When editing some of my latest Boston pictures from last month, I was struck with inspiration to add a matte to some of the images. A matte is conventionally used in art as decoration as well as a way to separate the art from the glass in front. Digitally, it is 100% used for aesthetic purposes. For my work, I wanted to see what it would look like with a matte – by adding the white border with a tighter crop. Click on the pictures and scroll through for the full effect.
Personally, I really enjoy the full image without the crop. If I ever got these images framed, maybe I would consider adding the border so it appears more presentable. But as of now, I’ll keep to posting full size images without borders, especially to Instagram.
Do you think it’s worth it to add a matte? Which is better, with or without?
Andy Chen Photography 