On this page you can find:
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IMAGE MANAGEMENT FOR ARTISTS
The alternative: Plus
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I decided to try and learn how I could take photos of my own art. Which is when I started learning from fellow artists and collecting links to information about how to do it.
I learned a LOT. This page attempts to pass it on and share it with you. You need to
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Creating digital images to enter art competitions / open exhibitions
As art competitions have switched to digital entries the quality of the guides have improved - as have the videos. More about this below! |
SMALL ARTWORK:
If your image is small (less than A4/Letter size) consider scanning if you can have a good quality scanner to hand - see How to scan artwork |
MEDIUM / LARGER ARTWORK
Larger images generally cannot be scanned and hence require a digital photograph and/or scans stitched together. |
USE A GOOD CAMERA FUNCTION
This does not mean buy an expensive camera! You do not need an SLR camera. Many people can get very good quality pictures using their smartphones or tablets - if it has a good camera function. What your camera needs is the following:
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REFERENCE:
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Surroundings
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For small works you might want to create a small photo studio within a white walled box (you can buy these online)
REFERENCE
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Lighting of the set-up
Do NOT
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CASE STUDY & TIP - When writing my book, I spent some time observing the light in my home
The best places for even natural light were
REFERENCE:
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PHOTOGRAPH OUTSIDE
For some people it's much easier to go outside to find a neutral environment with even light
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I go outside with my (automatic digital) camera & art. I find a spot in open shade and prop my painting up with something so it doesn’t fall/blow over, and nothing is in front of it. I make sure my painting is not facing any light source (the sky, or even a window that is reflecting the sky). I sit down and rest my elbows on my knees to steady my camera. Then I zoom in a little since my camera is defaulted to wide-angle (most are). I square the painting in my LCD panel, hold my breath, and take a picture. I take several just to be safe. Carol Marine (FAQs) |
If you are an artist with an expert photographer in the family, you can try what is happening in this photo by Yanny Petters
One further tip - include a greyscale card alongside the artwork so you can use this as a reference when adjusting any colours and tones subsequently |
Prepare your camera and set-up
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This is the type of card which you always see on the original professional photos of artwork in museum collections. By including it within the photo you give yourself a reference for adjusting colours and tones later Three dimensional artwork requires:
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ALWAYS Photograph artwork BEFORE it is framed - particularly if the frame is glazed and NEVER use flash. Glass creates
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To photograph artwork which has been framed:
EITHER
OR hire a professional photographer with a sophisticated lighting set-up and a very good camera he/she can get pics of artwork behind glass - but it will cost you! Not cheap! S/he will:
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To photograph artwork in exhibitions which is glazed
The most difficult thing about photographing work behind glass (or varnished pieces) is cutting reflections or preventing light from bouncing everywhere. Kristina Corre REFERENCE:
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Download the digital files to your computer and use image software to check the image is truly representative of your artwork. You need to check the accuracy of colours and tones on screen to the actual painting.
If your images look off or odd in any way, try checking the settings on your camera to ensure there is no artificial heightening / distortion of colours and tones. You can also:
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TIP FOR COMPETITIONS NEVER try to 'improve' your image using software. It's not unknown for selected paintings NOT to be hung if the actual picture is not the same as the image submitted. |
Saatchi Art's guide to taking the best possible photos of your artwork, using simple lighting and camera techniques.
A comprehensive look at how to photograph 3D artwork by Art Prof Clara Lieu
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How to photograph your art for social media - by Sketchbook Skool
BELOW Photographer Caitlin Lock talks about photographing your artwork at home.
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The Reference articles comprise a list of guidance from three leading art competitions on how to photograph your work for the competition
- plus my own blog post about creating a digital submission. Below I focus on what you need to do to generate you own digital images – which is what most people do.
You need to focus on the essentials to get the best image possible – without photographic or colour distortion. |
REFERENCE:
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For an art competition, there's often specific parameters for the size of the digital file in terms of pixels or megabytes.
These frequently relate to
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You want to aim for the biggest image within the defined constraints of file size / format / resolution.
There are a number of resizing image apps online which you can use. For example: PS Elements can be used to provide more precise control. I now use Affinity Photo (much cheaper!) Always make sure then processing an image that you retain the original file and create a new file with a new name. I give mine an accurate 'plain English' name and add a date to make it easier to find and for others to understand what it is. |
Resize e.g. in Photoshop Elements (Other online apps also resize images but not all offer the same level of control.)
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Resize in Affinity Photo: ( see image below)
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Preparation for digital submission / transfer
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TIFFs (Tagged Image File Format)
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JPEGs (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
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RAWs (Unprocessed Digital Images/Digital Negatives):
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The resolution you want to use depends on what's required.
For printing you want as high a resolution as you can go - if the image is secure and you want to print in large format.
To put an image online you should
Note: I come across a lot of artists websites which haven't adjusted the resolution for the web and hence their websites are very slow to load and the file format makes theft and printing of the image very easy) |
REFERENCE
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There is only one effective solution – seek help from others!
Hire a professional to prepare the digital image(s) as required. They may photograph or scan it using a professional set-up. It will cost you money but you should get a great result. Get them to produce
(Don’t send the print quality Tiff file – it's much too big, will "gum up their works" and will only lead to your submission being rejected!) |
Scanning is an excellent option, if you have a scanner that is big enough. Professional scanners use large platen beds to produce images of larger artwork. This will produce excellent results – for a fee
SEE How to scan artwork |
You need to be aware that when you pay for photographs of your art that the photographer retains the copyright to the photographs UNLESS your contract states otherwise.
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REFERENCE:
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The way you're allowed to use images taken by someone else (of yourself, works of art, products, etc) will depend on a variety of conditions, for example whether or not the photographer is paid, location of the jurisdiction, signed agreement / terms & conditions of the sale, et cetera.
Copyright: 2015-2021 Katherine Tyrrell | Making A Mark Publications
- all rights reserved If you've got any suggestions for what you'd like to see on this website please send me your suggestion
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1) Content and the law change all the time. It's impossible to keep up with it if you're not working on the topic full time. 2) I research topics carefully. However, I am totally unable to warrant that ANY and/or ALL information is
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