Confession: I have a small obsession with interior design. Okay fine, it’s not that small! I am constantly redecorating my home, watching HGTV, and shopping at every HomeGoods around! But if there’s one thing my love for interior design is good for aside from decorating my own home and the studio, it’s helping you learn how to create show-stopping walls in your home with your maternity and newborn photography!
Gallery walls, or a collection of framed photographs, artwork and whatever else you’d like to hang, are a great way to combine photography and architectural elements together to tell a story or merely to express your personality. It couldn’t be a more perfect display for your maternity and newborn photography—it can help tell your journey into parenthood! Memories this special are worth showing off and, if the gallery itself is created properly, can change and grow with you through the years!
The good news is creating a visually interesting design doesn’t have to be difficult, especially with the help of these simple tips.
1. Determine your focus
Professional photography, such as your maternity and newborn photos, are monumental moments in your life worth showing off! Portraits this special should be a focal point in your gallery wall. Not only will your children feel a sense of love and security as they grow up seeing their pictures weaved throughout their home, but all your friends, family members and any other visitors you host will goo goo and gaa gaa over them each time they drop by!
2. Size matters
People get so overwhelmed at the thought of figuring out which sizes to choose for their photography display that they end up only using one size. But, truth be told, some of the best gallery walls I have seen don’t have a single matching size! Use your professional photography as the larger, show-stopping pieces and then add smaller sizes of the other important moments you’ve captured yourself as placeholders in open areas around your professional photography.
3. Tell a story
The best gallery walls have a theme or tell a story. To accomplish this, simply add life events and candid moments into the mix. Using your maternity and newborn photography as the beginning and focal point of your wall is a great way to establish a chronological order to your photographs. When guests look at your wall, they will notice similar traits between the entire collection and feel as if they’re a part of your journey in some way, shape or form.
4. Add personal touches
Adding your own unique touch to your gallery wall will go a long way in making it yours. And luckily there are plenty of ways to accomplish that! If the furniture in your home has a rustic theme to it, you can consider adding some fun items that aren’t related to photography at all, such as wooden signs with quotes or longitude and latitude of a significant location, first letter of a name, maps, a wall clock stopped at a significant time in your life, and more. Think outside the box: The more personal you make it the more it will mean to you.
5. Find a balance
Balance can be created in many different forms—in color, shapes, and sizes! Establishing some kind of unified color scheme, be it shades of red or blue tones, will create a well-balanced design. It will also maintain a level of consistency that is visually appealing. You can also use different pops of color on a diagonal to create balance. As an example, the photo on the below right uses a pop of yellow even though it’s completely different than the other items on the wall. The two yellow framed items are placed on a diagonal to each other, which creates symmetry and balance.
Using certain sizes and shapes are another really great way to show balance. See the pictures below for examples:
During your Preview and Ordering Session (link to blog article How Will I See My Maternity Photos & Newborn Photos After My Session) at MAC Photography I will be able to hang your maternity and newborn photography on your very own walls and help you create custom gallery walls you will love! With my specialized design software, you will be able to clearly see which sizes, styles, and frames work best for your walls. It takes the guessing game out of the whole process!
For more ideas on creating a gallery wall in your home be sure to check out my Pinterest Board, which is full of lots of helpful tips!
If you’re interested in finding out more about maternity photography or newborn photography or would like to reserve your own session be sure to fill out the contact form below and I will reach out to chat!