important when you’re shopping for frames.  Having a good understanding of these two types of frames will help you get the right frame without spending more than you want.  So, what is the difference between ready made frames and custom frames?

A ready made picture frame is just that- one that is ready to be used directly out of the box.  Manufacturers of ready made picture frames assemble and package them so all you need to do is open the box, insert your picture and it’s ready to be displayed.

Ready made frames usually come in standard sizes. You can find ready made frames for photos, small keepsakes, standard sized art work and important documents like diplomas. Ready made frames are complete when assembled. They include glass, backing and some hardware for either hanging on a wall or for displaying on a table. Not all ready made frames include an easel back stand or frame hardware for hanging.  Ask your frame retailer to make sure you have everything you need to display your framed picture.

There are many different frame retailers that offer ready made frames online and in stores. With so much selection you should always be able to find exactly what you want.

Custom picture frames, on the other hand, give you more options than ready made frames. Custom picture frames are measured, cut and put together specially for you. If your framed item is not a standard size, or if you need a unique depth or dimension for your artwork or keepsakes, a custom frame is the answer.  With a custom frame, you can choose the type of protective surface you want, whether glass or acrylic with a UV coating. 

Custom frames allow you to create a look that is your own, from framing material to mats to the layout of your picture or artwork. Some custom framers refer to these frames as “ready made” because they’re all ready to be hung when you get them. However, if they’re hand assembled they’re custom frames not ready made frames.

Which type of picture frame is best?

The answer to that question depends upon what you plan to frame. Original artwork is best suited to a custom picture frame since size sizes are usually non-standard and can vary wildly. A custom wood picture frame can accommodate a wide range of thicknesses and unique dimensions. There are many options to choose from with custom frames so you have a lot of flexibility to find a frame that goes well with your artwork.

Something to consider is that ready made picture frames are usually a lot less expensive. Custom frames are created and assembled by hand which adds to the cost of your framing project.

So to choose between a ready made frame and a custom picture frame you should ask yourself a few questions.

Is it a standard picture size? If it’s a standard size then you’ll have lots of options with ready made frames. Ready made picture frames come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, materials and sizes. You can find frames in everything from wood and metal to gold leaf, sterling and basic black picture frames. If you’re looking for a nice looking frame without spending a lot, a ready made frame is your best choice.

If you have a picture that doesn’t quite fit into a ready made frame, you can use a ready made mat insert to frame your picture and give it a custom look without the cost of a custom made frame.

However, as convenient and economical as ready made frames are, sometimes you need a custom size or look for your photo or artwork. If you have a unique piece of artwork, whether it’s a standard size or not, you may want the extra choices that a custom picture frame offers to best showcase your piece.

Once you have determined whether a custom frame or ready made frame best suits your framing needs, you are ready to start shopping for your frame. No matter what type of frame you decide on, you’ll know the difference between these two types of frames so you’ll always get exactly what you want.

This doesn’t really apply of course if you’re taking shots of inanimate objects. It is highly unlikely that a tree is going to feel put out because you took your shot when it’s foliage was not at its best - but a person may.

Perhaps you are lurking in the back alleys of a Third World city, or maybe your own, attempting to capture a specific ambiance. You see an old woman in your line of sight looking tired and world weary. All the same, there is something you see in her pose, something noble in her expression, so you shoot it.

Afterwards you can give the images a good color balance in image editing software for your friends to admire. Obviously you derive the pleasure of your efforts - but what did the model get?

Back when I was first taking photos I caught sight of a one legged man on a crutch hobbling towards me along a city street. It was a powerful image, so thinking myself a god with a Canon I boldly took the shot. The subject got very upset - and I immediately saw his point: who wants to be immortalized looking your worst?

I promised myself I would never do that again and threw away the negative when I returned my darkroom. Should I have asked for his OK first? That would not have solved the situation and he most certainly would have said no. The real point was, what was my original intention for taking that shot in the first place? Had I thought about it a little more I probably would have taken my shot from behind and spared his feelings.

Sometimes you take a candid snap and the value of the shot is that the person is unaware of your interest. These photos can be terrific but presenting yourself and your intention ahead of time could spoil the effect. Nevertheless, once you have your shot why not approach the person and ask if you can take another, this time doing the best you can to take a more flattering version. They may never see it, but here, as in many things - it’s the thought that counts.

