Lighting Suggestions to Photograph Artwork

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Tom In Arizona
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p.1 #1 · Lighting Suggestions to Photograph Artwork

Hi All...

I was wondering what you might recommend for a simple lighting kit to photograph artwork. My wife is a watercolorist and I would be taking photos of her work...maximum size would be about 16 x 20 inches. The resulting photos would be used on her web site and in printed brochures.

The kit would be used infrequently as I don't intend to make this into a business and don't plan any other uses for the lights. So, I don't want to invest more than about $200 (if possible). From the research I've done thus far, a two floodlight set appears to be satisfactory for lighting this kind of artwork. I've read a little about Smith Victor starter sets, but there have been some bad comments about their build quality. I know you get what you pay for, but I'd like the lights to be good quality.

Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance.
Tom

Oct 29, 2009 at 08:43 PM

bacilonur
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p.1 #2 · Lighting Suggestions to Photograph Artwork

If it's a one-time thing, try to find a local FMer who'd trade beer and a good chat for a couple photos. Or rent a kit for $50-$100. $200 won't buy you anything worth keeping.

Oct 29, 2009 at 09:21 PM

cgardner
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p.1 #3 · Lighting Suggestions to Photograph Artwork

The standard copy set-up is two lights on opposite sides 45-degrees from the art work to light it evenly and eliminate glare. If covered with glass you would want to have a polarization filter on the camera lens and polarizing gell on the lights. To get the lighting even the lights must be aimed about 1/4 - 1/3 of the way in from their respective edges so the overlap in the middle equals the individual contribution on the edges. The further the lights are from the art, the more even the fall off will be.

In terms of light sources the more important concern is CRI - color rendering index. Tungsten light has very little blue energy which requires the camera's RGB sensor to amplify the blue channel (and its noise) much more than R or G. Better choice would be flash or within you tight budget a couple of high CRI fluorescent fixtures. Daylight can also be used if it is even.

To avoid distortion the camera needs to be square and level with the art centered on the lens axis. Here's a trick for doing that. Draw a rectangle on a wall larger than the biggest artwork then an X between the corners. Put a mirror in the middle of the X. Line up the camera on a tripod until you can see the reflection of your eye in the viewfinder in the mirror. The center of the X will be on the camera axis. A hot shoe bubble level, available for a few $, will help level the camera. Put the art so all four corners are on one of the diagonals forming the X and it will be centered on the lens axis.

It is helpful when copying and reproducing art to use a standard color guide as a reference along the edges, especially if you are having brochures printed.

The Kodak Gray Scale and Color Separation Guide Q-13 (Cat 152 7654) shown above on the bottom and right are specifically designed for color separation and printing.

Oct 29, 2009 at 10:23 PM

TomRittenhous
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p.1 #4 · Lighting Suggestions to Photograph Artwork

Flat art work is just standard copy work. 2 or 4 lights, I used to use shoe mount strobes. Small stuff is easiest done horizontally with a copy stand, larger works vertically with a tripod. Linear polarizers on the lights and camera can help with glare, but most of the time very carefully angling your lights will work OK. One thing I can tell you from aggravating experience is that you want to make sure you can turn off sleep mode on your speedlights if you use them. Oh yes, if your client is submitting them for a juried show, make sure she knows that they have to be in frames and the frame showing in the photos (almost wrote slides as that is what was required back when I was doing that kind of stuff).

Oct 29, 2009 at 11:29 PM

Tom In Arizona
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p.1 #5 · Lighting Suggestions to Photograph Artwork

Hi balcinour, Chuck and Tom...

Thanks to you all for your very helpful suggestions.

Chuck, your suggestions on lighting and the shooting setup is fantastic...much appreciated. Your web site is a gold mine of information!!!

Thanks again.
Tom

Oct 30, 2009 at 02:18 PM

Sid Ceaser
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p.1 #6 · Lighting Suggestions to Photograph Artwork

Hi Tom,

The two-light-at-45-degree way I've found is best. I put polarizing sheets over the lights and I put a polarizer over the lens and dial it about - it will help saturate the colors if shooting a color artwork and give it a little extra punch.

Oct 30, 2009 at 06:22 PM


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