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May 14, 2012

April 2012 Photography Competition Winners

We would like to congratulate Kayleigh Parsons-Matcham from Oakhill, the winner of our April photography competition ‘The Great Outdoors’ with her photo ‘Winter Trees of Yorkshire’. She will win £200 worth of picture frames.

We really liked the colour tones in the picture and thought that it encapsulated the theme very well. The road going into the fog in the distance gives it a great sense of depth and the leafless trees make a great focal point.

We would also like to congratulate the runner-up of the April competition, Victoria Christie from Leeds for her photo of Ennerdale Water. She will win £50 worth of picture frames.

We think it captures perfectly how beautiful the British outdoors can be on a sunny day. We especially liked the reflection of the hills and rocks in the water and the range of blues in the sky.

Thank you once more to everyone who took part in the competition. All of the entries were excellent and we were very pleased with the final ten which can be seen in an album on our Facebook page. Be sure to enter our May photography competition. The theme this time is ‘Pets & Animals’, see our updated blog post for full details.

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April 20, 2012

Advice For Taking Good Photographs – Part Two

As the photo competition continues to grow from strength to strength entrants will have noticed the competition has been split into themes. In honour of this month’s ‘The Great Outdoors’ theme we have focused this blog post towards taking a great shot outdoors that will be worthy of framing in one of our picture frames.

Landscapes can be tricky to get right, so the key is to practice and experiment to see what works for you.

Keep any horizon shots level within the photograph. It can be tempting to make the shot look ‘edgy ’ but the shot might also look crooked.

If there is a focal point for the viewer to look at, experiment with moving this point to the edge of the frame, rather than making it a centre point.

Look for different angles in which to take your photo. Standing is a common angle, so why not try changing the camera position to lying on the ground for an eye level view, or shooting a scene looking up from the ground. There are lots of different ideas to work with depending on the landscape you are photographing. You could get a bird’s eye view shot if you have a head for heights. Seeing a scene from another perspective often captures interest.

Avoid leaving empty space in a landscape photograph. If there is no point to focus on, make sure the image still have different and contrasting lines to look at. For example, if you want to capture a skyline and there is a point of interest, like a building or tree, this will stand out and look pleasing. If the shot is simply too sparse and has no lines or focal point the photograph will end up with too much empty space and nothing else.

Use both portrait and landscape angles, with the camera on its side. A landscape shot can take on a different angle and perspective using a portrait shot.

Hopefully, the above tips have provided inspiration to get you out there into the great outdoors and begin taking some great photos that you can enter into our April photograph competition.

Photo credit: Steve Picton

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February 21, 2012

Picture Frames Express Photo Competition (May: Pets & Animals)

May Theme: Pets & Animals

Thank you to everyone who entered and voted on the April competition. Again, we were very pleased with the level of interest and hope it keeps up in the coming months. The rules of the competition will remain largely unchanged this month after a number of improvements last time around.

Voting will stay in place but in addition to the top 10 voted on pictures, we will select 10 of our own favourites from the rest to make a final shortlist of 20. The winner and runner-up will then be chosen objectively by someone with no knowledge of how the pictures arrived in the shortlist or how many votes are associated with each one. We think this is the fairest way to give everyone a chance of winning.

Facebook

Entries will need to be submitted via Facebook. You will find the competition tab on the right hand side of our Facebook page just below the large cover image. Alternatively, you can enter the competition page directly by clicking here.

Once you have ‘Liked’ the Picture Frames Express Facebook page you will be able to upload your entry directly via the entry form. The theme for this month is ‘Pets & Animals’. You can do whatever you want within the area of this theme.

Closing Date

This month’s competition closes at midnight on 31st May 2012. Winners will be announced within 14 days and a number of runners up will be featured on our blog.

You have full creative freedom over your photos as long as they are of the correct theme and not in breach of the terms and conditions. We are excited to see your camera skills, so submit your photos now, and remember this it’s only one entry per person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the competion open to entrants outside the UK?

A: No, we can only accept entries from UK residents – sorry.

This competition is featured on:

Loquax Competitions
Competitions – UK
Photography Competitions
ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions
Win Free Stuff
CompetitionsToday.co.uk
Competitions Time

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January 6, 2012

Framing Those Christmas Memories

The Christmas and new year period are now behind us and if you agree with us it’s quite sad to see it go. One way you can keep those happy memories to last is to buy picture frames and display the photos you have taken over the holiday period.

Maybe you have taken photos of your Christmas decorations, the surprised look on the children’s faces as they are opening their presents or the whole family around the dinner table on Christmas day. Maybe you spent new years eve out with friends or at a house party and took lots of photos. Most pictures from good times like these seem to just end up on social networking sites these days but nothing quite compares to displaying them in your home in nice picture frames.

