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Taking photos of your artwork to display online
Getting good quality accurate reproductions of your artwork is an essential part of promoting your artwork online. Not only do you want to show your artwork in the best light but you also want to avoid giving the wrong impression of how your artwork will look once it's delivered.
Choosing your equipment
The quickest route to getting your artwork onto your computer is to use a digital camera. You don't need a high end camera to take good quality photos of your artwork however you should ensure it has a reasonably good quality lens. You may also need to use filters if you're taking photos of artwork behind glass (more on this later). It's worth investing in a tripod which will make it easier to line up the camera with the artwork and of course to hold the camera steady.
Getting the right lighting
Natural light is the best source of illumination for this kind of photography. On sunny days try to position the artwork in a place which gives a little shade. Overcast weather also provides ideal lighting conditions as the light is diffused more evenly over the image and the effect of shadows is reduced.
Generally you should avoid using a flash especially when shooting the image behind glass. If you must, use an indirect flash to minimise reflections on the artwork (where the light is reflected onto a reflector umbrella or some other white surface).
Setting up the shot
For best results try to avoid taking a picture of artwork behind glass. This will reduce reflections and is especially important if you need to use a flash.
You want to make sure that the final image is not askew as this causes problems when cropping the image on the computer. Using a tripod if possible, line up the camera with the centre of the painting and adjust the angle so that the sides are parallel with the edges of the viewfinder.
Stand at least five feet away from the painting as many cameras do not focus correctly less than three feet from the subject (you can still use zoom if you need a close up). Positioning the camera too close can also lead to distortion of the image and increase the risk of casting a shadow on the painting.
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