Jul

14

Positioning your Camera – How to Shoot your Art IV

July 14, 2009 | 2 Comments

1) Aim for the center: Position the camera on a tripod with the lens pointing directly at the center of the art work (at the same height as the work). Make sure your art is at a 90-degree angle to the camera.

2) Match the camera’s orientation to the work: If the work is vertical (longer than it is wide), shoot vertically; if the work is horizontal (wider than it is long), shoot horizontally. Try to have the sides, top and bottom of what you see in your viewfinder align as straightly as possible with the work. Here’s my set up at home.
ShootArt - Home setup

3) Fill the frame with the work: Cut away (just) the frame if possible.

4) Never use the camera’s optical zoom: It simply enlarges pixels and degrades the quality of the image.

5) Back off! Position the camera close enough to the art work to fill the frame but not too close. If you have a manual zoom, setting up your camera a little further back will help flatten the image and prevent the fisheye effect that happens if you are up too close. (Imagine sitting in the mid-row vs. front row of an IMAX movie theatre)

6) Can’t touch this: Use the camera’s self-timer function so you can trigger the release without physically touching the camera to eliminate camera shake. Don’t move around when the camera is operating to avoid sending vibrations through your floor.

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How to Shoot your Art

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