Tips for Photographing your Artwork

Whether you are a visual artist, a theatre company, a musician, or even an author, it is essential to have good photography. It effects how the public initially views your work and professionalism. Images are used in general marketing and grant proposals and if they are of low quality, they will only deter from the quality of your art in their opinions. Listed below are tips specifically for visual artists that can also be transcribed into other disciplines.

Use a 35mm SLR (single lens reflex) camera. Use a 50mm lens; its field of view is sufficient for photographing all but very large 2-D works. Choose a top-brand slide film with the slowest possible speed, such as Kodachrome 64 outdoors or Ektachrome 64T indoors. When photographing art outdoors, take the shots as close to midday as possible. Put the art in the shade, avoiding direct sunlight. Make sure it is evenly lighted by taking meter readings along the entire surface of the work.

• Shooting artwork indoors requires a tripod, two photo lamps (3200º K), and a cable release for tripping the shutter. The camera lens should be parallel to the art and the camera aimed dead center. Set the lights at 45º angles on either side of the art, pointing each light at the opposite side of the art.
• Fill the entire frame with the artwork. If a background is absolutely necessary, use only a clean white or off-white surface like a wall. Slides look best when you see the artwork and nothing else.
• If you find glare on shiny paintings or pieces under glass/plexi, try repositioning the lights or get a set of filters for your lens (under $50). Remove glass or plexi whenever possible.
• Do not take just one shot at one exposure; instead bracket your shots. Take at least three shots each at three different exposures, one-half stop apart. Slides can be duplicated by a photo lab for around $1.25 each, but it is much cheaper to take multiple sets the first time. Also, first generation slides always look better than duplicates.
• Have the film processed at a professional lab; less expensive processing can result in poor quality slides. Professional rates begin at about $25 per hour plus film and processing. Very experienced museum-level photographers get up to $75 per hour and often charge day rates. Ask nearby galleries and see who they use.
• For presentation purposes, always use clean, fresh slide sheets-if you hold an empty clear plastic sheet up to the light and you see scratches or hazing, throw that page away.

Edited by Robyn Kelly, Web Publications Manager: rkelly@iac.in.gov.
The IAC, a public catalyst, partner, and investor in the arts, serves the citizens of Indiana by funding, promoting, and expanding the arts. Funding is provided by the State of Indiana and the National Endowment for the Arts.