The Framers Forum

I'm just wondering what others do really. Do you take photos of each frame you do for a portfolio or to put social media?

I take photos of everything but as I can't seem to get decent photos without reflections, they mostly just languish on my phone. I was really pleased with a shirt I just finished and wanted to show it as an example when I do my website, but I just couldn't get a good shot. It was a black shirt with standard glass and no matter what angle or room I tried, the reflections overpower the photo. Or to avoid my reflection and take it side-on, the angles go all weird.

Is there a knack? Is it worth it? Are you so busy you just move on to the next job and forget about it?

Just curious

I only take pictures of the ones that are a bit special, out of the ordinary or I’m particularly proud of. And as you rightly pointed out photographing anything with regular glass looks underwhelming, however artglass usually photographs better. If I know in advance that I’m going to use a piece on social media then I’ll loosely assemble it without glass for photographing, before completing final assembly.

We post up reasonably regularly on Instagram and Facebook. Should do more often but life gets in the way. I figure that run of the mill stuff would soon get boring to your audience so try to keep it unusual/interesting/inspiring and try to invite engagement as this helps the algorithm and will be shown to more people.

Every so often I’ll go through my phone photos and add to a shared album with staff members so everyone has easy access to a portfolio which is often useful at the design table.

I would say, go ahead and photograph any work with which you are particularly proud of.
Then maybe post it on here in the 'good, bad and ugly' section or 'That Friday Feeling'.

You could start an Instagram account showing your work. If it's general service framing, you would get more views and follows if you created a theme about your posts. Stand each new frame against the same something throughout. For example, an old car, a battered door, a sleeping and disinterested cat, a puzzled sheep. You'd be surprised what people pick up on.

To get 'round the glass reflection, stick a large sheet of black mountboard onto a sheet of MDF.
Make a small hole in the centre and take your photo through that hole.

Don't get up close to the frame of the sides will appear to 'balloon in the photo. Better to zoom in from about 8 or 10feet.

What they all said! And yes the black mountboard is an excellent trick, I've used it a few times at an angle, I'll have to give the pinhole idea a go now.
Feedback is essential in my view. If you do Insta, you get followed by loads of other framers as well. It's really encouraging when you get some positive feedback from peers.

You can try photographing with the lights off as long as there is some light from somewhere, you will have to rest your phone on something to avoid shake
I post on social media but only my own work or with permission from the customer - this can be when the customer picks up: 'i thought this looked really great; do you mind if I post it on social media?'
I don't have many followers, maybe we should all follow each other, we are all on the same side?

My good friend Angie is a first class framer in Singapore.
She is also excellent at posting her work on FB, often with the customer.
We can all learn something from Angie
Open and scroll down.

https://www.facebook.com/framingangie96

Thank you all, I will be experimenting with some black mountboard and a tripod! And also lighting. I work mostly in the evenings and the overhead light drives me mad casting shadows so that needs to be given some thought.

Do you just use your phones? Mine is ancient and a bit pants but we do have an old DLSR camera knocking about somewhere which would probably do better quality stuff. (As long as it can just be a point-and-shoot set up)

I like the idea of them in an album to show customers for design ideas, that can be a start of me getting organised!

Social media - really, really should get on with that. I did start earlier in the year but lack inspiration and motivation to keep up with it, but what you say about just putting the interesting things on makes sense. (I steer well clear in my personal life so it kinda gives me the heeby-jeebies though )

I'm going to work on my website as its just a holding page to ease me into things I think.

Then I may start stalking - oops, I mean following - some of you if that's OK?

My advice would be get your business Facebook and Instagram pages setup soon. Then register your business with Google and place it on Google Maps. It can take 3 months for fb insta and your website to get listed properly on Google searches so the sooner the better. Get a website home page up asap, while you work on the rest. I'm no expert on this, just speaking from my experience. If you change location, it's a fairly quick process to update Google and the more you amend/update your website the better, although their algorithms change often so this may no longer be the case... If you have any friends who work with SEO, they'll be able to advise on current best guesses!

I photograph every finished job for the record. In the early days, I put dozens of the finished pictures on to my web site, along with testimonials, in order to inspire confidence in potential customers. I find that if I photograph the picture when it is propped up at an angle (and stand further back), I don't get a reflection. Because I just do it for the record now, it doesn't matter if the perspective is skewed. If I was putting examples on to my web site, I would adjust the perspective in Photoshop. I'm sure there must be similar programs for anyone who hasn't got Photoshop.

Lighting works best if you can get it coming in from the sides.

If you can only photograph at night, then change your top light to a 1250lm daylight bulb first.
Then use an Anglepoise light, with the same type of bulb, to give you a source of light coming from the side. Cover the cowl of the lamp with some tissue paper - this diffuses the light.
Position the light for best effect and close one eye to make the best judgement.

Thank you, really helpful.

Vintage Frames: I have had a daylight bulb in the 'bits and bobs' kitchen drawer for years. I'll give that a go. And I have two anglepoise lamps I can requisition. Experimenting tonight!


Justin and Rainbow, I really do need to do the socials. Need to put my big girl pants on,. My hubby (artist) has thousands of followers and gets a lot of work from it (including a book contract!) whereas I tend to just studiously ignore it

Justintime wrote: ↑Sat 28 Oct, 2023 10:11 pm My advice would be get your business Facebook and Instagram pages setup soon. Then register your business with Google and place it on Google Maps. It can take 3 months for fb insta and your website to get listed properly on Google searches so the sooner the better. Get a website home page up asap, while you work on the rest. I'm no expert on this, just speaking from my experience. If you change location, it's a fairly quick process to update Google and the more you amend/update your website the better, although their algorithms change often so this may no longer be the case... If you have any friends who work with SEO, they'll be able to advise on current best guesses!

Ooh, I've just noticed the quote button!

I have managed to register my with google although not on Google Maps as yet, as I'm still unsure putting my home address on so opted to have a geographic area I cover. I have had a couple of people randomly knock on my door through word of mouth, and the house is really, really not suitable for spontaneous visitors and it gets awkward... Website is just a holding page so I can at least get some images on that.

I went on a business social media content training session. Felt very old with my ancient phone amongst a room of trendy people showing their Insta reels. Have done nothing since

I would urge you to setup and complete your Google profile, these days it is like a mini website and is easy to update. This will give you far more chance of showing up higher in Google searches

Just a quick note on the 'daylight bulb'.
It's not those blue coloured daylight bulbs for artists, but one of the modern LED bulbs.
Most bulbs sold are now warm white but if you look on-line, you can easily pick up one marked daylight.
Go for something at least 1250 lumens - brightness.

Ah, this is a blue one. I'll have a look out thanks.

Does she have a business profile, Keith, as that's her personal profile so the last thing I can see is from 2017.

As for the OP, if you search 'photograph reflection' in the search box you will find it has been discussed many times.

For me, I normally lie the finished frame on the ground and stand above it to take the photo.

I photograph my pieces before I put the glass in, fully assembled just without the glass.

I only work with a small number of customers these days, but I have always been rubbish at remembering names and faces, but I can remember everything I frame.

So, I photograph every job when it is finished, then text the customer to say it is done, whilst I have their number in my iPhone, I save the contact with the frame photo as the profile picture. When they phone for more work, a few months or years later, I know exactly who they are immediately.

This has been a game changer for me!

pramsay13 wrote: ↑Sun 29 Oct, 2023 5:03 pm Does she have a business profile, Keith, as that's her personal profile so the last thing I can see is from 2017.

When I open the FB page the last thing I see is October 2023

That'll be because you are facebook friends with her and we're not.