E-Tip: Art of Framing: Nicholas Dalton


                           




An IT professional by day,  Nicholas Dalton took up photography seriously three years ago and has since created a portfolio of sophisticated work often described as “grunge” because of Dalton’s post processing techniques, which create a darker, deeper look to the image.  Dalton’s subjects vary considerably, from natural to industrial, from urban to rural, from botanical to figurative.  “I photograph all aspects of life.  In most of my work there is a story to be told without words.  One can imagine what is happening or understand a mood in the shot.”

What initially drew him to photography was the ability to freeze a single moment in time forever.  “I don’t spend a lot of time analyzing my compositions.  I feel I could miss what it is that attracted me to the subject.  I do like to frame the image just off center though.”

Dalton intends to open a gallery in Franklin Tennessee, just south of Nashville, in the near future. 

For our Art of Framing feature Dalton chose his photograph “Angel Oak,” a magnificent shot of one of the oldest living organism east of the Mississippi River.  Estimated to be more than 1500 years old, the oak stands 65 feet tall, has a trunk 28 feet in diameter and shades an area of 1700 square feet.  It is located in Angel Oak Park in Charleston, South Carolina on Johns Island, one of South Carolina's Sea Islands.  

Dalton’s photograph is rendered in black and white.  He framed the shot tightly, with the image cropped short of its natural boundaries.  These techniques accentuate the sculptural quality, massive size and complexity of the trunk and limbs.  The treatments we designed all play off the black and white theme while emphasizing different aspects of the image: its mystery, its vitality and its elegance.


The Art of Framing

Thrifty Ease-
In this simple treatment the classic combination of dark frame/light mat has been reversed.  This allows the dark mat to draw the eye in to focus on the center of the image, that magnificent trunk, and to add mystery to the dramatic, tight shot.  The narrow, frosted silver metal frame distinguishes itself from the mat without overwhelming the muted tones of the image as a brighter, shinier silver would. 


Print: Angel Oak (20" X 13 3/8")
Frame:  Standard metal frame collection- Frosted Silver S02 (23 3/4" X 17 1/8")
Top Mat: Smooth Black (black core) CB6277 (23 3/4" X 17 1/8") Rectangle Top:2" Sides:2" Bottom:2"
Acrylic: Standard Acrylic AAS (23 3/4" X 17 1/8")
Mounting Board: Standard MTBS (23 3/4" X 17 1/8")

Framing Treatment Total: $40.48


Gallery Ready-
Here the mats play the dominant design role, riffing on the full range of black-to-white tones.  The bottom mat--the brightest and most distinct from the image’s tonal range-- “catches” the eye as it follows the branches out and sends the viewer back into the image.  The complex mat scheme calls for a simple frame for balance, and this solid wood finished in black from our American Hardwood collection does just that.  With its visible grain and dramatic height—the frame stands 1½” proud of the wall—it calls to mind the living organism of the tree.


Print: Angel Oak (20" X 13 3/8")
Frame: American Hardwoods wood collection, Black 204 (27 3/4" X 21 1/8")
Top Mat: Tempest CS9556 (27 3/4 X 21 1/8) Rectangle Top:2 11/16" Sides:2 11/16" Bottom:2 11/16"
Middle Mat: After Dark CS9599 (27 3/4" X 21 1/8") Rectangle Top:3 1/16" Sides:3 1/16" Bottom:3 1/16"
Bottom Mat: White Art CS9802 (27 3/4" X 21 1/8") Rectangle Top:4" Sides:4" Bottom:4"
Acrylic: Standard Acrylic AAS (27 3/4" X 21 1/8")
Mounting Board: Standard Mounting Board MTBS (27 3/4" X 21 1/8")

Framing Treatment Total: $130.10 plus FREE shipping!
 

Fine Design-
Sized for greater presence, the wide and high profile of this frame lends understated elegance in a soft pewter finish.  The theme continues with dual mats in soft white and chrome.  The white mat provides a “break” between image and frame while the chrome mat provides a gradual transition into the image and emphasizes the play between its black and white tones.


Print: Angel Oak (20" X 13 3/8")
Frame: Gibraltar - wood collection- Pewter 80193 (25 3/4" X 19 1/8")
Top Mat: White 8740 (25 3/4" X 19 1/8") Rectangle Top: 2 1/2" Sides: 2 1/2" Bottom: 2 1/2"
Bottom Mat: Chrome 8749 (25 3/4" X 19 1/8") Rectangle Top: 3" Sides: 3" Bottom: 3"
Acrylic: UV Non-Glare Acrylic AAUVNG (25 3/4" X 19 1/8")
Mounting Board: Archival Mounting Board MTBA (25 3/4" X 19 1/8")

Framing Treatment Total: $154.26 plus FREE shipping!





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