When you have decided you want a photo print in your home, you might get the urge to dive into your archives to find a good one. But what if you create a new photo specifically for the purpose of decorating your home? That makes for an awesome project. Read our tips on how to create the best possible interior matching photo.
You probably have many jpegs on your harddrive or in the cloud, many of which would be lovely when printed. But you as a real photography lover don’t want just a lovely picture, right? You want the best of the best for your home. You want an Xpozer Print that matches its surroundings perfectly. A true eyecatcher, or a photo that blends in with the space perfectly. It’s up to you. But how do you choose the subject, which colors fit your space? And what not to forget before you order your Xpozer Print? We answer all these questions in this article.
Which subjects fit which space?
Most spaces in a house have their own purpose. You cook in the kitchen, sleep in the bedroom, bathe in the bathroom and play in the playroom. Keep that in mind when choosing a subject for your photo. You might want something calming for the bedroom and something fun and cheerful for the kid’s playroom. What other subjects can you think of for each room? We give you a few of our ideas.
What kind of photo fits the kitchen?
A photo of a dirty muddy puddle, however pretty the photo, might not be the kind of photo you want to see in a place in which food is prepared. What would fit a kitchen perfectly, however, are photos of plants, herbs, tasty food or a meadow.
Think about this for a second: you are probably in the kitchen in the morning and evening. For some, those are pretty hectic moments of the day. You might prefer a calming, zen photograph over heavy, dark themes and explosions of color and shapes.
What kind of photo fits the bathroom?
The bathroom often used to be an overlooked space in terms of beautiful design and pretty decorations. Nowadays, it’s part of the home and more time and effort go into decorating. Trends at the moment are Scandinavian, zen and botanical bathrooms. With each of these styles fit different photographs. Whatever your style is: think about what makes you able to relax in the bathroom. Maybe one of these photo subjects fit your bathroom:
- Landscapes
- Beach, dunes and sea
- Under water world
- Clouds and skies
- Trees and plants
- Forests
Have you chosen your photo subject?
When you have a subject in mind, get prepared for the photoshoot. Think about how you want to photograph the subject and in which way you want to frame it. A good preparation is the key to good results!
What kind of photo fits the living room?
The living room is usually one of the most frequently used rooms in a house. It’s where you receive guests, watch movies, read books, play with the kids and pets or knit a scarf. A living room has many different purposes to different people. That’s why it’s hard to say what type of photo subject would fit all living rooms.
A photo above the couch requires some thinking and measuring before ordering a print. Choosing a huge print above a small sofa looks unbalanced. The same goes for a tiny print above a huge couch. So, which size do you need? Choose a width that is about 3/4 to 2/3 of the width of the sofa. Choose anything in that range, and the couch and print will be in balance. If you have a hard time imagining different sizes on your wall, get some painters tape and create the outlines of the desired Xpozer size on the wall. That will help you choose the right size for your situation.
What kind of photo fits the home office?
In your home office, depending on the work that you do, you might have different decorating needs. Adjust the photo of your choice accordingly. Need a print to relax you during busy office days? Try a sunset, an empty beach or a pretty forest. Do you need an inspiring photo print? Take a photo of someone who inspires you. A beautiful cityscape, a colorful flower field, or maybe even your favorite work of art will work for you.
What kind of photo fits the bedroom?
The bedroom is best decorated cozy and warm for some. For others, a light and airy room is important. The space above the bed is a popular place to hang an Xpozer. Keep the same ‘size rules’ you do with the sofa. Anything between 2/3 to 3/4 of the width of the bed is fine for your Xpozer size.
Do you like to be able to see your photo when lying in bed at night? Choose a calm and dreamy setting. Maybe a photo of your family or nature, or a calming cloudy sky might be your best photos to fall asleep to.
What kind of photo fits the kid’s room?
The kid’s room is used for playing, sleeping, making homework and hanging out with friends. The perfect photo for your kid depends on their age.
