To photograph sharp and properly cropped images of works of art, a good camera tripod is required. Camera tripods eliminate the risk of camera shake and help you place the camera in the right position and angle. Preferably choose a tripod head equipped with spirit level så you will surely see that you put your camera in the wall. Think på to center the camera så it's in the center of the artwork and is aimed straight at. På this way you avoid perspective changes that have to be adjusted afterwards and can change the format that it does not match the original.
We recommend using två Elinchrom flashes with power 500Ws, or more, and två softboxes with size 50x130cm. The softboxes are placed directly against each other, in front of the board, to avoid shadows and reflections. The space between the softboxes varies depending on the the size of the subject.
Do not use natural light. Natural light changes over time in intensity, color temperature and direction. If you photograph long series of pictures of paintings, the result will vary during the photography and if you take a break to resume the photography on another day, the best likely that the light has changed.
Do not use fixed light. Fixed light, such as halogen light, can develop high heat and cause damage to paintings. LED lamps, which do not produce much heat, may have problems reproducing the entire color spectrum, which means that colors will not correspond to the original. The disadvantage when using a light source with fixed light is also that you must be able to turn off other light in the room so that this light does not affect the image both in terms of lighting and color temperature. In this type of photography, aperture f/8-f/11 is desirable to get a depth of field that covers the board and frame. When shooting with fixed light, this means that you probably need to use long shutter speeds, something you want to avoid because then even small movements or vibrations in the floor can cause blur.
The studio flash provides lots of light and natural color reproduction. When you choose studio flash, you can freely choose a aperture and an ISO number of på the camera that will give optimized results. No matter what effect you set Elinchrom studio flashes for the color temperature and selected exposure correctly even during very long image series and that you can easily set exactly the same light at every shooting opportunity.Furthermore, with the Elinchrom Studio Software, you can easily save different photo sessions, which further simplifies the creation of a recurring lighting setup.
Use a camera that gives you full control over the settings. Set the camera to manual mode to have full control over shutter speed, aperture, manual white balance (Approx. 5500 Kelvin) and ISO (use the ISO your camera is optimized for, often it can be ISO-100).
Choose an aperture that suits your subject. If your object is small and you work with the camera close, you may need to choose a small aperture, i.e. an aperture with a high f-number.
Try to choose an aperture of at least two stops from the optics largest aperture to maintain sharpness at the edges. Do you have e.g. a lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8, select an aperture value of f/5.6 or less. However, remember not to choose the minimum aperture value of the lens, so try to avoid apertures such as f/22 because the lens usually performs worse at its smallest aperture. Generally, apertures of f/8 or f/11 are good guidelines to start from.
To get as straight lines as possible in the subject, use lenses with a focal length between 85-135mm. However, this may vary between different lens models, but you want a lens that draws as straight as possible.
Place the camera parallel to the board to avoid it looking like the board is skewed. Also place the camera on a distance that means that the entire painting is visible in the picture. Used spirit level for the camera and the work so that they lie in straight lines towards each other. See alsoå so that the camera head is in the center of the subject.
The importance of reproducing colors correctly is great in connection with reproductions and depictions of works of art. However, you should be aware that a digital copy or reproduction will never be exactly the same as the original. Many works of art have texture in them which is somewhat dependent on which angle you view the work in. When it comes to a digital image, the image is backlit, while paintings that hang on the wall, illuminated from the front on its surface. This means that a screenshot and a work will never look the same. That way, you can do the best you can to get there. As close to the original as you can. By using Datacolor SpyderCheckr you can create a profile for Lightroom for the light you are shooting in. It is also good to use SpyderCheckr for Capture One when white balancing and sits black and white dot. Think though på that many works have details in high and low days that may be necessary to lift into your raw conversion.
If possible, adjust brightness and contrast afterwards with image processing software such as Photoshop or Lightroom. This helps you capture colors and details in the painting på best way. Make sure to always work with a good screen that is intended for image editing and that the screen is calibrated regularly.
In conclusion, it is important to use the right equipment and technology to take good pictures of artworks and paintings. Use a camera stand, studio flashes and adjust the camera and settings to capture the painting. best way. Make sure to keep right angles between camera and optics. Create jät flash light on the subject by pointing 2 light sources towards each other. Use short telephoto as the optical choice. Have good color references to calibrate against, SpyderCheckr.
Good luck with your art photography!