By Tammy Porter on | No Comments
When I dreamed up my perfect photo gallery wall, I had no idea that everyone would love it as much as I do. I always get a ton of questions about the details and dimensions of my photo wall.
So, I've put together some tips on how to create your own picture wall and also gathered my print sizes, and wall dimensions (as a template), so you can get a better idea of what I used and the size of my area.
Are you ready? Let's go!
This may be a personal preference, but I like to have a single wall space dedicated to prints instead of spreading them all around the house. The way my house is set up there aren’t many walls where I can hang large images, and I do love to print large!
I found myself not knowing what to do with the large wall in my home office. Then it finally came to me!
I wanted a really big photo gallery that basically took up the ENTIRE wall and turn it into a real focal point!
I started by creating a folder with images in Lightroom that I thought may go well together on my gallery wall. Most of the images were already edited, but I did make some adjustments so the images flowed well together.
For example: I did not want one really bright image and all the the others to be dark. I also paid attention to white balance. My first gallery wall had a pattern of colored and black and white images, but over the past few years I have changed out prints, and am now using all colored images.
If you decide to use a mix of bright and dark images on your picture wall, just be sure you disperse them in a way that is pleasing when you look at it.
Once you gather your images you will know if you are working with landscape, portrait, or a combination of orientations. So when you go to buy the frames you will know EXACTLY what you need.
When hunting for the frames, I try to wait for a sale, like a buy one get one at Michael's Crafts Store.
For my gallery wall, I went with a grey wood look, and plexiglass instead of real glass (because I knew there was a real possibility of flying pool balls).
Once you fit the prints into your frames, use masking tape to mark off the dimensions of your wall space ON THE FLOOR. This may sound weird, but it allows you to layout YOUR frames and easily adjust their position BEFORE you actually hang them.
Once you get them set the way you like, take measurements! Also take measurements of the space BETWEEN the frames and take a photo with your phone so you remember their positions.
I did have my husband hang the frames because he's a math guy and I knew he would make it perfect!
Here's my gallery wall template: The overall dimensions of my photo wall (that you can see in these images) is 10x16 feet. The two print sizes I used are 24" x 36" and 24" x 20". I have two-inch gap between all frames.
Here's a quick tip when measuring and hanging your frames:
DON'T trust that the hooks installed on the back of the frames are all in the same place - because they aren’t!
We ended up putting our own small brackets on the two top corners of each frame so they would stay straight during dusting and bumping, this also made measuring to hang much easier.
When creating your photo gallery wall, give yourself plenty of time. This is not a project to start on a school night when time is running short!
I also encourage you to use actual prints and frames (rather than on canvas) because you can refresh the front print over the years and leave the previous print inside the frame, so it’s a great print storage idea too!
Have fun!
Do you have any questions or comments about Creating a Photo Gallery Wall in your home? Just leave us a comment below - we would love to hear from you! And PLEASE SHARE this post using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!
Tammy is a child photographer based in the desert of Arizona. A mother of two, a wife, and a secret lover of interior design. She spends her days juggling a hair salon, a budding children's jewelry line, and her camera. Photography is the driving force behind her relentless need to create beautiful things. You can follow her on Facebook.
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