To Border or not to Border?

440Hz

...that is the question!

So I have been trying to decide about borders lately. Mostly I reckon it depends on the shot right? Sometimes it can make the shot, and other times it just wrecks it. How do you judge for your own shots.

Like I was trying to decide over lunch if I wanted this shot to have a border or not...

Still cant decide.

First time I used a border was just for fun,

but i think it worked...

Anyway my question is, how do you decide for you own, trial and error?

Zombrex

440Hz wrote:

Like I was trying to decide over lunch if I wanted this shot to have a border or not...

Still cant decide.

I think a border would work here, but if you are using a border keep it simple.

I would not use the gradient you have here (or ever), it makes the picture look processed (and a bit cheap IMHO). A simple black border would be enough

440Hz

Yeah i dont really like the gradient either, but it just seems to end up like that. Not a photoshopper really so dont know these things... how can i get it to be solid? When I was using the Fill option I picked normal but it didnt work!

Hmm i gotta stop giving my photoshop book away and start to actually read it.
:P

Well got the man with my book to fix my problem solid gradient problem solved

dazftw

lol... I voted depends on the shot!

Cause for me I would never really frame a skateboarding shot... just wouldnt look right

but if I had a really nice landscape shot or something I might do it on that!

I havn't framed many of my shots lately I use to go mad and frame them all!

elven

I've scaled it down a lot recently, and just use a 10-20px border on shots that are 1000-1500px in size. I think it just makes a picture look more 'finished', if it's going to be shown on a coloured or white background. It also helps to make the shadows pop, I think, and sometimes I put a border on and it makes me realise that my blacks are actually grey or brown.

My question would be - what about a keyline? I haven't been in the habit of using them and wondered if it's a bit more elegant than going straight from the image to the black border...

440Hz

elven wrote:

My question would be - what about a keyline? I haven't been in the habit of using them and wondered if it's a bit more elegant than going straight from the image to the black border...

How do you mean? Sorry, new to all this stuff

digitalbeginner

Here's how Giles Norman does it http://www.gilesnorman.com/shop/add2cart.php?pictureID=47&collectionID=3&framed=1

I've always been impressed with the framing and presentation of his photos. He keeps it simple but puts in a decent 'white rest area' around his shots, enough to remove the clutter that a wall in the background can bring.

If you're trying this remember to put the photo a little above centre. The eye plays tricks with photos that are exactly centred top to bottom, they can look like they're below centre.

I agree with Elven though, a little black outline can look very classy and helps separate lighter areas from a white border (something Giles does not do).

elven

There's a good point as well... I think bw images can look good with white or black but colour images seem to suit black much better than white most of the time (in my opinion, anyway...)

I did notice a few framed prints at the weekend that looked fantastic with a large white double mount and a medium/narrow black frame. Absolutely beautiful with the mono prints.

A key line (I only just found out a few weeks ago exactly what it was called) is when you have a border of 1-2px between the picture and the main border, possibly 50% grey, or a colour that tones in with the image, just to soften the edge a tiny bit.

Valentia

I use the "Cloud" skin here on Boards. Don't know if anyone else on this forum does. It's black and I find it good for viewing pics. Of course if a pic has a black border it is lost.

Generally I put a small black border around my pics but I think, if I wasn't so lazy and it was for print, a nice appropriate, what's that word?...of yes words....key line always adds a touch of class. Especially a line where the colour matches an area of the picture.