For the love of art, fill your walls!
If Only These Walls Could Talk…
Oh YES, they CAN SPEAK VOLUMES!
Whenever I visit someone’s house I’m always drawn to the ART on their walls and their coffee table books. And specially if they compliment the furniture and are part of the decor. What a visual delight that is for me! And not just that, but for some reason it makes me feel comfortable, like I am in a fun place with cool people. Maybe it’s the art-geek in me coming out, but my first instinct is to make myself at home, chill on their couch, and talk about the artwork over coffee or wine. The artworks and books in the home become the conversation pieces, the story tellers, the reflection of an individual’s tastes and appreciations. I learn amazing things about people when they explain the story behind the images that they chose to hang on their walls.
Look around your home from this perspective. What do your walls say? Are they speaking to your style and philosophies?
Maybe you haven’t had a Professional Portrait taken in a while because you just haven’t felt inspired to do it, and now you are looking around your home thinking hmmm, these “conversation pieces” could use a little renaissance… but maybe you’re not really sure where to start, but you know that since you will be looking at it everyday, you want something you will love love love! Deciding what art to hang on your walls can be an inspiring project for some, but a very daunting undertaking for others. Either way, we have some tips to help you get started…
walls are blank pages waiting for a story
If you’re possibly considering getting a professional portrait done as part of the art that will hang in your home, then there are a few things you may want to think about before taking the next step. First and foremost you need to think about the style of photography you want. What speaks to you? Is it classical portraiture? Or something a little more artistic that can be seen in a gallery? Or perhaps a little more fashion-inspired, if style is important to you. Whatever your decision, this is the main thing to consider. There is no right or wrong… it’s a very personal choice. And making the right choice for you is what will really make you feel warm and fuzzy when you see yourself or your family on the wall everyday. What are you trying to say? What message or story are you sending to yourself and others? Don’t discredit this part, it’s important. Look at lots of examples online, or on Pinterest, (or wherever), and really ask yourself what speaks to you, how would you really like to see yourself in a photograph? And don’t allow any limiting beliefs about how you think you look in a photograph, to dictate what that really means to you.
Once you have that figured out, then you can look for a photographer that is in alignment with your vision. Not every photographer is right for everyone. Make sure you are choosing the one that is capable of creating the look you want, and also that your vision is within that photographer’s style. If those two criteria aren’t met, then move on to the next photographer.
Before you even proceed to the shoot, you may want to start thinking about how you want to present your photographs. Will it be a very large framed statement piece that will hang in your entrance way? Will it be a more modest and simple set of 3 in the kitchen? An eclectic variety with other artworks and words mixed in? Will your display just be photographs of you, or one photograph for each family member? What style of frames would you like to see?
The result of these personal choices coming together is what will tell your story. Your participation in this process will make your photographs even more meaningful to you. Don’t settle for something because you think it’s all that is available, or because it’s what other people are doing. Make it yours, make it meaningful, make it art!