Since Christmas is a time for gift giving, maybe you received a new camera. You’ll likely have been playing with your new toy and perhaps have taken some great photos. Even if your photography skills aren’t quite up to scratch just yet it is a great idea to frame these early shots you’ve taken so that you can see how much you improve in the future. Alternatively, maybe your loved ones bought you a poster or a nice piece of artwork for Christmas that you want to put in a frame and treasure forever.

We have a massive variety of frames available for all your different needs in different colours and styles to suit your personal taste. We have frames in all of the standard sizes and a configurator that allows you to create the perfect picture frames for your specific purpose.

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November 11, 2011

Positioning a Picture Frame

So you’ve taken an amazing photo, you’ve ordered your made to measure picture frame and you’ve framed it and it looks great but now comes the difficult part. Where are you going to hang it? If a picture frame is hung well on a wall then it can create an interesting focal point within a room, both for guests that visit your home and also for you to see every day.

Struggling to position a picture frame? Follow our helpful tips.

There is a standard rule that Art Gallery’s use with regards to hanging a frame, which is that it should be 60inches or 1520mm from the floor to the centre of the picture. This allows the picture to be positioned at the average person’s eye level so that the focal point of the picture is right in eye line. Whilst this is very easy to do in an art gallery with all its bare walls, it might not be as easy in the home due to a fireplace or other unmoveable object. It is only a suggested rule though so keep it in mind but don’t worry if it’s not possible.

Another good technique to use if you are unsure of where to hang your picture frame for maximum effect is to create a template the size and shape of your frame. This could be made by taping together old pieces of paper and then using blu-tack to stick it onto the wall in different places. This will give you an idea on what something the size and shape of your frame will look like on the wall. Using this method allows you to stand back from the wall to take in the full effect and positioning of the frame and allows you to test different ideas.

If you find a position you’re happy with then you can go about hanging your picture, but if you don’t like the positioning you can simply remove the template and stick it to another area. This method means you can test different positions without having to hammer lots of holes into the wall.

For a guide on how to hang a picture frame, have a look at our previous blog post.

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October 10, 2011

Creating Multi-Image Picture

If you want to display something a little different in a picture frame then why not try creating your own panoramic-like image which can be displayed in a frame with three or more images going either across or down. Next time you go somewhere and see a beautiful view, such as the setting sun on the horizon or if you have a big group of friends but don’t want to squeeze everyone into a small space you could try splitting it up into multiple photos.

When taking a photo of the setting sun on your holiday, take one photo and then move your camera across the horizon and take another, repeating for as many photos as you want. This can also work with large groups of people; get everyone into a line and move along taking photos.

Be careful to make sure that your photos don’t overlap and that you don’t leave too big a gap in between them either. You can then display these multi photos in a frame to create a larger image, as you can see below.

You could have one image of a horizon...

...or split it into three!

If you want to give it a go then you can get a custom picture frame from Picture Frames Express and use the frame designer to order whatever size frame you want. You could even be really adventurous and try and create an image split over two rows and two columns!

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September 5, 2011

Picture Frame Famous Landmarks

Whilst stumbling through the Internet one afternoon we came across these beautiful photos of what are considered to be some of the most important landmarks of the world. A landmark is considered as anything that makes a place instantly recognisable such as a building, statue or natural wonder. If you showed a picture of any of these landmarks to someone then they will most likely be able to tell you what country that landmark is in. For anyone who visits these places or enjoys regular travelling, taking that all important photograph to capture your visit is a great moment.

Here are some of our favourites which we think would make great wall decorations if put in a picture frame and displayed in your home.

Machu Picchu, Peru

The Eiffel Tower, Paris

Christo Redemptor, Rio de Janeiro

And if we were to get one picture frame produced of any famous landmark then we would have to go with this…

Easter Island, Polynesian Triangle

If you have any pictures from your travels that you think would look great in a picture frame, then we can help mount or frame your favourite picture so that you can display it proudly in your home for all to see.

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August 4, 2011

How to Hang Your Picture Frame

So you’ve got your favourite photo or art, you’ve got your picture frame and you’ve combined the two and it’s looking great. But now comes the tricky part, fixing your picture frame to the wall which for some people is easier said than done. If you do usually struggle with hanging a frame then follow our tips on how to hang your picture frames perfectly every time.

1) First of all you are going to need a hook to hang your picture frame and we offer four types of simple hanging hooks that you can purchase online to suit all kinds of picture frames.

