Family photography is an investment to be cherished. When I gaze at the baby shots that adorn the walls in my hallway, it makes me smile and takes me back to a certain age or precious moment in time. The placement of great photography is the art on my walls. It truly doubles as decor and a beautiful story, so what is not to love? I recently enjoyed the opportunity to meet Isadora of Thompson and Spring Photography who specializes in just that. I can see why her infectious laugh and warm personality allows her to get the most from the children, expectant mothers and the families she photographs. Isadora’s images boast vibrant colors and her unique, urban style makes her a stand out among modern family photographers.
I’ve asked Isadora today to share tips when it comes time to decorate with your family photos. As a fellow silver shoe wearer, I knew she had good taste. And with her self-taught eye for design, she does so beautifully in the examples below. Isadora is also generously offering a chance for a lucky reader to win a photography session and canvas art so keep reading and don’t forget to tell your friends!
*****
As a Los Angeles photographer specializing in modern lifestyle, family, photography, clients often ask me for advice and suggestions on how to decorate with their photographs. I’ve written a few posts on my blog about decorating with photographs, and Martha Stewart does a great job of explaining how to hang photographs, so for Project Nursery I wanted to take a different approach. One of the things I really appreciate about the Project Nursery community is the modern design sensibility. So, with that in mind here are a few ideas on decorating with photographs for a modern nursery.
I. Go BIG
A great way to make a statement or create a focal point is by going big. I mean really big. Turn your favorite image into a mural. You will need to have this custom printed and essentially turned into wallpaper, but the impact will be great. If you want a less permanent look, but still want to go big, go to your local office/shipping store and have them print your photograph as a banner, with grommets. Then hang your banner with hook screws. For this kind of application, I prefer using a black and white photograph that will work well with any color scheme.
II. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
As a new parent you will be taking countless pictures. Uploading them to your online albums is great for sharing, but I believe that photographs are meant to be lived with. That means they need to be printed. Create a mosaic of smaller frames, at least 12-15 frames, and swap out your favorite images as your child grows. Keep all the frames the same size, same color and same orientation to create a grid and bring cohesion to what might otherwise be an unrelated collection of images.
III. Unusual Displays
I love to go to flea markets and thrift stores; these places are great places to find unusual display. The key here is looking at an object and seeing the potential; so look for grooves, slots or clips that will enable to you to display your photographs. For instance, you could use an old window shutter and insert photographs in the grooves, or pick up a vintage postcard rack and insert your photographs instead of postcards, or use a series of distressed clipboards to use as “frames”.
I hope these ideas encourage you to bring your photos into your home.
WIN IT! Calling ALL Los Angeles, San Francisco and NYC parents! (Sorry this contest is limited to these three cities, but if you can somehow get to one of them for the session, then that works too!) Win one classic photography session with Isadora of Thompson and Spring Photography plus, one 11×14 Canvas Wrap – A $500 value! (The fine print reads: Cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash, or combined with other offers. Scheduling for possible winner in SF or NYC to be based on photographer’s travel schedule. Coupon expires June 18, 2011).
Enter by visiting Thompson and Spring Photography and letting us know who you would like photographed, where it should take place AND how you plan to display your new photos in your home. Contest ends Friday, June 25th, 2010 at 11:59pm PST.
EXTRA ENTRIES
1. Become a fan of Project Nursery on Facebook and comment.
2. Follow Project Nursery on Twitter, tweet about it and comment.
3. Subscribe or let us know you are a subscriber with a comment.
4. Post on our Forum and comment.
5. Blog it and comment.
*Please comment separately for each on this post.
CONTEST CLOSED – Congrats Liz L.
Comments
Sandy
I would love to win a photo session, to have pictures of my granddaughter. She is the joy in my life that makes being a grandparent so worth it. As a mother of a 23-year old daughter, my husband and I were so busy trying to do the right thing all the time… We just don’t remember all those important firsts that happen . Now , that my daughter has a daughter of her own she is saying the exact same thing. She is so consumed with work and trying to keep a home that time slips by. We live in CT but can travel to New York if we were chosen for the photo session. Chaun’s parents just moved into a new home, so there are many bare walls to honor her. She is a 15-mth old who enjoys being outside where life can be explored…
Krysten Steele
I would love love love to have my family photographed in LA :) I’d want it to be at the getty gardens and I’d use the photos to fill a large wall in my living room and also to give out as gifts to family :)
Krysten Steele
An I’m already a fan on facebook :)
babycookies
We’d love to get photographed in NYC as there is so much life and excitement! Our soon-to-be 3 year-old has a wonderful energy and we’re excitedly expecting our baby boy next month!
Stephanie
I’d love to have my daughter photographed in San Francisco– maybe on the beach or in the Mission District in front of some cool murals. I’d love to display the picture in our living room so we could see her sweet face everyday when walking in the front door. :)
Stephanie
I’m also already a Facebook fan. :)
Kimb Atkinson
I’d like to be entered in the contest for SF-area. I’d like for my family to be the subject of the shoot – it would include my husband, my 11 wk old son Declan, 4 yr old pitbull Tank, and me. We unfortunately don’t have pictures of all of us together. Declan will most likely be our only child, so we’d love to cherish and honor this time in our lives with everlasting images. We’d love to professionally capture our favorite past time – walking around Lake Merritt in Oakland.
Kimb Atkinson
Forgot to mention, we have HUGE walls in our dining/living room area that we’ve been reserving for the right family photos. Since we have a new, modern condo in Oakland, we don’t want “posed”, traditional photos that wouldn’t represent us as a young, modern family.
