How To Photograph Your Artwork

Many of us like to photograph our work when showing others via email and social media. If we pick this over scanning our artwork, what are the best conditions for doing so? Hopefully these answers will shed some "light" on the subject.

Why Photograph your work outside?

There is nothing like natural daylight to give the best results for taking photographs and the same can be said for photographing your artwork. However taking photos outdoors do have pitfalls that need to be recognised first. I used to do this in the days before I used a computer to scan my work. I first of all chose a day with no chance of rain and one that was not too windy for obvious reasons(!).

Should it be already framed?

It is very important to photograph the paintings unframed, that is without glass as this would create a reflection on the photo and spoil the picture.

Should the sun be shining on the work?

I took the photographs away from direct sunlight but had good light. I positioned my painting so that my camera viewfinder framed the painting without distortion, that is square to the camera. I used a tripod for the camera to avoid camera shake and took several photographs.

Is it just outside or just in daylight i.e. in a conservatory?

If you have a well lit conservatory then this would also work.Do you photograph your artwork? Let us know your set up in the comments below.