How to Take good photos of your Artwork

Don't throw shade on your artwork with sub-par pictures.​

To display and sell artwork online, clear and accurate photography is crucial. Collectors aren't able to see the art in real life, so they depend on the images they see online. Please take the time to make sure your photos accurately represent your work. Even if you don't have a fancy camera, the phone on your camera can take good pictures. Most phone cameras these days are pretty amazing. 

Here are a few tips for taking your own images.
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• Give your art a fighting chance with accurate lighting and color, and razor sharp focus. 
• Photograph your artwork BEFORE you frame it, especially if it is going to be framed under glass; glare on glass will detract or obscure your artwork.
• Only your artwork should be in the photo.  No people. No furniture. No MacDonalds hamburger wrappers. Just the artwork.
• If you have an iPhone, experiment with the hdr setting. It can help achieve a balanced exposure of your artwork.  
• ****IMPORTANT**** If you're using a phone, don't use the zoom! Camera zooms are digital, and degrade the image. 
• Minimize distortion. Keep the camera square to the image (see below). ​
• Always label your image files. Give the file name your last name, first name, and then the name of your image.​​ ​

PHOTOGRAPHY CHECKLIST 

• Are all photos are at least 1000 pixels wide and 150 dpi?
• Is the artwork in sharp focus?
• Is the artwork the only thing in picture?
• If artwork is a rectangle, is the picture square (see below for how to minimize distortion)? 
• Is light even across the picture?
• Are the colors accurate?

HOW TO MINIMIZE DISTORTION IN ARTWORK PHOTOGRAPHY

Your camera (or phone camera) should be on the same plane as the picture to avoid distortion, as close to parallel to the artwork as possible. If the bottom or the top of your artwork appears distorted, try moving your camera up or down until you reduce as much of the distortion as possible. 

make sure everything is in focus

Photos of your artwork must be crisp and clear. When online, collectors can zoom in to see every nuance of a brushstroke or a sculpted line. Whether using a fancy camera or a phone camera, you can make sure your photos are in focus by following these suggestions: 

• Take the picture using the camera's timer. That way you're not fussing with the shutter while you're trying to hold the camera steady.
• Put the camera on something so it's steady. I've used ladders, chairs, books, to create an impromptu tripod. But I love my trusty Slik tripod. 
• Turn on image stabilization if your camera or phone has it. 
• Get more light on the subject. Cameras need light for best focus. You don’t have to have expensive equipment. It’s nice, but I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of two bell-shaped clamp shop lights with the brightest LED lights I can safely use in them. I use daylight colored lights on the cool side (I adjust the color in photoshop or with  my phone's editing program). I put the light on either side of the painting.  I move the lights around until I've got an even amount of light on the image, being careful to avoid glare. I keep the lights in front of the camera to avoid shadows. I've also taken photos of artwork outside in bright shade or on bright cloudy days. 
  And whatever you do, don’t use a flash, or take your photo in direct sunlight as it will cause an unflattering glare on your artwork.​
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  Here’s an easy homemade diffuser to decrease glare from your lights.

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• Play with the focus. That's the way you will learn to get the best focus. 
• As you're taking pictures, check every shot to see how sharp the focus is, so you know where you need to make adjustments. 
• Don't get discouraged!! Sometime it takes many many shots to get the perfect picture. You will get the hang of it. And your artwork is definitely worth the effort to show it off.

To learn more about photographing your artwork, visit these website:

Photograph your artwork while on a budget
​How to photograph your artwork 
How to photograph your 2D art the right way
How to photograph your 2D art with an iPhone