From it’s inception, photography has been plagued by reflections in the glass that was required to protect the print. Those looking at photos almost always have to move their heads to see around the reflections, so often an entire photo cannot be enjoyed at once, and the glare reduces color by over 30%, even when you don’t notice it.

Printing on canvas has revolutionized photographic printing, especially with larger prints. Canvas prints are varnished like paintings, thus eliminating the need for glass, so canvas prints have no reflections or glare at all. This allows the full color of the image to show, making them vibrant and beautiful, and the entire image can be seen from any angle in the room. Without glass, they are lighter and safer to hang, and since there is no matting, a larger image is displayed in the same footprint on the wall. Moreover, the texture in canvas brings an image to life—it ‘feels’ real, like looking at an actual scene instead of a picture.

More recently, printing on other surfaces has become available, such as metal, acrylic, and glass, with metal prints being the most widely used. While the shine of these surfaces make an image seem amazingly vibrant—an immediate ‘wow’ factor—they have even more glare and reflection than glass. It’s almost impossible to position them so that one can view the entire image without glare or reflections—often of the viewer themselves—and it won’t be possible from every position in a room. Also, as the texture in canvas brings an image to life, the ultra smoothness of metal has the opposite effect—it makes them flat and lifeless. Once the novelty of the shine wears off, the reflections and glare become genuine irritations—not ideal for something that is supposed to make a room feel pleasant and welcoming for decades.

My customers buy my work to set the mood in a room and to take them to those places. Canvas prints provide a richly colored, natural scene that feels real, and allows people to feel like they are there, experiencing the scene for themselves, from everywhere in the room. They have a refined and classic look in solid wood frames, and a contemporary feel in wraps, but always provide the room with the ambiance desired. For this reason, I offer my images printed on canvas.