WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS. The framer moves about the frame shop like a head chef in his kitchen. Like clockwork. Their motions are sure and smooth, while my hands would be shaky and hesitant. What takes them only a few minutes, takes me three times as long.

I am only the waiter that takes the finished dish out to the customer.

While I did my best to know everything that there was to know about the sales floor, what happens on the other side of those two swinging doors remains mostly a mystery. I knew the basics, but applying that knowledge in an effective and timely manner was a whole different story.

The framer makes it looks so easy. But it’s not. That much I know. The framer is in a constant battle between quality and timeliness. Making sure the care is taken to properly frame a piece versus the demands of the daily calendar.

The last frame I tried putting together myself I had to take it apart and put it back together multiple times because every time I closed it up I would find a new speck under the glass. By the end I was about ready to throw it out the door. A framer I am not.

ABOVE. THE WAITING ROOM. Finished custom frames waiting to be called. Shot with 23mm lens at f5.6, 1/150s, ISO 2000.

EXCLUSIVE. Where the magic happens. Entryway to frame shop. Shot with 35mm lens at f2, 1/2500s, ISO 2000.

TOP. Frame shop ceiling. BOTTOM LEFT. Hooks for gloves for handling glass (that may or not have been used once for doing truck shipments). BOTTOM RIGHT. No dancing on the dry mount. Note that use to be on top of the dry mount machine.

WEEK 3. Finishing up last batch of orders.

WEEK 4. All orders completed and frame shop closed down (shadowbox with Crabtree jersey was a custom framing sample).

WEEK 5. Dry mount, mat cutter, and wall cutter removed. All other frame shop material either transferred or thrown out.

FRAME SHOP TRANSITION SLIDESHOW. Progression of frame shop weeks 3 to 5. Shot with 23mm lens.

The Standards. Various frame shop standards for handling customer's artwork and safety measures.

Hanging out. Custom frames waiting for their due dates.

Some assembly required. Steve putting together a shadow box.

INSATIABLE APPETITE. Receptacle for glass. With all the glass that we went through it was easily filled by the end of the day. Shot with 23mm lens at f2.8, 1/340s, ISO 1600.

Steve's handy tool belt with all his framing essentials.

Wall cutter. Could cut anything from cardboard to glass.

Tools of the trade. Various tools used for custom framing.

Bits and bobs. Various framing hardware.

Steady hand required. Mat cutter. Each cutter has its own eccentricities.

The frame shop wall is divided into five sections. Within each section there are a half a dozen dates. Once a frame is unpacked it is hung on the pegs according to its due date.

OWNERSHIP. Shot with 35mm lens at f2, 1/1250s, ISO 1600.

LEFT. How many Aaron Brother employees have looked at that clock? Some in panic, wishing for more time, others in longing for it to go faster. TOP RIGHT. The Wiseguy. Our lead, Tom. His work ethic and dedication to the job really got us through some rough times. I'm definitely going to miss that (as well as his wiseguy humor). BOTTOM RIGHT. Our framer, Steve. I always admired that despite the demanding deadlines he never sacrificed craftsmanship for the sake of expediency. BOTTOM. "The Amazing Blanca," anyone who has worked with her knows that that title is an understatement. She is the hardest and most knowledgeable worker I've ever met. She leads by example and has a knack for making people instantly feel like family. I've been with her since the beginning, so it only seem right that she is here for the end.

MAKE IT QUICK. Custom frames on racks waiting for fitting. Shot with 35mm lens at f2, 1/1600s, ISO 2000.

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