Sometimes people see canvas or other prints sold at "big box" home stores for very low prices, and they wonder why fine art prints on sites such as OurBeautifulWorld cost so much more.  Great question, and one that I am happy to answer.  First, if you own one of the cheap canvas prints as well as one of ours, lay them side-by-side in good light (daylight or daylight balanced lights are best). Wash your hands and gently touch the material.  Immediately, you may see a dramatic difference in the quality of the print, the depth of colors, and the subtle hues.  The cheap prints are mass produced using inexpensive materials and inks.  Turn the prints over on the back and look at how they are finished, and with what materials.  Tap on the mounting for a big box canvas and you may find it is "stretched" over styrofoam or cardboard.  These are not only weak, they outgas chemicals that will shift and fade colors in your print.  Turn our image over and tap the frame. You will see it is hardwood.  

I have seen display photos in stores that fade within a few weeks.  Fine art prints from OurBeautifulWorld use much more expensive archival materials and each of our prints are done individually with a high level of quality control. We calibrate our monitors, media, and printers to work together so that when the computer calls for one of the millions of color shades that make up a print, the printer can deliver. There is no mass production line; only craftmenship and high-quality products. What this means for you is, the same art--machine mass produced for cheap sale--when compared to our art printed to archival standards will look very different and will last so much longer. The materials we use are rated to last 100-200 years and still retain their color.

In addition, the cost of your print goes way beyond the production and materials. These are not photos we have pulled from some stock photography, I have traveled to each of the places and spent days--sometiems weeks--in the field learning obout the place, the animals, and the plants.  I share that with you in the descriptions I write with each photo; and that description is included on a card affixed to the back of your art. I view this as an important part of what you are buying.  You are not only buying lasting art, you are buying the emotional experience it evokes in you, and you are buying the story and the experience, People buying art from OurBeautifulWorld gain knowledge and leave feeling part of the experience of being with the bears in Alaska, in the heart of a slot canyon in Arizona, or treking through the rain forests of St Lucia to find the hidden waterfalls.  

Finally, while phones take remarkable photos today, they do not have the range of features needed to make the kind of fine art you experience on this and other fine art photography sites.  Our cameras are Pro Canon Cameras. Our lenses are top of the line lenses made for pro use. They cost more--and they do more.  The 72" wide printers we use to create your art blend a dozen or more archival, pigmented inks into millions of colors and shades. A total ink change alone costs over $3,000.00, not to mention the huge investment in equipment, maintenance, and media.

Finishing the prints is also a large cost.  Metal prints are finished with a high quality laminate. Acrylic prints require two laminates. Each canvas print is sprayed twice and then hand stretched.  We spare no expense in bringing you the finest possible print. The cost then is all of these things. I have spent a lot of time finding, capturing, and perfecting your art. We spend hours using expensive equipment to produce it for you.

Here is an analogy. If you just want a place to live you can buy a tent for less than a hundred dollars.  Or you can choose a quality house or apartment that will do so much more for you.  If cost is your only factor, I would rather see you buy art from a big box store than not have art at all.  If you are looking for more though--if you are ready for a quality fine art investment for a lifetime--we offer a full range of sizes and media to make it easier to find one that will fit your budget.