So many of you love to travel and have hundreds (if not thousands!) of pictures to show for it. That’s why we brought our friend Sarah, a travel blogger based in Nashville, to share how she prints her travel photos with Social Print Studio and decorates her home. Take it away, Sarah!
One of my favorite ways to remember a trip or experience is through printing and displaying photographs and art from our family travels. Our home is full of images, artwork, books, toys and objects from our world travels that evoke memories and stories about the trip or a special day.
As a mother of 3 young girls who love to travel, I also observe how pictures and art evoke my kids’ memories of our family travel and adventures. Several years ago, my husband and I took our girls (at the time ages, 2, 5 & 7) on our first big family trip abroad. On that trip, we spent a week exploring Paris and then a week visiting friends in Morocco. Before the trip, many friends and family commented that we were crazy to take such young kids on a trip abroad. And after, they claimed that the girls would barely remember anything–especially my two-year-old. My response was always that I would remember their experiences–the look on their faces riding donkeys through the markets of Fez, eating ice cream atop the Eiffel Tower, or their look of wonder and excitement sailing toy boats in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris.
Soon after we returned, I ordered a Collage Poster from Social Print Studio that I then hung in our home. The poster still hangs in our house today, six years later–and my girls continue to comment on them regularly. Thanks to those pictures, the details of the trip have stayed in their minds and in their memories–even my youngest, who is now 8! My then 2-year-old still remembers what flavor of ice cream she got atop the Eiffel tower when she sees pictures of this iconic monument. All 3 girls are mildly obsessed with donkeys thanks to riding them in Fez and they vividly talk about the toy boats in Paris with similar excitement and joy–thanks in part to the pictures of these experiences and travels featured in our home!
That trip and the memories we made—often evoked by the pictures in our house—have also enhanced my kids’ love of travel, adventure and interest in other cultures. Since then, we have traveled abroad with them many times and around the U.S. and we continue to document those experiences through photographs and art in our home.
That trip and the memories we made—often evoked by the pictures in our house—have also enhanced my kids’ love of travel, adventure and interest in other cultures. Since then, we have traveled abroad with them many times and around the U.S. and we continue to document those experiences through photographs and art in our home.
One of our favorite ways to do this is by printing large format prints from our family travels to hang in our living spaces. These larger-than-life images spark memories, make a bold design statement, inspire conversation, and are affordable to boot. My girls enjoy looking through pictures with me after a trip to find the images that have great detail and remind them of a place or event. Then, I like to go back and find images that have bold lines, shadows, or textures and that work with other artwork or themes in our home so that it’s truly a piece of art.
1. Make sure the image is high resolution
Depending on the size of your large format print, Social Print Studio has pixel and DMI recommendations here. I have found that larger DPI pictures from my DSLR create beautiful, vivid large scale prints. At this size, the printed images are not grainy, the pictures are clear, and the SPS paper is thick and stunning.
2. Focus on images that are graphic or tell a story
I love using pictures that have bold lines or that recall a story. I recently printed a large scale image from our trip to Mexico City where we stumbled upon a native Aztec celebration in the city center. As my family explored, I took several pictures of the costumes, head-dresses, and the crowd of dancers. This image is both graphic and also reminds my family of the story of that day. Looking at the feathers and the capitol building in the background, I can remember the sounds of the drums and the excitement in the air. The image also initiated some research and conversations about the Aztec Indians in Mexico City and some cultural history of the city as we recalled the day.
3. Decide on color or black and white
Depending on your home decor, color pictures can tie a room together with a striking large scale photograph. Maybe you want to capture the colors of a sunset or the deep, colorful pattern of a feather. Alternatively, large scale black and white photographs can be bold and graphic. It also allows for some play with negative space or the balance of light and dark when printing large scale black and white prints.
4. Decide how to frame the picture
We used a traditional frame that we already had which fit the photography perfectly. A great and affordable option for framing large scale pictures is using the wooden hangers from Social Print Studio. Just make sure the rails fit the photography as it hangs vertically or horizontally. Other options include magnetic kits, custom framing, or using clips to hang your large scale photos. Alternatively you could print a large scale photograph on metal, wood or canvas which don’t require a frame.
5. Decide where to hang a large scale print
A large scale print can be a showstopper as a stand alone piece of art on a living room wall, above a fireplace or even in a bedroom or kitchen. The stand-alone large scale print visually fills the space but it also keeps things from looking busy and chaotic. Of course, if the colors and design work with other art in your home, a large format print can also be the centerpiece or anchor of a gallery wall. You can build your gallery wall starting with the large scale print and then add other pieces with similar colors or themes. The large piece commands and grounds the wall visually and then allows everything else to work around it.
Bio:
Sarah is a writer, editor and public relations contractor based in Nashville, TN. She writes about family travel and expanding her family’s worldview at The Wandering Rumpus. She also loves to take photographs of her family and on her travels. Find her @TheWanderingRumpus on Instagram and Facebook.
*All pictures of Sarah’s home were taken by her friend Ricky Baron, a photographer and graphic designer based out of Nashville as well.
