Switched my showcase layout after a gallery owner in Chicago called me out

I always used white backgrounds for my digital prints, figured it kept things clean and professional. A gallery owner in Chicago last month said my warm-toned pieces looked flat against the white and suggested charcoal gray instead. Has anyone else found a background color that actually makes their work pop better?

3 comments

3 Comments

parker_bailey1mo ago

Three days of staring at samples and I ended up on dove gray, turns out my ocean photos actually looked like water instead of a blue blob.

clairepark1mo ago

Read somewhere that dark backgrounds trick your eyes into seeing colors more saturated. @parker_bailey, dove gray sounds like a smart choice for ocean shots. Might try a muted slate myself after hearing how much clearer your water came through.

taylor.mary19h ago

Tbh dove gray was a game changer for me too. @clairepark is right about dark backgrounds messing with your eyes in a good way. I switched my portrait work from white to a muted sage green and suddenly the skin tones didn't look washed out anymore. The white was making everything too harsh and clinical. Charcoal gray sounds like a solid move for warm-toned pieces since it gives them something to anchor against without competing.