I am fairly new to photography but i would still like to start to save some on my picture is some way other that in a album.

At the local camera store I was told to mount the pictures on a flat black 11x14 board. Is this the standard way? Is there a standard way?

Any comments would be helpful.

Thank you Robin

-- Robin Lambert (legend@inetnorth.net), September 07, 1999

Answers

Generally, display prints are mounted, or attached to, white board. Sometimes overlayed with a framing mat but often not. Several methods of mounting are available. Your local art or frame shop can help with supplies. Mounting board and materials can be mail ordered form Light Impressions 800-828-6216. Call and ask for a catologue. The catologue will give you a number of methods and materials for mounting. Good luck.

-- Hank Fanelli (calldocco@aol.com), September 08, 1999.

I think it depends on the purpose of the portfolio. White board is probably the usual for showing to galleries.

But for handing it round in a pub, I prefer display books, the sort that have plastic pockets. It is a shame that the plastic removes some of the glory of the prints, but they wouldn't last five minutes without the plastic.

For my 'proper' portfolio, I don't like white card, generally prefering a grey or slight sepia colour.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), September 08, 1999.

A book with acetate pages is definitely a good idea if you are going to show your portfolio to potential commercial clients (or to friends in a pub)--though the acetate does, as Alan says, remove some (much!) of the glory of the prints. However, for galleries you will need to present the images (printed on fine fiber-base paper) in a form acceptable to them, meaning beautifully mounted (either dry mounted or, as many are doing now, with archival photo corners) and matted with acid-free rag board. Mats will be white or off-white, of course, selected to match the subtle color of your toned b&w prints, hinged to the mounts with acid-free linen or paper tape. Don't even try cutting the mat windows yourself unless you have 1) a lot of experience and 2) at least a $600 (preferably a $1200) mat cutter. The prints are then stacked in a suitable presentation box, such as those available from Light Impressions. Some people go to the trouble of placing a sheet of acid-free paper under the mat and over the print but, personally, I think this is a bit affected.

http://www.ravenvision.com/rvapeter.htm

-- Peter Hughes (leonine@redshift.com), September 08, 1999.