0-6 years old
For young kids it could be fun to photograph their drawings and eternalize them on an Xpozer Print. You could even make a collage of multiple drawings. It shows your kid how proud you are of your little Picasso and they get to enjoy it themselves, too. Other options are photos of their favorite teddybear or superhero. Keep it simple and fun.
7-11 years old
Photos of stuffed animals and toddler art make room for hobbies and heroes. If your kid loves football, a photo of a football field/ball/shirt could be a great idea, or even a photo of their own first ever scored goal? Little music lovers might enjoy a photo of instruments or bands. You child gets more of a personality and it’s good to express that in their room’s decorations. A photo of your child during a fun activity could also be nice. It helps them remember those fun moments.
Did you know that you can keep the Xpozer Frame the teddybear photo print was on? With your kid developing and changing, you can easily swap the Xpozer Print again and again, without ever having to purchase a new Xpozer Frame. That saves a lot of money when swapping Prints. This is how swapping your Xpozer Print works >
>12 years old
In their teens, your kid truly gains personality traits and their own style. And during the teen years, they might change styles quite often. Let your son or daughter change their Xpozer Print now and then, to fit their style phases.
Top tip: create the photos together with your kid. That way, you gain a nice memory in the process.
Which colors will you photograph?
One of the most important elements in your photo should be the colors. Because you spend relatively many hours of your life at home, it’s important to create a good harmony of colors. The colors of your furniture and walls may also show up in your photo.
Ton-sur-ton
Do you prefer a calm color palette, take a photo that has hues that are close to the hues used in your furniture or walls. A white wall with a light grey photo print on it can be absolutely stunning and calming. A green wall with a green photo also works well. The colors blend together nicely. Of course, you can also use colors of your furniture. A blue sofa with a blue Xpozer above it looks great!
Opposites attract
Do you want a more distinquished color, choose opposites. A bright pink photo on a yellow wall, a green photo on an orange wall, a white photo on a black wall and the other way around all work well. Opposite colors make each other stronger.
Create a cheerful, colorful, calm or soothing color palette as you please. If you’ve chosen a subject, think about the practical stuff. Let’s elaborate on that for a bit.
What factors weigh in on the printability of your photo?
Not all files are good enough to print. For example, you need enough pixels to enlarge your photo without losing quality. Even some smartphone cameras are good enough for making Xpozers. Read more on that here >
Pay attention to:
- Sharpness – Is your photo in focus in the right places?
- Colors – A color cast isn’t that bad on a small screen. On a huge print however, that’s a big nope! It ruins your print, so you’ll have to fix it before ordering. Or use our Photo Optimization service and let us fix it for you. Also, make sure to brighten your photo up a bit before ordering. That way, your print will have the color brightness as you see it on your screen.
- Resolution – Upload your file in the best possible quality possible. A photo someone sent you through WhatsApp or Facebook doesn’t work, because it’s compressed by their software. Read more on resolution and read more here on which resolution you need for your print.
- Spots – A little spot on a screen becomes a big spot on your enlarged print. What starts as a tiny speck of dust on your lens, becomes an annoyingly visible spot, especially in blue skies and other low-contrast areas in your photos. Fix it with your editing software, like Adobe Lightroom or Luminar.
- Photo file – Choose the correct photo file format. More about saving your photo the right way >
So … what will your next Xpozer look like?
Start by asking yourself:
- Where will I hang it?
- Which colors fit the space?
- Which subject do I like?
- What do I need to start the shoot?
- Have I carefully checked and edited my photo in editing software like Lightroom or Luminar?
Decide what you want > take the photo > get it ready for print > order your Xpozer!
It’s so easy! We wish you much fun with this cool project and if there’s anything we can do to help, let us know. Contact our customer service team with specific questions you might have. Did you know we offer a FREE Photo Check service? We offer to check your photo’s quality, give personal advice on possible improvements. Upload your photo today and we’ll get started!
Enjoy your next photoshoot 🙂
Did you like this post? You might find these interesting too:
This is how you photograph cityscapes >
Which photo subject suits you? >
Photography with (rain) water >
? Photograph your passion >
How to photograph tasty food – 10 easy tips >
