In order to publish work on my website, what is the best way to photograph my paintings?

Question

I have tried before to take photos of my oil paintings with my digital camera, but the quality always comes out (enter obscene adjective here)! Is this due to my camera or do the other artists on the web use some other form fo recording the image (like a scanner....?) Since I am unsure whether a camera is actually used I decided to put this question in the Painting and not the photography section.

Answer 1

I use an Olympus e300 digital (8 megapixels) with a lens that has very little barrel or pinchusioning distortion, so the side look straight. I shoot outdoors for best light. I use Photoimpact to correct and properly size the image, then load it to the site once it has been cropped, color-corrected, etc. Be sure to hold the camera steady, shoot straight on as much as possible, fill the viewfinder, do not use wide angle, and use even, good lighting. www.victorpytko.com

Answer 2

Ifyou are going to photograph artwork you really need a SLR (preferably a digital slr). A good zoom lense shot at around 200 will give you a image without any noticable distortion. You may also need to make sure your aperature is wide open so that you do not get falloff on the sides. Take a look at the below link for some additional helpful tips at the basic level.
http://finerworks.com/hints&tips/photographingartwork.asp

Answer 3

Scanners, if usable, will do the best job at the lowest price, otherwise a high quality camera (at least 4 MP digital) should do the job. Lighting is critical (no shadows or bright spots)

Answer 4

I use a digital camera to put work on my web site...the key word is lighting...I've found taking photos in the dark with a flash is the best way to bring out your work..