Artists & Illustrators - UK (2019-11)

66 Artists&Illustrators

With subtle features easily lost, a poor photograph of your art can hinder your chances

of success. RACHAEL FUNNELL explains how to avoid falling at the first hurdle

ABOVE Angling

lights at 45

degrees is key to

avoiding glare, says

art photographer

Eva Herzog

W

hile there is no right or

wrong answer to the

eternal question of when

an artwork is “finished”, it is short-

sighted to think that an artist’s work

is done once the last mark has been

made. If you are keen to enter open

competitions, publish your artwork

online and ultimately get it into the

hands of gallerists and buyers, then

perhaps the most fundamental next

step is photographing your art

Giving critics, judges, curators and

even members of the public an

accurate representation of your work

through photographs is a challenging

task, however, but with the right

equipment there are some tried and

tested tricks you can employ to get

the best results.

LIGHTS!

In the right studio, finding the right

light for photographing your work can

be as simple as waiting for daytime.

A bright but overcast day will provide

you with good visibility and soft

shadows, allowing you to take clear

shots of your work which capture the

textures of the paint or vibrancy of the

pigments. Planning a shoot for midday

PHOTOGRAPHING

STUDIO PRACTICE