Suggested Settings for photographing Artwork

[dpzippi]

Hello,

I am a painter, new to SLR cameras and need to create accurate digital images of my acrylic landscapes on canvas to make prints to sell to my customers. My largest work is 38" X 22".

I have recently purchased a Nikon D5000 and I am curious as to whether anyone in this forum is familiar with photographing artwork.

I want to try to experiment photographing the artwork outside in SHADE & then OVERCAST lighting before getting into the indoor setups which are much more complicated.

Does anyone have some suggested settings for the Nikon D5000 for this endeavor of mine?

Thanks!
Dave

 

[Richard G T]

Back in the film days photographing art was one of my specialties. I photographed my own work and others as well. It is really impossible to suggest settings with a digital camera as there are just so many variables. If shooting jpeg you'll have to experiment. If you shoot RAW you have a greater latitude to adjust colors later in post processing. Good luck...

Richard
--
Equipment: 1 camera, 1 lens, 38 years
http://www.pbase.com/rgthompson

 

[Cedarhill]

Here are my thoughts, having done a little of the same thing:

1) If you want the absolute best in color accuracy, use a custom calibrated white balance setting every time you go out to shoot.

2) I think you will find that the best results will be obtained on bright sunny days in uniform shade where there is no glare.

3) You need to select an aperture that provides the very best performance of the lens. Sharpness and color aberrations are greatly affected by aperture. Typically, a lens performs at its best stopped down 2 or 3 clicks from wide open. The lens review websites will give more specific information for your particular model.

4) I assume you are using a zoom lens. Set everything up so that the lens isn't at either extreme of the zoom range. That will minimize geometric distortion.

5) Use a tripod. Even in good light and with reasonable shutter speeds, a tripod will provide that last little bit of sharpenss. Also, use shutter delay or a remote shutter release to eliminate or prevent any motion due to your finger pressing the shutter button.

6) Although the kit lens will probably give acceptable results, an upgraded lens will do better. I would suggest a single focal length (prime) lens rather than a zoom. The Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens is around $200 and will make a difference you can really see under close scrutiny.

7) Get yourself a good piece of photo editing software and a color calibration device for your monitor. Despite you very best efforts, the color in the image may be off a little and you may need to correct it. You want to be certain the colors you are seeing on your computer screen are the exact colors in the image file.

Thats all I can think of.

 

[Sammy Yousef]

My wife paints casually.

I find the best way to shoot is indoors where the light is well controlled but I use an off camera flash and light it at an angle of around 30-50 degrees to avoid reflection, sometimes with a diffuser or umbrella and sometimes just with straight flash. That seems to work reasonably well. I always shoot RAW and most often I'm lazy and the flash is in TTL (sometimes with a little bit of under compensation). The camera is usually set to manual at F/8 1/200th. Auto ISO off. NR off. I have had okay results with the built in flash but there's usually some bounce back from the flash.

If you're going to shoot outdoors I'd suggest waiting for a day with blue skies and nice fluffy white clouds (nature's diffusers). Again sunlight at about a 45 degree angle to avoid reflections.(This is more critical on days without those fluffy white clouds). Don't bother shooting on an overcast day - it can be done but the paintings will look dull and fixing them in an editor is a lot of work and still won't look as good as a nice day.

--
Sammy

 

[Bob Walters]

Here are my thoughts, having done a little of the same thing:

1) If you want the absolute best in color accuracy, use a custom calibrated white balance setting every time you go out to shoot.

2) I think you will find that the best results will be obtained on bright sunny days in uniform shade where there is no glare.

3) You need to select an aperture that provides the very best performance of the lens. Sharpness and color aberrations are greatly affected by aperture. Typically, a lens performs at its best stopped down 2 or 3 clicks from wide open. The lens review websites will give more specific information for your particular model.

4) I assume you are using a zoom lens. Set everything up so that the lens isn't at either extreme of the zoom range. That will minimize geometric distortion.

5) Use a tripod. Even in good light and with reasonable shutter speeds, a tripod will provide that last little bit of sharpenss. Also, use shutter delay or a remote shutter release to eliminate or prevent any motion due to your finger pressing the shutter button.

6) Although the kit lens will probably give acceptable results, an upgraded lens will do better. I would suggest a single focal length (prime) lens rather than a zoom. The Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens is around $200 and will make a difference you can really see under close scrutiny.

7) Get yourself a good piece of photo editing software and a color calibration device for your monitor. Despite you very best efforts, the color in the image may be off a little and you may need to correct it. You want to be certain the colors you are seeing on your computer screen are the exact colors in the image file.

Thats all I can think of.

This is good info, but I do this for a living and here is what I would add or do differently.

I shoot a color checker held in front of the artwork; i.e. with the exact same lighting and camera settings. They are a bit expensive, but you should at least shoot a neutral WB reference card. They are cheaper. I correct WB as necessary later. No matter what method you use to handle WB, you MUST address it if you want accurate colors.

Of course you will want to shoot raw.

A tripod is an absolute must.

Shooting outside with even lighting will prove to be challenging. A matched pair of cheap off camera flashes on stands used in a makeshift studio will provide much more consistent results, but with a larger investment of course.

If you plan to reproduce your artwork as giclée reproductions, your camera won't have enough resolution for your large pieces. Simply shoot them in segments and stitch them together. This takes some care with the set up, but it isn't too difficult. You can move the camera but I find it easier to move the artwork. The key is to keep everything square to avoid distortion. Stitching for the purpose of high resolution reproduction also requires a great deal of care to light the painting evenly. A little less so if you shoot only one image for web posting and/or reference.

The best bang for the buck lens might be the tried and true Nikon 50mm 1.8 at just over a hundred bucks. However, the more expensive 35mm is good too.

I use CS5 and a carefully calibrated monitor. You should do the same if possible.

Good luck.

--

 

[Cedarhill]

Good additional information. The 50mm f/1.8 is indeed a good choice for the application but it won't autofocus on a D5000. Manual focus is always an option, but is difficult with the penta mirror viewfinder.

I have tried using a dual off camera flash setup (twin SB-600s) and it works okay but I found it easier to just set up outside in the shade on a sunny day. The results were about the same either way. I do agree with someone else about shooting on overcast days. It produces dull and lifeless images that requires too much editing to get acceptable results.