So, after accepting that a worldwide billboard campaign is probably not that realistic, I need to consider the other options that are available and decide which one will best suit my images and my budget! But, before making my work availble to the masses, it's likely that I will need to carry out some editing ....
Things to consider when editing your images:
Cropping:
Cropping can be used to change the size/shape of an image, i.e. crop to a square. It can also be used to remove dead/wasted space and to focus on the 'subject'.
Colour/Tone
As examples; consider if the image would work better in black and white or sepia, or alter the levels to give the image a 'warm' effect or the opposite and 'cool' down the tones.
Lighten/Darken
Alter the image by lightening or darkening as appropriate. If the image is too bright then darken it slightly or if it's too dark, maybe if you didn't get the light quite right then lighten it up a little.
Sharpen
Sharpen up an image to create more definition if appropriate.
There are numerous options available to us for fine tuning an image, some software is free, like Picassa for example, others are more costly like Photoshop. Even the free sofware like Picassa enables you to crop, sharpen, convert to black and white, alter the colour levels, apply a soft focus etc. etc.
Once you are happy with your edited images the following presentation options are among the many available to you:
Portfolio
If I chose this method then I would include more images, 6 isn’t enough for a portfolio, Maybe 15 – 20 images with the strongest image at the back as that’s the one that will be remembered. You can purchase portfolio cases in various sizes, the most common being A3, A2 and A1.
Boxed Prints
Not a fan of this idea, the images are not displayed, more ‘stored’ and would have to be removed from the box and then displayed,
Book
There are numerous websites that allow you to create a photo-book. I’ve made several myself using www.kodakgallery.co.uk and in my opinion they are a great replacement for a traditional photo album. Most specify a minimum number of pages i.e 20, which gives you 40 actual pages to fill so number of images would have to be vastly increased. They are available in a variety of sizes and approximate cost is as follows:
7" x 5", min 14 pages, soft cover - £7.99
9.5" x 8", min 20 pages, soft cover - £15.99
10.25" x 9", min 20 pages, hard cover - £19.99
14" X 12", min 20 pages, hard cover - 39.99
Framed Prints
A great way to display photographs, numerous options available regarding frames, borders and sizes, so easy to find something to show off your image perfectly.
Gallery
Rent some gallery space - how exciting! This, I imagine would be the choice of most people, given the opportunity, the perfect showcase for your work, cost prohibitive though. A fabulous platform with lots of options regarding size and display.
Postcards
A very cool idea and I like it but don’t think it would suit my images due to the obvious size issue.
Prints
A straight-forward print! Numerous sizes and paper types available from a regular 5" x 7" (or even smaller if required) to A0 and everything inbetween. As a an example, again using Kodak Gallery the following prices apply:
| Prints size | Price each |
|---|---|
| 5 x 7" | £0.19 |
| 6 x 8" | £0.39 |
| 8 x 10" | £1.19 |
| 8 x 12" | £1.29 |
| Poster size | Price each |
|---|---|
| 12 x 18" | £2.99 |
| 16 x 24" | £9.99 |
| 20 x 30" | £14.99 |
Website
Creating a website to display your work is a great way to make your images available to the world! There are many diy 'create your own website' packages, some are even free. It would also be possible to add a 'shopping basket' to people could purchase your work.
Blog
Similar to a website, but more of an 'informal' method, almost like an online diary but like a website makes your work available to the world! Anyone can set up a blog providing they have access to the internet, creating a blog is usually free of charge.
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