Taking Photos of Artwork

christena

Hi Moose,
Thanks for creating this forum for all of us! I need to take photos of art, both hanging on walls and placed on a table or other surface. Do you recommend shooting with a camera light on either side of the artwork or is there a flash attachment for the T2i that can perform a similar function?

Moose

Howdy @christena - Thanks for the kind words!

I recommend using a continuous light source versus a flash. Flash can be extremely tricky, especially when shooting artwork.

A continuously lit softbox would cast a soft, natural light on your artwork. It will also allow you to see the final result in real-time as you adjust the position of the artwork and/or light source.

If you don't have the funds for a continuously lit softbox, you can use utility lights with a 'daylight' bulb. To soften the intensity of the light, you can try draping/taping a white piece of paper over it.

As for the number of light sources, I would shoot for three. One overhead and one on either side of the artwork.

Regarding the setup, you'll definitely need a tripod to mount your camera to (this will eliminate camera shake). You might also want to invest in a remote, that way you don't have to use the self-timer each time you want to take a shot.

As for settings, I would enable Aperture priority (Av), set your f-number to f/5.6 and set your ISO to 100.

I would also set your focus mode to One Shot, press the AF point button and select the center focus point and set your metering mode to Center Weighted or Spot. This will ensure the focus point and exposure is locked on the artwork.

That should get you going in the right direction. Hope that helps and happy shooting! :)

christena

Definitely helps. I will let you know how it goes once I get the requisite supplies!