How to Photograph Paintings for Fine Art Prints
Tips on Photographing Artwork for Greetings Cards & Posters
Oct 9, 2009
A fine art reproduction of an original painting is only going to be as good as the photograph. If the image is out of focus, grainy or distorted in any way, the photograph is unlikely to do the painting justice and the resultant fine art print or card will look very unprofessional. Furthermore, there is little that photographic software can do to put such issues right. It is essential therefore to learn photography in order to achieve a satisfactory photo shoot of the artwork prior to visiting the card printers.
Fine Art Photography
Some artists like to set up a photographic studio in order to complete the photo shoot of the painting, including flash bubs, backdrops and tripods. Although this is a good idea, such measures are not always necessary to achieve a photograph of professional standard from which to use for as a poster or gift card.
Photographic Equipment
A few essentials take precedence when taking photos of fine art paintings:
- Never use cheap cameras such as instants or those with a fixed lens and shutter speeds
- A good digital camera will serve well. Be sure to adjust the setting to high resolution
- Effective use of a manual SLR camera will often yield excellent results. A recommended camera film such Kodak or Fujifilm is wise. Be sure that it is not out of date or the colours might be affected. Again, high resolution of at least 100 ISO or lower is best
- Using a tripod will ensure against camera shake. Failing this, the camera can be mounted onto any firm surface such as a pile of books or on a chair
Tips on Photography for Artwork & Paintings
Disappointing results in art photography can be avoided by taking care and consideration over the following issues:
- Avoid using a flash as this will create reflections on the painting and make the painting look bleached out
- The best lighting is natural daylight on a bright cloudy day, when the light is most diffuse
- It is a good idea to take several photographs of the painting using various shutter speeds and light settings in order to have a choice of photographs
- Be aware of reflections on the painting, particularly if it is varnished. Don’t take the photograph near glares or reflections
- Look out for bright lights behind the painting that could bleach out part of the photo. Draping a dark cloth behind the painting will avoid light leaking over the edges of the painting
- The painting will look distorted if the picture is taken too close to it. Similarly never use a wide lens setting. It is best to stand well back and to an ordinary lens setting or a telephoto lens. Beware that some digital cameras have a zoom function that merely crops the view to make it look close up. The resultant photograph will have poor definition
- Allow some of the background to show around the painting so that the image can be cropped when using photographic software
- Using a slow shutter speed when using an SLR will increase the focal depth, so increasing the chance of getting a focussed image
- Squeeze the shutter release gently to avoid camera shake
Photographing Art for Prints of Cards & Fine Art Posters
Creating original artwork for fine art prints, greetings cards and Christmas card designs give a personal touch. However, equal consideration must be taken over the photo shoot. Using a good digital camera or SLR and their associated photographic equipment is essential. Taking care over issues such as the lighting and the lens setting will ensure a clear image will result minus unwanted distortions and reflections.
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