Taking good photos of your artwork can be a bit challenging, but it is important if you want to ensure that any prints you make are of high quality. Here are some tips to help you take clean photos of your artwork.
- Use a tripod: A tripod will help to stabilize your camera and prevent any blur caused by shaky hands. This is especially important if you’re using a slower shutter speed.
- Use a white background: Use a white or light-colored background to eliminate any distractions and ensure that the focus is on your artwork. You can use a large piece of white paper or foam board as your background.
- Use natural light: Natural light is best for photographing artwork. Find a spot in your home that has plenty of natural light coming in through a window. If you’re taking photos outside, do it on an overcast day to avoid harsh shadows and overexposure.
- Avoid reflections: To avoid any unwanted reflections, turn off all other lights in the room and avoid taking photos near any reflective surfaces.
- Use manual focus: Use manual focus to ensure that your artwork is in sharp focus. You can also use the camera’s live view mode to check the focus before taking the shot.
- Shoot in RAW format if possible: Shooting in RAW format will give you more control over the final image during post-processing.
- Edit the photos: Use photo editing software to adjust the brightness, contrast, and color balance of your photos to make them look as close to your artwork as possible. (I recommend the free image editor called Gimp. It takes a while to learn, but is a great alternative to commercial editors like Photoshop.)
With these tips, you should be able to take clean and high-quality photos of your artwork for prints. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different angles and lighting setups until you find the one that works best for you. Some of the best cameras for taking high-resolution photographs of paintings are:
If we want to print good quality posters from our artwork, the minimum resolution we should send to our printer is 150 dpi (or pixels per inch) at the final printing size. Resolution below 150 dpi will result in a pixelated image, and we don’t want that.
The cameras recommended below all can record images at sufficient resolution to be able to make prints at least 30 x 23 inches (78 x 58 cm), which is plenty good enough for printing posters and wall art. If you need to capture larger images of your artwork, you will need a better camera.
- Canon PowerShot SX540 HS: This camera has a 20.3 megapixel CMOS sensor that produces images with dimensions up to 5184 x 3888 pixels. It also has a 50x optical zoom lens, built-in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity, and can record Full HD 1080p video. The price range for this camera is around $250-$350.
- Nikon COOLPIX B500: This camera has a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor that produces images with dimensions up to 4608 x 3456 pixels. It also has a 40x optical zoom lens, built-in Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth connectivity, and can record Full HD 1080p video. The price range for this camera is around $250-$300.
- Sony DSC-HX400V: This camera has a 20.4 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor that produces images with dimensions up to 5184 x 3888 pixels. It also has a 50x optical zoom lens, built-in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity, can record Full HD 1080p video, and features a tiltable LCD screen and a built-in electronic viewfinder. The price range for this camera is around $400.
- Panasonic Lumix FZ80″>Panasonic Lumix FZ80: This camera has an 18.1 megapixel MOS sensor that produces images with dimensions up to 4896 x 3672 pixels. It also has a 60x optical zoom lens, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, can record 4K UHD video, and features a tiltable LCD screen and a built-in electronic viewfinder. The price range for this camera is around $250-$300.
All four cameras have a tripod mount and should be suitable for taking high-resolution images of paintings and artwork. The extra features such as zoom lenses, tiltable LCD screens, and electronic viewfinders may be useful in an art studio for adjusting angles and framing shots.
All of these cameras offer good value for the price and can capture high-resolution photographs of paintings. Keep in mind that the quality of your photos will also depend on your technique and the lighting conditions in which you take your photos. It’s important to experiment with different angles and lighting setups to find the best way to capture the details and texture of the paintings.
The best way to light a painting with a lot of texture is to use directional lighting so that shadows accentuate the texture. Here are some tips to help you light a painting with texture:
- Use a spotlight: A spotlight is a great way to highlight the texture of a painting. Place the spotlight at an angle that creates shadows on the surface of the painting, which will help to accentuate the texture.
- Avoid glare: Make sure that the light is not too bright or too close to the painting, as this can create glare and make it difficult to see the texture. You can also use a matte finish on the painting to reduce glare.
- Use diffused light: If you are using multiple lights, use diffused light to create a more even and natural-looking illumination. You can use a diffuser or softbox to create this effect.
- Test different lighting angles: Experiment with different lighting angles to find the best way to showcase the texture of the painting. Try adjusting the height and angle of the light to see how it affects the shadows and texture.
- Use a neutral background: Use a neutral background behind the painting to prevent any color reflections that could affect the perception of the painting’s texture.
By using directional lighting, avoiding glare, using diffused light, testing different lighting angles, and using a neutral background, you can effectively light a painting with texture to showcase its unique qualities.
To ensure that your prints accurately represent your original artwork, take some care to prepare your digital images before printing:
- Check the resolution: Make sure that the resolution of your image is high enough for printing. A minimum of 300 DPI (dots per inch) is usually required for good quality prints. You can check the resolution of your image using photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP.
- Adjust the color and brightness: Use photo editing software to adjust the color and brightness of your image as needed. Make sure the colors are accurate to the original painting and the brightness is consistent throughout the image.
- Crop and straighten: Use the cropping tool to remove any unwanted areas or distracting elements from your image. You can also use the straightening tool to make sure the image is level.
- Save the file in the correct format: Save your image in a high-quality file format such as TIFF or PNG. Avoid using JPEG format as it compresses the image and can result in a loss of quality.
- Check the file size: Make sure the file size is appropriate for printing. Some print services may have file size limits, so check with your print service for their specific requirements.
- Name your files properly: Use clear and descriptive names for your image files, including the title of the painting and the resolution or print size.
If you’re preparing digital images of your paintings for professional printing, you should consider converting your images to CMYK color mode. CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black), which are the four ink colors used in the printing process.
Converting your images to CMYK mode can help ensure that the colors in your final printed piece are accurate and consistent with your original artwork. When you create an image in RGB mode (which is the color mode used for most digital screens), the colors may appear differently when printed in CMYK. This is because RGB uses light to create colors, while CMYK uses ink. To convert your image to CMYK mode, you can use photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP. Here’s how to do it in Photoshop:
- Open your image in Photoshop.
- Click on “Image” in the top menu and select “Mode.”
- Choose “CMYK Color” from the drop-down menu.
- Save your file in the appropriate format (TIFF or PNG) with the CMYK color mode.
Keep in mind that converting your image to CMYK may cause a slight shift in the colors, so it’s important to check the final result before sending it to print. You can request a proof from your print service to ensure that the colors are accurate and meet your expectations.
In conclusion, taking high-quality digital images of your paintings is crucial for creating high-quality prints. By using the right camera, lighting, and photo editing software, you can ensure that your digital images accurately represent your original artwork. Shoot in RAW format if you can, use natural lighting or diffuse light, and adjust the color and brightness of your images in post-processing. When preparing your digital images for printing, make sure to check the resolution, crop and straighten the image, save in the correct file format, and consider converting it to CMYK color mode. By following these tips, you can create stunning prints that showcase your artwork in the best possible way.