What is the best method for photographing artwork?

Question

What is the best method for photographing artwork? I want to photograph my art and reproduce it digitally.......

Film photography and scan?

or digital photography??

Lighting techniques?????

Any responses are greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

For digital reproduction, it's almost always easier to start with a high-quality digital original.

For flat artwork, one light to either side of the camera, at 45° to the surface, will give good, flat, glare-free lighting in most cases. Put the camera on a tripod and make sure to keep the image plane parallel to the art. Use a longish focal length to avoid distortion.

For three-dimensional work you'll have to experiment with lighting and camera angles. Just be sure to keep the background clean, or at least appropriate.

Answer 2

First, what is the intended use,-if the ultimate use is web display, or a CD-DVD portfolio for computer display, the requirements are much simpler than if the intended use of the captures is full scale reproduction of large works of art.
In museums, the preferred method of capture would be a view camera with a scanning back. These can produce gigabyte sized files with incredible color accuracy.
Large format film could also be used, and then drum scanned.
If the pix are for web or CD/DVD then, with a little care almost any current mid to high end digital camera is capable of producing excellent results.
The basics of the set-up are the same in either case:
1.insure that the film(sensor) plane is parallel and centered on the artwork. (this eliminates spacial distortion)
2.use lighting of known and consistent color temperature.
use enough of it to insure even intensity on every part of the canvass (object)
3use a known target for white Balance and include it in a test shot of each subject. The standard is the Macbeth Color Checker Target along with a digital white card.
4.Lighting should be from both sides at a relatively low angle. The aim here is for evenness and for no specular reflections back to the camera.
Just remember your HS Physics-"The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection" If you were to place a mirror flat on the surface of the art work and your eye where the lens would go, adjust the lights so none of them reflect back to your eye. 40-45 degrees usually works.
To check for evenness you can replace the artwork with a large piece of medium gray mat board, photograph it and check for evenness.
5.as for actual lighting recommendations, if you're new, I don't recommend flash because you need access to at least 4 units (unless the artwork is very small) and it's hard to see the light.
Photo floods are OK, but be aware that their color temperature varies through their life cycle (which is measured in hours) so white balance often.
The newest fluorescent technology can be quite good (many color corrected light boxes use them) but many have spikes in their spectral power distribution, so test.
Many museums use SoLux filtered halogen bulbs from Taylored Lighting they are inexpensive (about $10 per bulb) and are available in 4800k daylight.
6.lastly, lenses- a high quality slight telephoto or Macro is a good choice. They tend to be quite rectilinear compared to wide angles or zooms. Put your camera on a solid tripod and provide enough light to stop down 1 or 2 stops from maximum aperture (that's where most lenses are sharpest)
7. While this may sound complicated,it is more so in description than in practice. once you create your "Set-up"
you can take the photos as fast as you can change the artwork.
Good luck