Why we use black frames. Black frames work well as sets.
You’ll see in my galleries all of my prints are in black frames. There are two reasons for this. I like to show my clients a real print in a real frame because I make everything by hand and I like to think that my prints work so well in sets that the frames need to be the same. I can supply the print in a mount so you can use or choose your own frame.
When I started my fine art photography business I worked mainly in black and white. I also developed and printed colour film but it was black and white I was really passionate about. When I first started making my own prints colour was a lot harder and more expensive than black and white. Also the school darkroom where I first learned how to make a print didn’t have all the gear and chemicals to do colour. Black and white is still something I love and I also love to finish my prints off with a black frame. You can see the Big ben print shown above here.
Black frames work well with colour too. This print of Wandsworth common in autumn works well in black because the are some dark colours in the image to set it off against. I like taking images with contrast but with subtle mid tones. My black and white prints always have some dark black in them while being very careful with the greys and mid tones.
Black frames just seem to work best and if a clients wants silver or woodgrain I’ll supply it to them however they want.
The print above of this iconic London view during the day has mostly mid tones and a lot of sky and river. It goes really well with a black frame because it needs something strong and solid to frame it..
