Frames: Love'em or Leave'em

[mdpix]

I always get such mixed reviews when I do a frame such as this. They are actually pretty easy to do. Here's the tutorial I followed: http://www.flickr.com/groups/pse/dis...?search=frames

And, yes, sometimes they work with the photo and sometimes they don't: In this case, I think the frame actually makes the flowers pop forward compared to the original. I do agree with one comment I got: I should lose the signature (or at least reduce the opacity. . . a lot!)

[Major_Small]

Take a look at this thread. I personally say no printed borders. They're just bad. If you've got a web or physical layout where the border helps integrate the image with it's environment, then go for it. But a border on the image itself is just bad.

[lissykeeper]

The photo is good, but when you add the frame the flowers seem to pop right off the page. I would definetly keep the frame on this one.

[sk66]

I think the "with frame" is a bit better, but not necessarily "because of" the frame. What I see is that the frame creates a bit of a "visual cropping" by removing a portion of the image from your "area of focus". The frame also has the effect of vignetting the picture borders helping the in focus section of the image separate itself from the background.

I think you could get the same result with a little tighter cropping/vignetting and no frame.

[Klaidas]

LEAVE.
Framing usually ruins the photos. Sure, there are exceptions, but come on...

[dakwegmo]

Have you ever received a comment on any of your unframed photos that they would look better with a digital frame?

[Father Bob]

Ilike the frame on this one. It gives it a finished look. I don't know how it would print out but it looks good on screen. I also like the transparency aspect.

[embrodak]

This seems to be a really good demo of the rule of thirds. The flowers "pop" in the first one because the eye is using a different border, so the branch lies on the top third of the page. Try cropping where you put the borders and see if the same pop occurs. I tend to like borders on a lot of photos, but only small, non-invasive ones. This one is a bit too... obvious.

[lputman]

It appears adding the frame made some adjustments to the photo too. The framed picture has stronger colors and I think that's what's contributing to the pop and also what embrodak said about the rule of thirds.