How is she doing this? Photographing my artwork

[blackrose89]

Ok I post up my artwork online and they never look as nice and smooth as what I have done and a lot of the shading detail is lost. How is for example this person making her artwork looks so nice on the computer
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Can you tell if she's photographing them or does she have a great scanner? My scanner makes my drawings look very very grainy. If she is photographing them are they any tips/tricks, special lighting required to make my sketches look better and smoother when uploaded?

 

[analog.universe]

Shoot in RAW, with off camera lighting, and a macro lens if you've got one..

I've photographed old photos by using 2 speedlights with umbrellas, one on each side of the camera and a good distance to the subject, to ensure the lighting is even.

 

[Overread]

You might get more advice on an art forum (not saying users her can't give good info, but we are photographers not artists - well at least most of us - well some of us - well a few)..

Anyway what scanner do you have? Certainly a key part of this is going to be what scanner you use and also what settings and control options you have available. Furthermore do you do any editing in the computer at all? Might be best presentation online requires onto perform certain editing steps to best prepare the photos once they are scanned.

 

[blackrose89]

Shoot in RAW, with off camera lighting, and a macro lens if you've got one..I've photographed old photos by using 2 speedlights with umbrellas, one on each side of the camera and a good distance to the subject, to ensure the lighting is even.

I don't have a macro lens, but I have a bridge with a very very good lens on it. It takes wonderful macro shots. Problem is it has a macro setting I could use, but no actual manual options.

 

[cgipson1]

Soft even lighting.. like Analog said.

 

[Joel_W]

Shoot in RAW, with off camera lighting, and a macro lens if you've got one..

I've photographed old photos by using 2 speedlights with umbrellas, one on each side of the camera and a good distance to the subject, to ensure the lighting is even.

Many, many years ago, I did a lot of artist copy work. I used a very similar setup to the one you described. I shot through the white silk umbrellas to achieve soft, even light. Both umbrellas were set up so that they were 45 degrees to the subject. I positioned the camera inline with both umbrellas. Worked perfectly time and time again.

 

[blackrose89]

Shoot in RAW, with off camera lighting, and a macro lens if you've got one..I've photographed old photos by using 2 speedlights with umbrellas, one on each side of the camera and a good distance to the subject, to ensure the lighting is even.

Many, many years ago, I did a lot of artist copy work. I used a very similar setup to the one you described. I shot through the white silk umbrellas to achieve soft, even light. Both umbrellas were set up so that they were 45 degrees to the subject. I positioned the camera inline with both umbrellas. Worked perfectly time and time again.

I really don't have much equipment ATM aside from my cameras. Any home made contraptions or reasonably priced items I could by to substitute? It's not for a job or anything, I would just like nicer photos of my artwork.

 

[o hey tyler]

It does look like she's scanning them IMO. My girlfriend has photographed some of her work, but she did so at school with only one flash. Look at the Robert Massin book that she designed: Kelsey Raymond

The "work off your mistakes" one is actually photographed better IMO upon re-looking.

 

[analog.universe]

Shoot in RAW, with off camera lighting, and a macro lens if you've got one..I've photographed old photos by using 2 speedlights with umbrellas, one on each side of the camera and a good distance to the subject, to ensure the lighting is even.

Many, many years ago, I did a lot of artist copy work. I used a very similar setup to the one you described. I shot through the white silk umbrellas to achieve soft, even light. Both umbrellas were set up so that they were 45 degrees to the subject. I positioned the camera inline with both umbrellas. Worked perfectly time and time again.

I really don't have much equipment ATM aside from my cameras. Any home made contraptions or reasonably priced items I could by to substitute? It's not for a job or anything, I would just like nicer photos of my artwork.

You can try using regular light bulbs behind white sheets...

Put your camera on a tripod (or something else stable) and setup the shot so that your art is framed appropriately. Then hang a white sheet on either side of the camera, and illuminate them from behind. (the farther the bulbs are from the sheets, the more even the light will be, but the lower the output will be) It's important that you use identical lightbulbs (and fabrics) on each side, so the white balances match.

 

[blackrose89]

Many, many years ago, I did a lot of artist copy work. I used a very similar setup to the one you described. I shot through the white silk umbrellas to achieve soft, even light. Both umbrellas were set up so that they were 45 degrees to the subject. I positioned the camera inline with both umbrellas. Worked perfectly time and time again.

I really don't have much equipment ATM aside from my cameras. Any home made contraptions or reasonably priced items I could by to substitute? It's not for a job or anything, I would just like nicer photos of my artwork.

You can try using regular light bulbs behind white sheets...

Put your camera on a tripod (or something else stable) and setup the shot so that your art is framed appropriately. Then hang a white sheet on either side of the camera, and illuminate them from behind. (the farther the bulbs are from the sheets, the more even the light will be, but the lower the output will be) It's important that you use identical lightbulbs (and fabrics) on each side, so the white balances match.

Awesome thanks!

 

[Joel_W]

Angel, make sure that both bulbs are not only the same wattage, and that they are not cool white bulbs. Shoot in RAW so that you can correct any WB issues. Invest in some clamp floods. They're not very expensive, and you can use them all around the house. Hanging the sheets is the hardest part of the whole process. Whatever you do, don't drap the sheets over the floods, it's a real fire hazard.

Joel

 

[EIngerson]

It is scanned. A friend of mine does this. When scanned it comes out in a very sharp green hue. It's pretty impressive, but I don't know enough to go into detail. I'll ask him about it next time I see him though.

 

[blackrose89]

It is scanned. A friend of mine does this. When scanned it comes out in a very sharp green hue. It's pretty impressive, but I don't know enough to go into detail. I'll ask him about it next time I see him though.

Thanks!

 

[cgipson1]

depending on how large your "art" is.. get a lightbox..... works the same as the sheets and a heck of a lot more convenient!

 

[naptime]

how are you scanning angel? what dpi: and what other settings?