5 (and a half) Ways to Add More Photography to Your Home
I love seeing tons of family, couples, and wedding photos in people’s homes when I visit, as well as all the clever ways people find to display their photos. As a wedding and family photographer, my goal for my clients is that they will want to display photos from their photo sessions in their home. This is often a daunting task, as life typically gets in the way and before you know it… years have gone by and your photos have been sitting on a hard drive somewhere. I recently participated in a blog article by RedFin offering advice about creative ways to display photos in your home.
I have been meaning to write this blog for an embarrassingly long time, and getting my thoughts together for the RedFin article got me thinking… I better write MY blog! I’ve also started the process of moving in with my boyfriend, and in addition to my fluffy black cat, Beowulf— and all my kitchen gizmos— I have an expansive collection of art and photography I have collected over the years to move and hang. My brain has definitely been in nesting mode, and my research and experience with home decorating with personal photos as well as fine art photography is to your benefit!
So, I’ve put together my favorite 5 (and a half) ways to add more photography to your home! (I’ll try and keep it brief, I promise)
1. Photo Walls
A great way to fill a large space with photos!
Photo walls have become extremely popular ways to display photography lately— they remind me of the salon style of hanging art popular in the 19th century. They can be organized and uniform— with all the frames the same size and color creating a grid on your wall— or more random with all different sizes of photos, finishes, and textures. Canvas prints work well for this style of decor, as they’re lightweight and come is all shapes and sizes. They’re also super easy to hang. Lately I have loved seeing a mix of canvas, framed prints, and metal photo prints on walls!
I love when I have return clients make photo walls with photos I’ve taken of their family over the years— it’s a great way to show a timeline of kids at different ages, or a growing family!
Having a photo wall planned when you book a photo session is also a great way to collaborate with your photographer. I took a series of mixed candid and formal portraits of a couple and their children specifically for a photo wall and edited them in a bold black and white so they’d go well together.
Tip:
Not sure you want to commit to hanging photos directly in your wall? (Especially if you rent an apartment…)— use Mixtiles to make a photo grid or photo wall. They use a peel and stick style of hanger, and leave no wall damage.
I used photos I took of various succulents in a Mixtile photo grid in our bathroom! It was a perfect solution to add bold artwork in a small space.
2. Collage Frames
Easy, low cost solution to add series of photos!
Above frame from Kirkland’s
I’ve only recently come around to love collage frames— I used to love the look of a bunch of small frames hung separately on a wall (a la salon style hanging)… but let’s face it, who has time for that!? I think collage frames with one or two hang points are excellent time (and wall) savers. I use them at home to display a mix of candid and group photos from different events during the year. Since most of the frame sizes in collage frames are 4x6 or 5x7, they’re also great ways to display cellphone photos you’ve printed!
To use collage frames to display professional images from a wedding, family session, etc, pick a mix of color and black and white photos (or all black and white photos in either a solid black or solid white frame is a great, classic look) and find a collage frame that has enough openings in the size and orientation you need. For newborn or family photo sessions with babies, I always try and get detail photos of hands, feet, and lots of facial expressions, which I think go well as a series for a photo collage frame.
Tip:
Not all collage frames have a “hodgepodge” of frame openings, some have three or more in a row, which can look more elegant. You can even take a panorama photo and place it behind the mat openings in the frame!
3. Photo Tapestries
Tapestries and wall hangings make great statement pieces in your home!
Tapestry from Society6 (affiliate link)
This idea isn’t for personal photos, but a great way to add large scale fine art photography to your home decor. Landscape, nature, and architectural images work especially well for large fabric hangings, and some sizes of tapestries make great bed spreads as well. I sell fine art landscape and travel photos on a print on demand website called Society6, where I have my photos available as wall art, wall tapestries and hangings, etc. I have ordered serval photo tapestries— a large one I used as a bright and bold piece hanging behind my bed in a basement bedroom, which really livened up the place.
Tapestry from Society6 (affiliate link)
Tapestries on Society6 are photos printed on large pieces of fabric, with sizes small, medium, and large. These are great for hanging next to or above a bed, dorm room walls, or any large wall space you need to add some art to!
Wall hanging from Society6 (affiliate link)
The wall hanging is a photo printed on loose and woven textured string (reminiscent of a macrame wall hanging), which hangs from a dowel. Add this kind of statement piece to a living room or bedroom!
