Photographers and artists -- easy and affordable framing recommendation here...
If you took a photo you really love and want to make a gift of it to family or friend, an easy way is with www.americanframe.com. Upload your high-resolution photo, choose frame and mat(s) and they will put it together for you and ship it off to your recipient. You can choose your paper -- I like the pearl finish. It really makes colors pop.
The framing uses a high quality acrylic instead of glass. You can't tell the difference and there's no worry about breakage. (Note: don't use window cleaner on acrylic; a barely damp cloth is all you need.)
Choose an "Econo" frame if you want to keep the cost really affordable. Costs are usually half or less than what you might pay at Michaels. My house walls are covered with 20+ of my framed artworks that were done at American Frame (some are originals, some are high-quality scans). You can save even more money if you buy metal frames and put them together yourself at home; it's super easy!
ABOUT THE PHOTO BELOW...
My cousin Sarah took this absolutely magical little scene of her children at the park. I think it could be an illustration for a childrens' book.
I cropped out the top and bottom a bit and a little off the left side to push the kids slightly off-center and create a stronger focal point. I love the way the water turns into the sky at top right and how the tree is reflected in the water so you get a sense of the space even though you can't see it all. Plus the pose really captures the kids' personalities -- the adventurous girl always dives into life and her little brother is a bit more cautious.
I thought it was worthy of proper framing so I asked for the original file (downloads from Facebook are probably not good enough) and she got it just a few days later.
