PRESENTING YOUR WORK

The display of his work to an appreciative public is an important stage of a photographer’s job.   There are some ways of presenting a single photograph or a series of prints or slides that help in producing the desired effect on the viewers.

First of all with prints there is the opportunity to crop from the negative any superfluous detail, which might interfere with the message.   The degree of enlargement will also be decided at this stage.   The optimum point of view from which the print is seen depends on the enlargement that the original has undergone.   A natural viewpoint is given by D = F x N, where D is the viewing distance, F is the focal length of the camera lens and N is the degree of enlargement.   Of course an exaggerated effect might be desired and so one of the above factors can be manipulated by the photographer.

Any prints to be viewed are best presented mounted, both for protection and to enhance their beauty.   Prints displayed on a wall are even more carefully mounted or framed.   The print here can be full-mounted, that is the mount is invisible, or matte-mounted, where the mount itself will provide a border for the print.   This border or matte can be chosen for effect.   Its colour, width and shape are important factors that produce different effects on the picture.

In general a grey matte with a border of about 25 percent of the width of the picture is used.   If the bottom border is narrower or wider, it will tend to suggest the point of view.   Variation of colour depends on the picture itself.   Normally, a high-key subject will get a white matte, a mid-key, grey and a low-key, black.   Small prints in general require a wider matte.   The above are general rules.   They can be adjusted to obtain special results.   Experiment is suggested, and the results can be very rewarding.

When a set of prints is presented on a wall, care should be taken to group prints together according to the effect desired.   Rigid geometrical stacking is best avoided.   The wall surface itself should not compete for attention and can be off-white in colour.

When a group of pictures or slides in a show have one particular message, they are best presented so that there is a strong sense of continuity from one to the other.   Unifying factors between pictures might be colour, composition, subject, angles and the format.   A good deal of attention at the presentation stage will ensure that the message is unfolded smoothly to the viewer.

Coming now more specifically to slide shows, it will be realised that since the pictures are viewed in strict sequence, the sense of continuity must be very strong.   The time for which each slide is seen is not to be constant but depends on the individual content.   This viewing rate will give the photographer a chance to get the effect that he desires.   Normally the viewer is gently introduced into the mood or idea, which is then visually explained before a definite conclusion is proposed.   A smooth flow of compositions is normally used but jumps and strong contrasts can be used for effect.

The above discussion has been offered in order to show the possibility of variation in the presentation of photographic work.   All the stages in producing the photograph offer a chance to the photographer to express his individuality and this sense of freedom gives him the feeling of being a true artist.

RL 29/4/85