The Final Days Before The Exhibition

35mm Photos by Francesca (here).

The countdown is on! My prints have come back from the printers, been framed and driven over the hill to Martinborough where they are currently being hung on the walls of Colombo Vineyard. This month of planning and organizing has gone by so quickly and I can't quite believe that I'm going to be seeing my images in print hanging in such an amazing location on Friday!

I spent an entire day last week framing my ten prints for the exhibition, it's never a fun task, especially for a perfectionist. After picking up my pictures from the printers I signed them all (very carefully) with their names and additions. I've found from previous experience that the printing paper I use is not very forgiving when it comes to smudgy pencil mistakes. I then move onto cleaning the inside and outside glass of the frames and checking for any imperfections. There are always some dud frames that I can't use, so I try to be as meticulous as possible when checking them.

The framing took me a total of three (very long) hours. I stood at my desk with That 70s Show blasting from my laptop to keep me company. I also may have ordered a bubble tea halfway through the process to keep me going. Someday I'd love to use a professional framer to get my work done. I can't even imagine how much of a quality difference there is between that and me in my bedroom with some spray and wipe and second-hand gloves. However, it is pretty rewarding once you get to see the final product in their shiny new frames. Even when some prints take several attempts, as somehow one tiny black speck ends up attaching itself to the glass every time.



Prints for Through The Kitchen Window exhibition (here).

So, now the exhibition is fully out of my hands and I have to give up control and trust that it will all come together for Friday evening. I'm nervous and excited and full of anticipation to see who shows up and if anything sells. I'd be happy to make back what I spent on framing and printing, then anything else is just a bonus. But, of course, it would be great to sell a few extra and make some decent profit!

I'll be taking lots of photos on Friday night and keeping my Instagram story regularly updated, as we're staying in a cabin over the weekend too! I'll also do a full rundown of the exhibition on my blog when I get back to Wellington, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
See the full collection here.

Bella 🌼