May 8, 2010, John Barnes

SAA member John Barnes gave a presentation on "Photographing Your Artwork"

John Barnes, a retired physicist, joined Senior Artists Alliance in 2009.  His strong interest in photography motivated him to take courses at Montgomery College in order to receive a photography certificate.  John produced the wonderful catalogue for the Pepco Edison Gallery. 

 

Most artists recognize they need photographs of their work for a variety of reasons: submission to exhibition juries, insurance and tax records, marketing their work, a catalogue or for sharing with family and friends.  Although digital cameras appear to make photographing easy, this is deceptive.  Getting the best photographic reproduction requires attention to detail.  Images must be in sharp focus, display the full range of colors, retain the perspective in which the work is displayed and eliminate photographic distractions; e.g., unnecessary objects or shadows.

 

On May 8, 2010, John presented the "how to" of photographing using imagery to illustrate those points.

Some points to consider:

-North light gives relatively diffused/soft light, and often works well when photographing a sculpture.

-Eliminate extra "stuff" in the viewfinder, which you, as the photographer, are responsible for. Eliminate extraneous items in the background. Move your body in or out or change the zoom.  Change the camera settings. The table on which a piece is sitting is generally not needed in the photograph.

-If you hire someone to photograph your work, select someone who shows your style accurately, for example, to show individual brush strokes of a painting, shadow and texture of your sculpture.

-If shooting a sculpture, consider the piece’s setting; the wall, the container you place the piece in such as the light box, a non-reflective neutral background. Move away from the wall to eliminate wall shadows when photographing a sculpture. Sculpture shadow on the base to set the piece and show depth is good. Try to light from a window or other source to show the sculpture’s depth.

-Glass and perspective must also be accounted for and corrected, as needed. Remove the glass to eliminate reflections. Avoid shooting at an angle.

-Try soft side-lighting for a sculpture. Lighting from above may be best for a sculpture. Experiment with lighting. Experiment with multiple lights.

-Avoid ‘hot-spots’ from lighting when photographing a sculpture or painting.

-You must look for the impact your photograph will have, how the viewer will perceive your artwork.

-When sending work to a juror, determine what the juror is looking for and shoot with that in mind.

-Adjust your White Balance before you take the picture. Automatic White Balance is pretty good. If your camera does not allow you to set White Balance, then it is preset to Automatic. Remember, it is important for an artist to have an accurate rendition of colors of the art work. Consider using a tripod to steady the camera. Shoot several shots and select the best.

-In summation, shoot sharp, properly lit, without distractions. The key to shooting good photographs of your work is to experiment and determine what works for you, keeping the above points in mind.