I printed on matte paper because I don't want my photographs to be shiny and glossy. When images have a shine to them I personally feel that it takes away a rawness of an image. These photographs are very raw, and real and I want to show that in all aspects. They have not been edited (other than sharpening for the purpose of print), the colours have not been enhanced, and in no way have blemishes or marks been removed or toned down. I feel that having a shine on the paper will really just take away from being able to see the child and really take their gaze and emotions in as a viewer.
I printed an A3 and an A2 because I am unsure of which size to go for. I want the images to make an impact to the viewer. I do not want the viewer to be able to see the image and walk past it. I want to grab them, entice them and pull them in to really see these children and spend time with them.
I feel like the A2 print does that. When I saw it coming off the printer and then laid in front of me, I had goose bumps. I very rarely get emotional over photographs but truthfully sitting and looking at that image printed in A2 brought tears, and goose bumps and shivers to me. That is exactly the reaction I want from somebody looking at my photographs.
In order to print all my photographs at this size though, I need to make sure that they are all perfect with focus and sharpness and that they really do grab hold of the viewer.
The other aspect of this decision is price. The A2 is so much more expensive than A3 when printing not just 1 of each. I don't want to have to go for the cheaper option and sacrifice the work though...
The A3 has the impact but just as much as the A2 does. The A2 is just like BAM in your face whereas I think with the A3 you could just glance at it and walk past quite easily.
I am going to put the images up in my living room and spend some time with each before I make my final decision.
