Photographing your Artwork: Take your Art to the next Level
For artists who create paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints, illustrations, textiles, and installations, it is vital to document and photograph your work well. A great photo can often mean the difference between being accepted into an exhibition, exposure, receiving a grant, or selling your artwork. Accordingly, here are a few tips when photographing your next artwork.
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For best results, photograph your artwork outside on overcast days (preferably facing north, indirect light is best). If you need help with directions, download a compass app on your phone.
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If you own an easel, use this to hold your artwork in place.
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This is a trick I adopted for photographing indoors - buy two sheets of 6mm MDF or ply (sizes will depend on your artwork), paint them both white. Against a wall, lay one sheet on the floor, then butt the other piece on top. Place your artwork in front (see figure 1). For 2D and 3D artwork examples (see figure 2 and 3).
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Photograph you work without the frame or with the glass in the frame.Use a tripod, if you do not own one, make sure you have a steady hand (see figure 2).
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The angle of your camera must match the tilt of your artwork (see figure 4).
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Turn the flash off.
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Crop all your images by using a photo editing software or an app.
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I recommend obtaining a Creative Cloud membership plan to access Adobe desktop applications such as Photoshop.
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Individuals, Student and Teachers - $9.99 monthly instalments (Includes Photoshop & Lightroom).
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If you do not know how to use Photoshop, Youtube is a wonderful teacher; it has thousands of videos with step-by- step instructions.
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* The above price is in USD so be mindful of the conversion rate. Visit website for more details https://creative.adobe.com/plans.
(Figure 1)
3D artwork example - Artist Roe Osborn
(Figure 3)
2D artwork example - Artist Ricky Bell
(Figure 2)
(Figure 4)