To frame, or not to frame, that's the question.

I completely agree with Ken Tanaka. Digital borders, drop shadows, and frames are kitsch. Serious successful professional photographers or their web designers who use them are propagating bad taste, and I think less of their work, or at least of that of their web designers, when I see it.

An image on the screen is not like a print in a reflective medium, which may be appropriately framed. An image on the screen is like a transparency on a light box. A transparency on a light box for presentation is best displayed in a black presentation mount that becomes invisible to the eye.

David A. Goldfarb said:

I completely agree with Ken Tanaka. Digital borders, drop shadows, and frames are kitsch. Serious successful professional photographers or their web designers who use them are propagating bad taste, and I think less of their work, or at least of that of their web designers, when I see it.

An image on the screen is not like a print in a reflective medium, which may be appropriately framed. An image on the screen is like a transparency on a light box. A transparency on a light box for presentation is best displayed in a black presentation mount that becomes invisible to the eye.

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Hi David,

Yes, a light box is an impressive presentation. Still, some people hate black! I happpen to feel this method shows of pictures well.

I've very strong views too about frames! Forgetting the pretentiousness of this, the process too often imposes itself on the physicality and aesthetics of the picture. Now in OPF, so far, we've only has a light, off-white background. So adding a totally white region around a picture, especially a B&W photograph, might be needed to allow the picture an isolated free peice of non-colored "real estate" to breathe. This is important to me. However, my ideas are not fixed and I'm totally open to input especially where there is respect for the worth of what's in the picture, it's gestalt and essence.

I want to know your wishes, preferecnes and scope of tolernce for design of our gallery pages too. For sure, I'd hate to see pretentious frames! However, a thin line around images might work well.

At this stage, we need to express ideas. When we program to upload images, they'll be some standards of design. Should it include frames with mattes or not?

Asher

How about having a user selectable background color and no system-imposed frame, and then if individuals wish to nominate themselves for the Thomas Kinkade award, they can add their own frames in Photoshop.

David A. Goldfarb said:

How about having a user selectable background color and no system-imposed frame, and then if individuals wish to nominate themselves for the Thomas Kinkade award, they can add their own frames in Photoshop.

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David,

OK, that sound an idea we can work with. We'll provide a selection of tones perhaps. Black, white or some gray plus colors that go with th OPF sienna color scheme.

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

Now in OPF, so far, we've only had a light, off-white background.

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Hi Asher
may I remind you (and others by the way!) that down below all OPF pages, on the left side, you may choose "_ _ _ _ _NC white Background Style" which provide a pure (as pure as your monitor's settings are) white BG… another style being slightly blue.

Nicolas Claris said:

Hi Asher
may I remind you (and others by the way!) that down below all OPF pages, on the left side, you may choose "_ _ _ _ _NC white Background Style" which provide a pure (as pure as your monitor's settings are) white BG… another style being slightly blue.

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Yes, you are correct Nicolas, but I like the color of the text! I'm a sucker for earth tones, leaves, mountains and the like! It's just that pictures should not be imprisoned (by some thick close frame) nor set off against a page that is anything but a neutral tone, in almost all cases. Now I like the pages as designed. I do not choose to go to black text!

So in that case a neutra white matte with a thin black line to define the edge, even (excuse pretentiousness) a slight shadow) will allow a white milieu for the picture and yet maintain what I happen to like, that's the color scheme of OPF!

Asher

David A. Goldfarb said:

I completely agree with Ken Tanaka. Digital borders, drop shadows, and frames are kitsch. Serious successful professional photographers or their web designers who use them are propagating bad taste, and I think less of their work, or at least of that of their web designers, when I see it.

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Hi David,

I don't agree with such a blunt dismissal. When a turd with a ribbon still remains a turd, then doesn't the reverse also apply? A piece of art in a poor wrapper is still a piece of art.
Sure, a poor wrapper detracts, but then a good wrapper adds to the experience, doesn't it?

I have no problem seeing the piece of art for what it is. When the rest doesn't distract, all the better.

Bart

Bart_van_der_Wolf said:

<...>
I have no problem seeing the piece of art for what it is. When the rest doesn't distract, all the better.

Bart

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That's a good position to take, Bart, which, I believe, cuts to the heart of the issue; distraction.

When I was a teen long hair (on boys) was THE symbol of being with-it. I had a terrific mop of shoulder-length hair which I strongly resisted trimming. One day a teacher who I greatly respected remarked something to the effect, "Be careful of negatively prejudicing others' first impression of you in the name of vanity." I've referred to, and applied, that pearl of wisdom many times and many ways throughout my life. I wonder if it doesn't also apply here?

personally, I don't mind a black border, or variation with a white pinstripe around it or so. It's simple, and sets the image off the page. But tastes vary It doesn't hinder the photo in my opinion, unless the border is just to overboard. But Ironically, for my photos that I print out, I just toss them in a box and never frame them, haha! And the ones I hang up (at work mostly) I just tape them to the wall, haha!