Wall hanging from Society6 (affiliate link)
Instead of a tip for this section, I have curated some photographs I think make great tapestries and wall hangings! Click here to see (Society6 affiliate link)
4. Traditional Framed Photos
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Framed photo prints are classy.
There’s nothing as classy and elegant as a wall of framed photo prints. Pick out the same color, style, and size frames to let the photos speak for themselves, or mix and match and go crazy with it, letting the frames stand out as a design element.
If you do want a more traditional, art gallery-style wall or room of framed photos, make sure you measure from the floor to the center of the piece, which should be at eye level for everyone (not just the tallest or shortest in the household). By measuring to the center, you can hang landscape and portrait frames without them looking discombobulated. Use a level to make sure everything’s hung straight!
Make a statement with your framed photograph! Pick an iconic image from your wedding or a group photo from a family photo session and hang it over a fireplace or another prominent place in your home.
If your printed photo is smaller than the frame you want to use, buy or have a mat made. I personally love the look of white or black mats around photographs, as I think it lets them breath in the frame.
Where should you hang your framed photos? Living room, hallways, bedroom, up the stairs, foyer, your office… you name it. Maybe leave personal photos out of the guest room— I always get sightly uncomfortable with portraits in a guest room (the eyes follow me… is that weird?) Try framing some neutral fine art photos for in there instead. Landscapes, travel, etc.
One of the first things I gave my boyfriend when we started dating was printed and framed black and white photos of his four pets (two dogs, two cats), which we hung together on a wall in the TV room.
Tip:
Some frames have glass, and some have plexiglass or acrylic instead— which is lighter, and might be easier to hang for larger framed pieces in apartments or homes with thinner walls. Glass is beautiful, but heavy! The plexiglass and acrylic is more prone to scratches, however.
Framed fine art photo print from Society6 (affiliate link)
5. Photo Albums
Keep ‘em on a coffee table or display them where people can page through them!
Oh, photo albums, how I love them. I don’t mean old school photo albums with sleeves you buy for a few dollars and insert prints into— nothing wrong with them, they’re great for keeping stacks of photo prints safe, but you don’t really see them out and displayed, do you? I mean big, beautiful, bespoke photo albums with linen or leather covers, and thick, stunning, professionally printed pages of photos. Wedding albums come to mind, but you can also order albums for family photo sessions, portrait sessions, engagement photos, etc. I think albums lend themselves especially well for ordering products from boudoir photoshoots (keep those in the nightstand— or out in the living room, you do you)!
Sample layout of a wedding album in Artifact Uprising’s album designer
Speaking of wedding photo albums: when my dad and his wife got married, he had a friend make them a photo album of wedding photos and it’s all they ever look at— not the thousands of photos on a disc somewhere. It’s out in the living room so when they have guests over they can look at it.
For the best album layout, pick a good mix of candids and documentary, storytelling moments that you might not want as big prints on the wall. Think storybook. Most photographers have packages with albums included, or offer them a la carte; but if yours doesn’t, I recommend Artifact Uprising as they have the easiest album designer, plus they’re cost-effective and beautiful!
Tip:
If you don’t have the budget for an heirloom photo album, you can get a photo book instead. They have thinner pages (versus an album’s thick, layflat pages), and if you want your photos in a book and the legacy quality of an album isn’t a priority, photo books are a great option! I also recommend Artifact Uprising’s photo books! Typically photo books are small enough you can use photos from your cellphone, too.
Those are some ways to add more photography to your home— but what is the “(and a half)” I mentioned?
Well…
Hire a photographer you like
You can’t add photos to your home without the PHOTOS!
I know it’s cheesy and self-serving for me (a professional photographer) to suggest that you hire a photographer— but seriously, a photographer is going to be able to capture moments of you and your family in candid, artistic ways. Plus, you’re going to want to be IN the photos! Not taking them all the time!
Instead of only using Google to find a photographer in your area, try looking on Instagram under location specific hashtags (for example, #louisvillephotographer #kentuckyphotographer #cincinnatiphotographer), or get a referral from friends and family. If you like your photographer’s photography style, and you vibe with them personality wise, stick with them! I love my repeat, year after year clients. There’s nothing better than photographing people from engagement, to wedding, to maternity, newborn, and family photos (or whatever order you do it in).
And if you’re in the Louisville or Cincinnati areas (or anywhere in between), hit me up for a photo session!
