27-year old Luxembourger Frank Desiront loves photography. And he wants to share his passion with other people. But he doesn’t want to have to follow a long, complicated path. Desiront likes it “clear, simple and good” – and WhiteWall is therefore the right place for him.

Frank Desiront’s love of photography emerged in 2001 during a course on black & white photography. He suddenly realised the possibilities of representation and the subject of photography became one of his greatest passions. Long before he himself was active behind the camera he was fascinated by the development of the American lifestyle, this mixture of kitsch and cult that embodies appearance over substance. Old American cars, drive-in counters, the remarkable Venice Beach, the run-down barber shops.

He explores these themes in his own work, his focus on urban street photography. On the trails of his passion Frank Desiront travels to the USA and discovers the modern side of American cities which still embody the look and flair of the 50s and 60s. This is where he finds the inspiration for his photography: A mixture of solitude, surreal colours, and theatrical scenes.

He captures many of these images with his Polaroid camera. It is therefore particularly important for Desiront to be able to enlarge these images without destroying the shot’s original impression. With WhiteWall he can scan his polaroids and get an authentic colour result, something that has impressed him from the very beginning.

Despite his soft-spot for the USA Frank Desiront also travels to other countries. Every country, every town has its own face, which Desiront would like to capture and show. His photos are both souvenirs and documentations. The focal point for his photographs is the architectural specialities, which give the place its individual charm. To support the expression of his pictures he chooses between two mounting and finishing options: The black solid wood frame with white passe-partout and the acrylic glass mounting. Both variations create an impression of clarity and simplicity and place the image in the foreground.

When Desiront discovered the Art Market around six months ago, in addition to the qualities of the photo lab, he was excited. He is particularly impressed by the role of the jury in making decisions about the shots. It’s ultimately a question of quality – not every picture can convince. “Who’s interested in clicking through hundreds of average pictures”. On WhiteWall you can get a daily overview of the new additions to the Art Market in just few minutes.

To be able to sell his pictures is a great incentive to Frank Desiront. He is particularly impressed to have found in WhiteWall a photo lab that, in addition to perfect quality, also allows him to sell pictures. “My profit is reinvested in new photo material and in my equipment, allowing me to continue progressing and developing in the field of photography”. A perfect symbiosis.

Which marks of quality do you feel are particularly important for a photo lab?

Paper quality is particularly important for me, and also the colours. If a photo looks cheap or pale on paper, it loses its charm and professionalism. This effect can be seen in different magazines: Compare photo magazines that are printed on thick, shiny paper with cheaper publications and you’ll notice the difference immediately. The high quality magazine impresses immediately and is enjoyable to look through.

Another important point is that customers should have the opportunity to prevent the colours being automatically corrected. Some photo labs adjust the colours prior to printing according to what they recommend as “better”. The end result should not have to correspond to the wishes of the photographer, however. WhiteWall’s soft proofing gives you the choice. You receive a preview with multiple colour options and effects, allowing you to select your own print variation prior to printing. This prevents any nasty surprises.

Which finishing techniques bring out the best in your works?

I actually just use two finishing variations: black solid wood frames with a white passe-partout or the acrylic glass mounting. I generally prefer the frames for photos in which the main subject is in the image or in which the arrangement of the picture is in the foreground. If the focus is on the illustration of the colours or the overall impression of the image I prefer the acrylic glass mounting, because a passe-partout would restrict the image.

How did you hear about the WhiteWall photo lab?

I was particularly impressed by the photo prints under acrylic glass of some of the LUMAS pictures, and wanted my own photos to be finished and mounted in this way. I therefore contacted the LUMAS editions gallery, which directed me to your WhiteWall photo lab and the home page.

How long have you been using the Art Market to make your works accessible to others?

It wasn’t long ago that I discovered the WhiteWall Art Market and decided to actively use it. I like to show my photos publicly and share them with others and it was therefore natural that I would offer some of my best shots for sale on WhiteWall.

What convinced you to start working together with WhiteWall?

I began submitting my photos to the jury on WhiteWall around six months ago, because I find it’s great that people and photographers from different countries can enjoy my photos and actually purchase them. Photography takes up a lot of time and also costs a lot of money: The hardware (camera, lenses, stand,…), the travel, the editing, and much more.

By selling my pictures on the WhiteWall Art Market I can start to recoup my costs. The money is reinvested in new photo material and my equipment, allowing me to continue progressing and developing in the field of photography. A perfect symbiosis.

In your opinion, how is WhiteWall different to other photo labs?

WhiteWall is a photo lab that offers the acrylic glass mounting at a reasonable price whilst retaining top quality. The service is quick and of a high quality. Where, for example, can you scan polaroids, enlarge them digitally and then have them sealed under acrylic glass as a photo print? All of this is done without losing the original flair of the photography – simply brilliant!

I am also completely impressed by the free Art Market, which I discovered. Other providers, by comparison, request an annual fee for a service which is not as good. It’s also great that a jury decides on the approval and publishing of pictures. This guarantees a minimum quality and is a good stimulus for the photographers.

Would you recommend WhiteWall to other artists?

WhiteWall can be compared with Apple: Clear, simple and good. The website isn’t overloaded with “fillers”, but doesn’t lack any functions. WhiteWall allows such a diverse range of printing options that some laboratories can barely offer half. The appearance of the website and its design are completely professional. So yes, I would recommend the laboratory without hesitation.

Thilo Ross

Thilo Ross has high expectations for the quality of his final images.   Read more