Nothing tells your artwork’s story better than seeing it in person — still, for your website or a show submission, the next best thing is a photo. But what happens when weird colors, unexpected shadows, and poor image quality get in the way? How do you get your work looking its best?
For answers to these questions, we turned to photographer and Art League instructor Pete Duvall, who also teaches a workshop on the topic and works with artists to photograph their artwork. For more information or to contact him, visit Pete Duvall’s website here.
What’s your general procedure when an artist brings you a work to photograph?
In general, the more information I have about size, surface and number of pieces, the better. That way I can plan better. Flat artwork has one approach, and 3D artwork has another. It is always preferable to have flat artwork unframed and un-matted, but that is not a deal breaker. For 3D artwork, I want to know the color, approximate size and surface so I can plan on background and a lighting approach. The reality is that I don’t really know until I have the artwork in front of me. Then the artist and I can really make definitive decisions on an approach. After all, photos of the artwork are the best marketing tool an artist has, so you want the images to reflect the work well. Continue reading Q&A: How to Photograph Artwork