Looking for personal, dramatic artwork to decorate your home? Think pictures: vibrant botanicals, sweeping landscapes, artful black and whites of your family. Photographs are the perfect medium—you can get exactly the shot you want, adjust the colours, and print the precise size to fit your space. Enlargements won’t break the bank, either: if you enlarge photos to a standard size and purchase a ready-made frame and matte, you can produce a gorgeous piece of artwork for a fraction of the price of a well-made professional print.
Before your photo shoot
Set your camera to FINE: For enlargements, you will need a very fine image—go for the highest resolution your camera will allow.
Consider shooting in RAW: Many cameras allow you to photograph in RAW format, which is the digital equivalent of a film negative. These files will be large, but they will allow for precise colour correcting afterwards, either by you or the print technician.
During your photo shoot
Think light: Most photographs look best in natural light, and natural light looks best in the early and late hours of the day. Take note of where the light is hitting, and experiment with angles to catch your subject in an unexpected way.
Think of your room: Pictures are about more than colour and light—they are about mood. A dappled, daytime forest photo looks different than a sunset shot, with looming shadows and deep contrast. Dramatic rooms like dining rooms and living rooms showcase different types of shots than a family room or kitchen.
Get close up: Macro shots—extremely close-up photos—are a simple way to get a dramatic shot. Even the most basic point-and-shoot camera can focus at a remarkably short distance.
Experiment with monochromatic: Does your room have a strong colour scheme? Try photographing objects that are within the colour palette: think green botanicals in a moss-coloured bathroom, or a brilliant sky filled with balloons in a blue child’s room. Monochromatic artwork helps unify a space.
Consider contrast: If you’re looking for pop, think about the colour wheel. If your room is a cool blue, consider a fiery red and orange photo of tulips. If your room is neutrals, look for brilliant purples, rusts, or blues, highly saturated colours that will draw the eye. Contrast colours will form a focal point in the room, adding drama and interest.
Black and white: If your walls are painted a gorgeous, saturated colour, consider black and white shots. Surrounded by a black gallery frame and a crisp white matte, your vivid walls will allow the photos to pop.
After your shoot
Play with your pictures: The most basic photo retouching programs will allow you to adjust contrast and colour. Try adding effects that make your photo look like a painting, or adjust the colours to neon intensity. Play with your images and find something that works. If you are unsure about the effect, a standard size print costs a few cents and will let you see how your computer retouching translates into print.
Leave it to the experts: London Drugs’ print technicians hand-inspect every image. If you are unsure about colour balance and other technical components of your picture, you can trust that we will print at optimal settings.
Enlarge to a gallery print: For a designer look, have us create a gallery print. We print your image on canvas and stretch it around a wooden frame. Your gallery print is ready to hang on the wall—no additional frame or matte required.
For all of your photography and enlargement questions, drop by the London Drugs Photolab. We would love to show you samples of our enlargements, give you technical specifications, and help you create the perfect piece of photographic artwork.