Another suggestion, often appreciated in poorer countries or areas where the local people have been assaulted photographically on a daily basis by throngs of tourists, is to offer at least some polite financial exchange for the modelling services provided. This is usually appreciated and it’s good for your conscience.

Some other examples: one time I did my own personal photo essay on a school. It wasn’t practical to offer every student and teacher a print but I cut a CD of the best shots and presented it to the principal.

Another time, I shot a dog class and made some small prints of the ten best shots and gave them to the trainer to pass out at the next class.

All this comes under the heading of good manners, and good manners are always appreciated. Additionally if you find you need to go back and re-shoot, you will most likely be welcomed and not run out of town.

Try it.

Photography Studio Lights

Whether capturing photos of products or shooting portraits or other images. Achieving great photos of publishable quality, does require some photographic ability whether natural or learned. Photographers often utilize photography equipment such as muslin backdrops and photography lighting kits or lighting stands to highlight the subject. Often times a back light or fill light will be employed as well to eliminate any shadowing affects in the background of the images.

Pro photographers often choose strobe or flash studio lighting for there lighting source, particularly with taking modeling shots or with portraiture. Using strobe or flash lighting, synchronzied timing of the camera’s shutter to work in time with the flash is required.

Though for some photography enthusiasts, they can also choose to utilize a different type of photo lighting equipment such as continuous lighting. This type of studio lighting can be found in the form of both Halogen and Fluorescent photography equipment. These are known as hot lights and are very easy to use and require no synchroziation like flash lighting does. Photogs can place there light stands and simply flip them on and begin shooting immediately.

Brightly burning halogen studio lights provide a wonderful light source but they also produce a great deal of heat as well. If you use this type of continuous lighting, the heat in your home or studio will not only rise but your electric bill will rise as well. Fluorescent lighting stands in comparison are cool to the touch and need only a fraction of the electricity to operate. With that said, they do not burn as brightly as halogen bulbs do. To counter that, photographers who want to use fluorescent for it’s coolness and energy efficiency simply choose a higher wattage lighting kit to overcome any luminosity differences in output.

The various choices for photographers with the availability of modern photography studio lighting equipment have been greatly improved in both quality and options. Digital photo lighting kits for example are available in both fluorescent and halogen forms to keep pace with advancements in the age of digital photography.

Photography equipment is designed to enable photographers , regardless of whether they are a professional or a beginner to be able to elevate the quality of their photographic images on a consistent basis. Both elevating their photos and the very craft of photography to new heights.

 

 

Caption: Leopard (Panthera pardus) lying in the grass after nightfall, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Sabi Sand, South Africa.

Photo Info: Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi); Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM; Focal Length: 170mm; Shutter speed: 1/80; Aperture: f2.8; ISO: 800.

The leopard picture above was taken at night, without flash. The available light was provided by a hand-held spotlight of the type used on safari night drives, aimed towards the side of the animal by the tracker on our safari vehice.

As can be seen from the Photo Info, the ISO was pushed up to 800, which allowed a shutter-speed of 1/80 at an aperture of f/2.8. Luckily I was using a borrowed lens — a “fast” Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM zoom that helped me get the picture without resorting to flash.

The EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS is a superb lens for wildlife photography with its fast f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the zoom range. This allows shooting in low light at shutter speeds that are sufficiently fast to counter the camera shake that’s inevitable when using a long lens.

For the above picture, even with limited available light from the spot, I was able to shoot at 1/80 by keeping the aperture wide open and cranking up the ISO. In these situations image stabilization is a huge help, but it’s doubtful if I’d have been able to keep the picture sharp at a slower shutter speed, which would have been necessary had I been forced to use a smaller aperture.

The one drawback of this lens that photographers complain about is its bulk and weight — a natural result of the many glass elements needed to provide the constant maximum f/2.8 aperture, while still providing the superior image quality that photographers expect of a Canon L-series lens.

A highly recommended alternative is the f/2.8’s more compact sibling, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM. With a maximum aperture of f/4 there is a loss of one stop, but the image and build quality easily match that of the larger lens. Some users even insist that the f/4 produces sharper images.

The main advantage however is its smaller size and significantly lighter weight — 1.67 lbs (760g) vs 3.24 lbs (1470g) for the f/2.8.

This makes it ideal for travel and other assignments where weight is critical. The second generation image stabilizer provides up to four stops of camera shake correction, making it easy to hand hold. Certainly a lens with a top pedigree that offers a viable alternative to its big brother — and at considerable cost saving. For user comments and reviews, see Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM user ratings.