Back in 1998, we had the idea to open a new type of art gallery, based on three principles. The first is an obsession with quality, both in the capture and the printing of our photos. We offer some of the highest-resolution photos ever captured, some over 3000 megapixels. In fact, some of our photos are composited from over 1,000 source images to make one final super high resolution image. Like we said, we're fanatics. And we're equally fanatical about printing. Each photo is individually custom printed and hand framed using the best technology and materials available today, including a proprietary paper developed by our printer which contains Iridium particles for a wide tonal range and incredible luminosity.

Second, we wanted to give our collectors more choice and control than they have ever had before when it comes to the final display of their artwork. The way we see it, art should be a collaboration between the artist and the viewer. The photographer's vision is the first part (the intent, motivation, subject, composition, lighting etc), and as for the final part, we believe you should be in control, both emotionally and physically. At the emotional level, art historians refer to something called "the beholder's share" where the art is imbued with meaning by the viewer. But beyond this emotional connection of "the beholder's share," we wanted to give you the ability to control the physical format and presentation of the art as well. It's your house after all - your décor and your personal style. We don't live there, so why should we dictate the final presentation of the photo? That's why we give you an unprecedented level of control: you get to choose either the color or black & white version, the standard or muted version, the horizontal or vertical version, a photographic print or acrylic facemount or matte aluminum photo, the choice of framed or unframed, with a linen liner or not, the color of the frame and the liner, the size, and in fact we’ll even custom crop and print a custom size for you to exactly fit your space.

Third, we wanted to make museum quality, limited edition art accessible to anyone. We built Pacific Coast Gallery to serve a broad middle area in the art and photography market that we felt wasn't being well served - between the expensive high-end art galleries on one end, and low-quality mass produced prints on the other end. That's why we offer collectible, museum quality, original artwork and custom printed photos from leading artists at prices accessible to anyone, starting at $89.

The gallery was founded by Monica and Matthew Welch. Monica's photographic experience dates back to Milan in the 80's and 90's, where she worked with fashion photographers like Terry Xughes as a photo editor for his commercial and editorial clients, including Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan, and Matthew is a photographer.