HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR ARTWORK
I have put together a few guidelines on how to photograph your artwork like a pro.
Social Media has become a great way for artists to showcase their art, alongside artists now being required to submit work digitally for things like exhibitions and grants. This means that good photography is a must!
Knowing how to properly photograph your work can be the reason that you make a sale or even get accepted for that grant! Read below to find out my recommended tips.
LIGHTING
If you are shooting your work inside, do it in a room that has plenty of windows and natural light. Natural light is best for capturing the true colours of your artwork. Some artists like to photograph their work outdoors when it‘s cloudy or overcast because indirect sunlight provides the best lighting. Direct sunlight will give glares and shadows and we don’t want that.
SET-UP
When setting up your shot, it‘s ideal for your background to be neutral. This allows for your artwork to remain as the focus point. A plain white wall would be great but if you don’t have that then maybe do some DIY and get a neutral coloured foam board or sheet to create your plain background. Black white grey cream.
EQUIPMENT
You’re going to get the best shots from a high-quality camera. However if you’re like me and you’re on a budget, you can absolutely get great pictures on your phone. I use an iPhone 11 (yes I know there’s better out there but my contract doesn’t finish until 5 months time so just bear with me 😭). Have a play with the settings to make sure you have the best formats and whilst in camera mode be sure to click on the screen to focus your camera. This will help to get clear, precise images. What will also help with precision is using a tripod. This will help to steady the camera and lessen the chances of blurring.
Check out my Instagram to see the quality of my images and videos. They’re not bad for an iPhone 11.
DIFFERENT SHOTS
As stated in my blog - Five things every artist must include on their website, it’s better to get multiple shots of your work from different angles and ranges. For example:
- Take a high-quality shot of the artwork alone.
- Take a close-up shot. Get right in there and show off the detail and texture. Your potential customer wants to buy your art but you have to give them a reason to actually do it. They can’t see it in person so they’ve got to be able to have the next best thing and have as much detail as possible to consider purchasing it.
- Take a shot of it on the wall. I personally use an app called artrooms that will hang my art in different frames and in different rooms so that I can show my audience what my art would look like framed and in different environments - The picture below is an example of that.
- You may also want to try out using props in your image to give your buyers an idea of the scale of your work. Something basic like a candle, a vase or even a plant.
EDITING
Now, there are tons of editing programs that you can use to touch up your photos. I can’t really recommend any because I don’t use them - I use the editing tools already on my phone. However, the main things you want to consider when editing your image is cropping, exposure and sharpening but also keep in mind that you want the photo to look as close to the original as possible - don’t get carried away!
There are, of course, many additional tips and tricks that could be added to this guide but I hope you have found this useful! Whilst you’re here please have a browse at my art or even follow me on social media @Edensartgb
Enjoy your day ❤️