I am donating a framed copy of one of my photos to a local fundraiser for Easter Seals. This is the largest local fundraiser they have in my area. One of the organizers told me I should sign the print. Would it be pretentious of me to sign it? I tend to think it would be. I'm not Ansel Adams, afterall.
I would sign it. Who knows, maybe one day someone would ask who took the picture and they would know it was you and they could ask you to do something for them.
I have donated framed photos to a couple of charity events and I have signed the mat in pencil, with the title on the left and my signature on the right, immediately below the picture. I think people feel they are getting more of an original piece of art if it is signed . . .
My Mother paints watercolors, as a hobby. Some of which she gives me. She usually signs them all, in pencil. They do a little craft show in our development and many of the ladies showcase their watercolor work. All of them sign also, and certainly none of them are famous by any stretch. I don't think it is pretentious at all. And maybe if you sign it they can get more money in donations for the work since it is signed. I'd rather buy a print that was signed.
The other thing people used to do is place the negative in archieve paper behind the matt... that really ups the value as it means no more can be printed... but tougher with digital... Tape your USB Hard drive to it?!?!
If you want to do it ... it is only someone else (usually jealous) who would consider it pretentious. If you're too shy to sign the front, then sign the back with info of the date, the why and what and as others have suggested, number it! #1 is always the most expensive so go for it. (I'd number it 500/500 so collectors go looking for the other 499 ... lol)
Sign it the only ones I don't sign are ones that are truly paid for, if there are just a gift to friends or what ever always sign them. You should be proud of everything you do and signing it shows your pride.
Definitely sign it. It's your work. And it will mean more to the person who ends up owning it. I cherish the few pieces of artwork that I own that are signed by the artist!
SIGN IT! That's awesome.. definitely not pretentious; just really, really cool! If they like it enough to ask you, you should be proud enough to want people to know you took it :D
If there's a matte beneath the frame, you could sign your name small, lightly in pencil as some do, but not cover the actual photograph with anything.
And, if (despite our encouragement) you still feel uncomfortable about appearing pretentious, sign it on the back instead. The contact info sticker is good idea.
This made me remember the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode, where Larry David donates $ to a nonprofit org (museum, environmental center or something) for a new wing -- then he finds out that his friend Ted Danson has made his donation anonymously. So then Larry thinks he should change his donation to "Anonymous," but that makes him want extra credit for it because of the honor in donating anonymously... ;->
@shutterbug0810 i am an art teacher and the first thing I teach my students is to sign and take ownership of their work. Good or average, they made it and own it and should show it.
my creative writing teacher in high school told us to put our name on absolutely everything we wrote, regardless of whether it was a draft or a final copy... always take credit for your work!
Absolutely sign it. You're proudly taking credit for your work, not smugly announcing you're the worlds greatest photographer. It also adds artistic and sentimental value, sometimes monetary. If you're not proud of your work, why would anyone else be?
i'm a writer and i'm very mindful of 'copyright' issues. you should always sign your work, it's not being pretentious at all. it lends credibility and authenticity to the work.
Personally, I wouldn't sign it. I would feel pretentious. In fact, I have never signed anything I've done for charity. I'm sure nobody would fault you if you did, though, especially if they asked you to. Either way, congrats! You've gotta be proud :)
Sign it I am a consultant with a stamp and scrapbooking company and we tell our customers to sign everything you do no matter if you sell or give it away.
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@icywarm EXCELLENT idea; I definitely will do that...Thanks!
And, if (despite our encouragement) you still feel uncomfortable about appearing pretentious, sign it on the back instead. The contact info sticker is good idea.
This made me remember the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode, where Larry David donates $ to a nonprofit org (museum, environmental center or something) for a new wing -- then he finds out that his friend Ted Danson has made his donation anonymously. So then Larry thinks he should change his donation to "Anonymous," but that makes him want extra credit for it because of the honor in donating anonymously... ;->
I had a discussion about this at a gallery night and the general consensus was to never sign the photo...