There are good reasons for taking photographs of paintings. One of the most important is so you'll have an accurate record of your valuable artwork for insurance purposes. If all you have is a description of your painting, you really have no proof of ownership, and should your painting be destroyed, there would be no payment made by any insurance company.
For valuable pieces of art, an appraisal is a must. The appraisal should include a description of the piece, size and condition, the medium used, any markings, where the piece came from, date completed, and information on the artist. Adding to the appraisal some quality photographs of the artwork will complete the package for insurance purposes.
You may have just found a painting at a garage sale that you're sure is going to be worth a bundle and you want to get a good photo of it to have it identified. Or, maybe you finally got that painting you've been wanting for years, but couldn't afford and you want to send a picture of it to your best friend who lives out in California. Whatever the reason you want them, if you follow some basic steps, you'll get fabulous images of your paintings. So grab your camera bag and let's get to work.
First, you guessed it! Turn off your flash, including your camera's automatic flash. That way you're sure not to have any glare in your images. The best lighting conditions for photographing paintings is indirect lighting. Natural indirect lighting is the absolute best. Try waiting for an overcast day to take your photos. If you have a plain outside wall that's a neutral color, use it to support your painting where you can get the best lighting. Or lay your piece on your floor, where it gets good natural indirect light, and take your picture from above.
If your painting is under glass, you're faced with another situation. Glare and reflection. We've addressed part of the glare issue by turning off the flash. Another tactic is to use a polarizing filter. It's a very effective tool for reducing the glare from too bright a light. Watch for reflections in the glass and reposition the piece, as necessary, before taking your shots.
It's not a rule, but strongly recommended, when taking photographs of still lifes, use a tripod. No tripod? Then find something you can lean on, like a tree or a wall, to steady your camera. If you have nothing you can use to lean on, just hold your camera close to your chest to steady it, hold your breath, and take your shot.
By: Suzanne VanDeGrift
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Suzanne VanDeGrift has developed this article for M-ROCK.COM, manufacturer of exceptional quality camera bags, complimented by professional good looks.
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