optic Loc: Southwestern United States

Your venue is responsible for the safety and protection your work, hence the requirement for frames etc. You are responsible for presenting it a manner that minimizes outside factors that detract from the effort, quality and artistic intent behind your image. My customary practice is to dry-mount (or have dry-mounted) the photograph on quality 4 ply mat board with a smooth but not glossy surface. You can't go wrong with white, although an "off-white", that is cooler or warmer can be modestly effective depending on the image (Warmer is not usually helpful with B&W photographs). PHOTOGRAPHS NEED SPACE so wide mats are completely appropriate --width depends on the size of the photo but it's hard to go too wide. The real function of the mat is to keep the glass away from the surface of the photo. If your image is strong, playing around with different mat colors and combinations is like gilding a lily but it does contribute to the frame shop's bottom line. I usually present my work with a mat of the same color as the board on which it's mounted and cut 3/8" or less larger than the photograph. Kingman is correct about good mats being slightly wider at the bottom than at the top and sides. Same for the gap between the bottom of the photograph and the mat. Whether it's a painting or a photograph, the job of the frame is to protect the work. In the case of photographs, the job is best accomplished with SIMPLICITY. I have a very hard time envisioning a print by Ansel Adams, Irving Penn or Elliot Porter that would be improved by presenting it in a carved and gilded frame.