2) Before any hammering takes place, you need to check the stability of the wall and whether there are any wires or pipes behind the wall you want to hang your picture frame on.

3) Place the frame against the wall and make a small pencil mark on the wall where the top edge of the frame will be.

4) Measure from the hanging tab on the picture frame or if hanging by a wire or string, hold it taunt and measure to the top edge of frame.

5) You then need to measure this distance down from the pencil mark on the wall and make another mark and that’s the spot where your picture frame hook will go, so nail it in and hang up your frame, adjusting it until it’s straight.

As with any kind of DIY, remember to take care when hammering the nails into the wall and we hope this advice is helpful, however we accept no responsibility for any injuries or damage caused by installing any hanging hooks incorrectly.

Happy hanging folks,

The Picture Frames Express team

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June 24, 2011

Frame Those Summer Memories

With the summer now upon us, you might be getting ready for your yearly holiday with the family or your first holiday away with friends. One essential item that almost everyone takes whatever the holiday is a digital camera. Since they are so compact these days and still capable of producing high quality images, they are great to capture them funny, beautiful and spontaneous moments. There are several ways to display these memories for either yourself or to give to someone as a present, no matter whether you have one picture or forty.

Picture Frame

A picture frame is an attractive way to show off your favourite holiday moment and really highlight it on your wall. Having a black and white image in a black picture frame can look very sophisticated in a modern apartment of a stylish couple or if you have bright family photos you could choose a light or coloured frame to fit the decor of your room.

Multi Frame

If you have a series of photos that you want to display you could choose a multi picture frame which allows you to select the number of pictures you want to display in your frame. You could have a multi frame to show three of your favourite photos or a large one which can display 32 photos, the choice is yours depending on how many photos you want to display.

Picture Mount

This is a cheaper option to display your photos when compared to a picture frame but still frames your photos well for display. They are available in a range of styles so you will be able to find the best mount to suit your holiday photo.

So whether it’s a photo of the kids building a sandcastle on the beach in Spain or you and your best friends enjoying some cocktails in Greece, any holiday memory would look great in a picture frame or mount.

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May 7, 2011

Picture Frames – Make Or Break An Artpiece

An ancient proverb says a picture is equal to thousand words.

What about picture frames? The main function of a picture or photo frame is to protect and highlight the content it holds.

A beautiful work of art can be made to look drab by framing it improperly, using wrong materials. Similarly an excellent frame can definitely enhance the beauty of the picture it holds.

There are many types of frame and mount to choose from, the problem is deciding which is most suitable for the picture or photograph; a difficult task.

A wrong choice and you lose the contented feeling you get when you look at a work of art.

Occasionally, pictures are abnormal in size so you need custom picture frames. To complement the picture and help it merge with ambience of the room, frame colour and texture are everything.

Picture and photo frames of standard sizes are not expensive and they can be bought from almost anywhere. To suit our individual style and also to enhance the quality of the pictures, care should be taken to incorporate these factors when we select standard picture or photo frames.

Picture frames come in hundreds of colours, different shapes and a wide variety of materials which will complement the interior decoration.

The photo frames are made of pewter, stainless, ceramics, composites and crystal. Your budget is the only criteria to select the best available design and material.

Picture frames can be artful in their own right with wide borders, bright and bold colour. Try to avoid a picture frame which overwhelms the image it carries.

For the contemporary home select metal frames in darker shades such as black, copper, gold or silver. To get a Mediterranean style select bold white frames. To create an antique Victorian look ornate gilded frames are the best choice to highlight beautiful art and special prints.

The children’s room will get a youthful atmosphere by using plastic frames in vivid colours.

Avoid metal frames to encase valuable pieces of art. They are priced moderately and sold as kits with their backs open. This makes the contents exposed to dust and moisture.

With proper tools and after little practice you can make your own wooden picture frames and it is a correct choice for original arts, limited edition prints and other valuable photos.

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Frame-express Picture Framers LTD is a UK VAT registered Limited Company. Company No. 4480495 | Vat Reg. 695 591380
Registered office - Abbey House, Manor Road, Coventry, CV1 2FW

Archive for the ‘picture frames’ Category

April 2012 Photography Competition Winners

Advice For Taking Good Photographs – Part Two

Picture Frames Express Photo Competition (May: Pets & Animals)

May Theme: Pets & Animals

Facebook

Closing Date

Frequently Asked Questions

Framing Those Christmas Memories

Positioning a Picture Frame

Creating Multi-Image Picture

Picture Frame Famous Landmarks

How to Hang Your Picture Frame

Frame Those Summer Memories

Picture Frames – Make Or Break An Artpiece

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