There is nothing better than photography to decorate your home. Okay, maybe I'm a little biased! I LOVE having large wall portraits of my family and my landscape photography hanging on my walls.

Anyone who has come to our Business workshop knows that you need to be selling wall portraits if you want to survive as a portrait photographer. Not only will you be able to make a living or a nice part-time income, but your clients will be much happier with beautiful artwork on their wall. If you are not selling wall portraits, keep checking our schedule for the next Business workshop!

Canvas on matboard with a barnwood frame

If you are just starting out, you may think that some photographers are really marking up their work. In reality, most of us are paying much more for professional finishes - usually more than double what you would pay for the print alone. You don't want your client to come back to you after a year because their wall art is starting to wrinkle and warp!

1. Mount any picture larger than an 8x10. Photographs will warp over time if they are not mounted or matted properly. Especially if you live in a humid area such as Florida! It won't take long at all for the warping to begin. Framing isn't enough unless you also mat the image correctly.

All labs offer different mounting services. Matboard, Foamboard, Styrene and Masonite are the most popular. There are pros and cons to each. Double weight mat board is very popular with professional photographers. It's lightweight, sturdy and thin enough so the picture is easy to frame.

Double Weight Matboard

2. Luster/Mat coating or no? A finishing spray will protect the image from fingerprints and UV Exposure. Does not change the look of your print. Recommended!

Most labs also offer textured finishes - pebble texture, brush texture, etc. These are trendy looks that come and go. Try one of them for something different!

3. Lamination - A thermal film is applied to the print surface in either a high gloss or matte finish. Lamination seals out all moisture and dirt and also provides additional UV Protection. Laminate your image if you know it will not be matted or put under glass.

4. Canvas - Canvas is much sturdier than paper! Order your canvas stretched or mounted, with a luster or mat coating. If you are hanging photographs in the bathroom or kitchen, choose canvas for the best durability.

5. Metallic paper - Metallic paper is shiny and doesn't need to be put under glass. Use if for artwork, senior portraits for an artistic and glossy type image. It's trendy so use it for more modern images.

Metallic paper mounted on double weight mat board

You will love a beautifully and professionally finished wall photograph. You want your artwork to last for many years!