Most of you know I’m an old-school “straight” photographer. I also am a “fine art” photographer (as opposed to a journalist, fashion, product etc shooter.) My work is sold to collectors, and hangs in galleries. It is meant to be studied and enjoyed, and to live a long life on someone’s wall because it “clicks” with them.

To that end and context then, size matters.

These days, the photo trend is toward larger and larger prints. I’ve sold a few 60″ prints myself, when a collector requests one. There seems to be some belief that “he must be good – look at the size of his prints!” That’s nonsense, of course, but look at the trend: 50″ televisions; triple-decker hamburgers; SUV’s… the list goes on.

The problem I’m pointing out however is this: like a billboard, you cannot look at it up close. And like a billboard, its sheer size invites only cursory glances, and intimates that it is completely forgettable.

In short, many giant images have a tendency to be just pretty pictures, destined for corporate lobbies, or stately homes.

There is absolutely nothing at all wrong with “pretty pictures” and they brighten our lives. There is nothing wrong with large prints either… but neither is (in my opinion) proper for fine art photographs.

In fact, I’ll suggest that a fine art photo needs to be relatively small; certainly 16 x 20 or less, and frequently it should fit on 11 x 17 paper.

Why so small? Because with a smaller size, the viewer must intentionally approach it – walk up to it; stop what he or she is doing and take a moment to observe it. A walk-by will not suffice, simply because the image is too small to be observed and recognized at a glance.

Further, this almost mechanical contrivance promotes intimacy. Standing close to an image removes the rest of the environment from the observer’s consciousness. Attention is focused, and the self is opened up to the artist’s intent. (This sense of intimacy is usually enhanced by a matte which has a border half the size of the image itself, or at least several inches, surrounding and isolating the image with a uniform backdrop. You will likely never see a 60″ print with a matte.)

Ultimately, the size of the print depends on the intended use of the collector, but in the case of true art, which allows for immersion and new insights on repeated viewings – in short, withstands the test of time – then I’d suggest that a smaller print is the appropriate choice.

Size matters.