20 Tips for Setting Up A Photography Exhibition

If you have the responsibility, or are thinking of setting up a photographic exhibition then here are a few tips that might help you get more success from your exhibits.

1. Find a suitable venue that is open and airy with high ceilings, neutral wall colours, large windows, plenty of natural light and is on one level.

2. Plan your layout so that your viewers can stand back from your photographs and appreciate the full detail of the subject matter.

3. Create a natural route for people to walk down without having to wait to get passed other viewers and to conform to health and safety or fire regulations.

4. Choose a display system that is stable enough to carry your photographs if they are large or in frames.

5. Arrange your photographic exhibition so that you can use both sides of the photography boards to show off as many different photographs as possible.

6. Make sure your display panels are a suitable colour and that they don’t clash with your subject matter. Grey, blue and even black work really well to show off photographs.

Photography boards
Ideal for photos, artwork and information

7. Consider elevating some of your exhibition panels to allow light to flow naturally through the room.

8. Allow viewers to focus on one specific piece of artwork at a time.

9. Think about dividing your exhibition into different subject matter areas.

10. Think about dividing your exhibition into different photographic artists areas.

Photography boards with lighting

11. Illuminate as many pieces of artwork as you can with directional floodlights that wash your images with light from top to bottom.

12. Do not use hot spotlights that could damage your photographs or reflect off the glass if they are framed.

13. Think about how you are going to attach the photographs to the display boards.

Photograph boards inside a marquee

14. Most people don’t like to see pins being used on their photographs so if you are thinking about using Velcro here’s an extra little tip. Before you attach the Velcro stick a little bit of low tack masking tape to the back of the photograph. You can then attach the Velcro to that and remove it when you have finished. If you stick Velcro directly to a photograph you run the risk of it delaminating when you try to remove it.

15. Think about hiring acrylic photographic sleeves for specific images. These can them be attached to the display panels using Velcro and will help to sharpen up the images.

16. Consider mounting some of your photographic images on poster board that gives the photograph a potential frame in a contrasting colour.

17. Using different sized spacers behind your images might add an extra dimension to your display?

18. Create a special display attraction using your most prized piece of artwork that you might have used to promote your photographic exhibition in posters, invitations, programs or your website.

19. Hire acrylic business card or brochure holders so that visitors can take details away after the show.

20.  Make the design and layout interesting with the use of column and towers and add information boards explaining the background of each photographic artist.

Photography display boards inside a church

Access Displays Ltd holds one of the UK’s largest stocks of exhibition and display boards for hire. They are suitable for photographic shows and exhibitions throughout the country. Our display panels are designed to be arranged in Zig Zags to make sure that they are stable and safe for public viewing.

A full design, delivery and installation service is available but these panels are designed to be erected by anybody without the need for tools. 

For further details on availability of photographic panels or sculpture plinths for hire and prices please visit our web site www.accessdisplays.co.uk or speak to one of our photographic exhibition specialists on 01793 613088 or email sales@accessdisplays.co.uk.

Happy exhibiting and we wish you great success with your own photographic exhibition.