PRESENTATION – HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE
You lose most, or all control over how your fine art photography is viewed once it’s published in whatever form you choose. Right? Maybe.
You’ve taken the decision to frame your art either in the viewfinder or by cropping in post-production. But there are only so many ‘standard’ forms you can choose, which really limits the control you have over how you want your art to be ‘appreciated’ by the viewer. One way to ‘force’ the viewer’s eye is to create a frame within a frame.
A frame within a frame was my choice to present the photograph of two Red Setters. I had chosen the ‘moment’ when one decided to sit on the other to capture that bizarrely comical image. However, I felt framing it conventionally would not have the dynamic impact of the subliminal message that I wanted to convey: Life is spontaneously surreal, bemusing, and totally unpredictable.
The ‘frame’ I chose was a Photoshopped emulsion lift off replicating the old school Polaroid film technique. Using a film rebate image, I placed the Red Setters inside it and then adjusted the ‘warp’ filter controls until I had something which resembled an authentic emulsion lift off.
Was the choice of a frame within a frame successful? I’m not sure. But considering the alternatives, I’m pleased with the results.