Lighting for Photographing Artwork
Photographing your artwork is a good way to share your work with other people and promote your abilities, but problems like glare and bad lighting can derail the effectiveness of your painting. You can employ a few lighting techniques to ensure that your artwork has the best effect on the viewer.
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Direct Sunlight
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Direct sunlight is the best light source for photographing artwork. Sunlight will illuminate your painting in a natural way that will help the viewer see every aspect of the artwork as it was meant to be seen. Try to take the picture between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Later or earlier than that, and the sunlight is redder and won't render your colors properly.
Indoor Lighting
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Soft. diffused lighting is the best option for illuminating your artwork if you are working indoors. You can buy studio equipment for this purpose, particularly studio strobes and oversize white umbrellas, which can help balance and spread the light to provide a good-quality rendering of the artwork. Avoid using flash when photographing artwork, because it will create a stark contrast on your painting that will result in glare or hot spots.
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Use Shadows
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Don't use so many light sources that you eliminate shadows, which can add depth and character to a painting. Shadows are important not just for three-dimensional artwork, but also for paintings so the viewer can see subtle brushstrokes and creases. Position the artwork so that the light source is on top of the artwork to get the full effect.
Dealing With Glass
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If you have to photograph art that is behind glass, remove the glass before taking the picture, since reflections in the glass may ruin your shot. If you can't remove the glass, light the artwork from the side and shoot directly at the artwork while standing behind a black curtain to hide the reflection.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
