DSLR Photography Forum

What do you think about borders in photos? Some are very artistically done and do add to the image, but the very same design might not be another's cup of tea.

Would you prefer to see an image in its pure form, without someone adding their interpretation of what looks good in framing the image? Or do you think that it's up to the artist/photographer how they want to represent it? Do you think borders/frames belong in the domain of prints and wall hangings?

I dont mind a matte around a photo too much - a colored area that defines the "space" of the photo - and maybe some light lines to add definition to the matte area - but I truly hate those false frames that some people feel compelled to put on photos.

I feel a subtle frame can add to the image..... a 3 inch oak boarder doesn't work on a digital image for me.

Hi

The borders that I try to emulate would be as if the photo was mounted for presentation in a gallery or photo competition ....an example;


Click photo for larger image

Or I might use a colour that compliments something within the photo;


Click photo for larger image

You can get line borders very easily in most software. How do you get a border in Photoshop?

--Don

Don Schaeffer Wrote:You can get line borders very easily in most software. How do you get a border in Photoshop?

--Don

ok this is from memory so bear with me ...

I open up the photo ..Select All ... and copy the image

I then start a new image (1024 x 768) with a transperant background and past the image, which centre's automatically.

Pending the border I am doing ie for the flowers I use the bucket fill and fill the image border with white.

I copy the image again taking in a small amount of the white area

I start a new image (1024 x 768) and past the new image I had just copied

The next colour is applied in this instance black

I copy again taking in some of the black area.

I then start a new image as "Clipboard" for the size and paste the final image ... place on any wording or Copyright text ...flatten the image and then save

There are many ways, another method (which I use sometimes) is this:

I resize the image
Select all, copy
Create a new image with canvas larger than the one you copied, and set the background colour
Paste the image - it should centre itself.
With the image still selected, go to Edit -> Stroke. You can select what colour you want, the width of the stroke, location and blending
Then add your signatures, drop shadows layers -> layer style -> blending options if you want.
Flatten and save

Similar to the method as described above, but using stroke to draw the line.

Dependiing on the photo. I like the classic white matte black frame look.

Thanks guys. That makes sense.

--Don

Frames and borders are ok I suppose. I've gotten away from using them. I find that it helps images that are lacking. Subtle ones are fine also as Brett has shown. Usually black or white are the best contrast to photos. The white border with a drop shadow is popular.

Petographer Wrote:The white border with a drop shadow is popular.

How do you get the drop shadow effect???

Kerridwyn Wrote:

Petographer Wrote:The white border with a drop shadow is popular.

How do you get the drop shadow effect???

In photoshop
Select all>Image>cut
Image>canvas size> 5 percent is what I added to width and hight.
Make sure the layer is white
Edit>Past
Layer>layer style>drop shadow

That reminds me of a web gallery effect, I prefer the plain borders, thin white lines with a black matte.

So what do you do when it doesn't work very well like the below photo of my current favourite subject!

He's very sweet. Jamie...

Interesting that your current favorite subject is longer babes in bikinis...

StudioJ Wrote:That reminds me of a web gallery effect, I prefer the plain borders, thin white lines with a black matte.

So what do you do when it doesn't work very well like the below photo of my current favourite subject!

Well Jamie, It's not too often that it doesn't work but just a matter of taste.

I only use borders when the photo seems to be pouring off the page--because some of the background matches the paper too much. I think real borders in the mat or frame look a lot better than fake borders in the photo itself.

--Don

I was doing up a shot for my screensaver and realised that I have another border/frame that I use quite commonly which is for changing the aspect ration from 3:2 to 4:3 so the images aren't stretched.



And this one which I have used for my series of photos titled "Whos shooting who?"