Sherylle
I am a subscriber
Sherylle
I’d love to have my family photographed and to get some 1 year photos of my daughter taken. If our home remodel of our 1913 home is completed, I would like to have some photos taken at home and outside of our home to capture our family and home life together. I would like to hang some photos in our living room area of our new family in our “new” home.
Nanette
I’d love to have some family pics taken of me, my husband and our daughter at the Santa Monica Pier/beach. (I’m sad by the so few number of photos I have with our little gal — I’m always behind the camera.) We have some space in our living room that would be perfect for family photos.
Nanette
I’m already a FB fan of Project Nursery.
Nanette
And I follow you on Twitter.
Nanette
I’m a subscriber.
Liz P.
I’m a subscriber
Liz P.
would love to win photos for my Kenzie. We would take down our wedding pics & replace with Kenzie pics at our home :)
yana
Love the photos: they will look great in our living room !
Would like to win a family or maternity photo session in NYC.
yana
I am a fan on Facebook
yana
I am a subscriber
Jessica
I would love to have a photo session for my toddlers (1 and 2 years old). I would hang the canvas in the living room, and I’m loving the postcard rack idea, now to find a postcard rack . . . :)
liz
Wow, what a great giveaway! Isadora’s work is absolutely amazing and would be absolutely beyond THRILLED to win a photo session with her! I’d love to have her photography my two daughters (2.5 yrs and 1 yr old). Location? Los Angeles – our home, somewhere in pasadena, los feliz or anywhere she recommends!
liz
Already following on twitter and retweeted:
http://twitter.com/liztamanaha/status/16593920529
liz
Just became a fan on facebook. :)
Also, I forgot to include the answer to where I would display the photos: Love the go big mural concept but realistically, can see us displaying the photos mosaic style. Great post!
lovemy3dogs
I just became a fan on facebook.!!I love the photos the style is unbelievable! I’d like to get photos with my Daughter and her grandparents, they live far away so I’d love to have some good photos in the house to remind her of them constantly. I love the idea of the old window shutter to display photos!
Soni A.
I’ve got 3 kids that I would LOVE to photograph…but more than anything, I need pictures of my kids with their Daddy!!! He’s the photographer in our house, so we never have enough good ones of him with our kiddos. I’m racking my brain for new display ideas, like the suggestion above, but the clipboard idea sounds perfect for my kids’ mid-century modern room!
Soni A.
I am also already a fan of PN on twitter
Soni A.
I tweeted the giveaway!
Soni A.
I follow on Facebook!
Tenille
I am a fan on FACEBOOK!
Tenille
I subscribed! :)
Tenille
I would love to do a generational picture with my mom and my daughter. She has been talking about it every since I got pregnant, she had wanted to do it when my Grandmother was alive, but we never got coordinated enough to do it. So I think it would be something cool for us to do as a family!
Amber
I follow PN on twitter! I would live to get newborn pictures of my nephew that is due in Sept. They would display the pictures on picture boards I am making for them for their shower. They are in the LA area!
Amber
Amber
I am a fan of PN on Facebook! I would live to get newborn pictures of my nephew that is due in Sept. They would display the pictures on picture boards I am making for them for their shower. They are in the LA area!
Amber
Amber
I subscribe to PN! I would live to get newborn pictures of my nephew that is due in Sept. They would display the pictures on picture boards I am making for them for their shower. They are in the LA area!
Amber
Pencils
I would love to have my daughter photographed in NYC–I’m embarrassed to admit this, but we’ve never had her professionally photographed, and she’s 20 months old. We can’t really afford better than Penney’s or Kmart photos, and my BiL is a very talented amateur, so we’ve stuck with him. Still, it would be amazing to have pro level photos of our beautiful, only daughter (and she’s going to stay an only, as medical reasons prevent me from getting pregnant again.) We just moved into a new house (why we can’t afford much!) and we could do some really creative things with the photos as the walls are currently bare! (Waiting to be painted.) I’d love a huge blowup of her on one wall–and it would embarrass her totally as a preteen and teen, so there’s a big plus! ;)
BTW, I’m already a Facebook fan.
TARA
Smelling a good thing…eyes lighting up….dimple flashing TING ! YAY !!
My tiny tot is going be 6 mths old and im hoping to go flash flash flash ! Im building her a playroom and one wall is gonna be called expressionery ! It gonna house photos of her smiling, frowning, sucking her toes, and everything she manages to pull off with such effortless charm – like her yawning and trying to use her teether at the same time :)
Facebook fan – CHECK
Twitter – CHECK
Subscribe – CHECK
Post – CHECK !
Oh – also, i used PN as an inspirational board to build her a very pretty nursery that im posting to PN, and when that expressionery wall comes up, you guessed it, that’s gonna go right up on PN too !!
WOOT ! WOOT !
Jessica
I am a subscriber! Thanks!
Jessica
I follow on Twitter and tweeted about the giveaway! Thanks!
Jessica
I am a facebook fan. Thanks.
maternity los angeles
I am in love with Isadora knack and skills for the photo decoration she has in her home. It’s artistically inclined with a whip of modern and personal taste. Especially the photo of the feet on the wall of each family member. I am going to have to take some of these ideas for my own room. I adore this so much will come back and visit this blog often.
Thank you for the great post!
Doris
Just had a baby almost 4 weeks ago, the pics would be for our new baby. We live in LA.
sandy
Who were the lucky winners of the photo session??? And when will the photographer be in New York ?