Why bother? – How to Shoot your Art I

July 14, 2009 | 6 Comments

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The goal of photographing your artwork is for viewers to forget they are seeing a photo and actually experience your work with enough richness of detail, color, lighting and mood to appreciate your art for what it is.

Presenting your art online and in digital form properly shot and formatted for optimal display is part of the many tasks extraneous to your creative work that must be included in your portfolio of skills. It is important that your art be shot as professionally as possible to allow viewers to see the works as you intend the work to be seen and not as a random consequence of whatever camera and lighting you have available at the time of the shoot.

You have two options: shoot it yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. This piece assumes you will be taking your own photos and will provide some guideline tips for getting a good shot that you can employ relatively inexpensively to ensure your art work looks great when viewed through on online gallery browser like the one found here on ArtAnywhere.com, or your electronic portfolio or personal website.

So how do you do it?

Photographing your artwork is not difficult, provided you shoot with a digital camera, ideally an SLR (single lens reflex), work with good lighting conditions and properly position your camera and your art. This piece will guide you through what you need to know and do so that you can get the image quality you need to show your work online or in your portfolio.

Don’t let a bad photo get in the way of sharing your art!