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Introduction
Whether you're sharing your creations on social media, entering art competitions, or building a professional portfolio, the quality of your photographs matters. Fortunately, with advancements in smartphone technology, you can take stunning photos of your artwork without needing expensive equipment. Here’s how you can use your phone cameras to capture your art digitally without sacrificing any of its beauty. Note, this guide is targeted for all phones, but some tips will be specific to iPhone cameras.
Step One: Prepare for the shoot
Clean Your artwork
Before you even pick up the phone, ensure your artwork is in pristine condition. Dusting and cleaning your artwork is essential to avoid any unsightly specks or spots that can detract from the piece’s beauty. This step is especially important for artworks like paintings and sculptures that are prone to collecting dust.
Choose the right background
Consider where you want to take the photo. We’ll assume you don’t have access to a photo studio or professional photography equipment. Many artists opt to take their artwork outside, but shooting indoors may work for you better. It’s up to your personal preferences and the conditions of the shoot—if the weather is a noticeable disturbance, that is a sign to stay indoors or simply wait for another day to take photos.
Choosing a neutral, non-distracting background can significantly enhance how your artwork is perceived in photographs. A clean white or gray backdrop often works best, but depending on your artwork's colors and textures, other neutral tones can also be effective. The goal is to ensure that the background complements your artwork without overpowering it.
Framing and mounting
Another question to ask yourself is if you want to frame or mount your work. Proper framing and mounting can add an extra layer of sophistication to your artwork, enhancing its visual appeal in photographs. However, the wrong frame could distract from the artwork. Improper mounting could also potentially cause damage to the piece if slippage or distortion were to occur. If you choose to place your photos on the ground, read on to learn about the photo techniques you should be using to avoid bad angles and distortion.
Step Two: Set up your space
Get the best lighting
Natural light is often the best option for photographing artwork because it provides an even, soft illumination. The best times to shoot in natural light are early mornings or late afternoons, when the sun is not too harsh. Many artists specifically wait for overcast days to take their photos, or they’ll place their pieces in the shade. While outdoors, drape a white sheet or tablecloth underneath the piece and on the surrounding area to diffuse the sunlight. Things like grass and red brick walls can cause light to bounce off of these surfaces to spill color onto your work. Surrounding what you’re shooting with a white tablecloth can prevent this. If you stay indoors, position your artwork near a window to make the most of the natural lighting. Indirect sunlight provides the best lighting.
If natural light is unavailable, soft white bulbs mimic natural light and reduce harsh shadows. When using artificial light, position the light source at a 45-degree angle from the artwork to minimize glare and shadows.
Avoid glare as much as possible
Glare can ruin an otherwise perfect photo by creating distracting spots of bright light. To avoid glare, use a polarizing filter or adjust the angles of your light sources. As mentioned above, shooting photos in overcast or shaded areas can help mitigate the glare of direct sunlight. Experiment with different setups until you find a configuration that minimizes reflections and glare.
Step Three: Optimize your phone’s camera settings
Resolution and quality
Your phone camera should be set to its highest resolution to ensure you capture as much detail as possible. Check your camera settings and adjust the resolution settings accordingly to get the best quality photos.
Different file formats offer varying levels of quality and ease of editing. JPEG files are widely accepted and easier to share, while RAW files provide higher quality and more editing flexibility. Choose the format that best suits your needs.
Focus and exposure
Most smartphones allow you to manually adjust focus and exposure. Tap on the area of the screen where you want to focus, and use the sliding scale to adjust exposure. These settings allow you to highlight the details and colors that make your artwork stand out.
Locking focus can help prevent accidental blurring. Touch and hold your focal point until you see the “AE/AF Lock” symbol appear. This technique ensures that your focus stays sharp even if you have to adjust your phone's position slightly.
HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode can be useful for capturing balanced, well-lit photos. HDR combines multiple exposures to bring out details in both the lightest and darkest areas of your photo. Enable HDR mode in your camera settings for artwork that has varying light levels or complex textures.
Widely-known, the rule of thirds is a useful composition guideline that can make your photos more visually appealing. Enable the grid feature on your phone to divide your screen into nine equal parts. Place key elements of your artwork along these lines or at their intersections to create a balanced and engaging composition.
Angles and perspectives
Experimenting with different angles can help you find the best representation of your artwork. Take photos from various heights and positions to see which angle showcases your piece most effectively. Sometimes, an unconventional angle might bring out unique aspects of your artwork that a straight-on shot wouldn’t capture.
Don’t forget to take close-up shots of the intricate details. Detail shots can highlight textures, brush strokes, and other fine elements that might not be visible in full-frame photos. These zoomed-in perspectives can add depth and interest to your portfolio.
Framing techniques
Centering your artwork in a photo can create a strong, focused image. However, off-center framing can also be effective, especially when combined with the rule of thirds. Try both to see which method works best for your piece.
One more element to consider is negative space. Negative space refers to the empty or open space around your subject. Utilizing negative space can help isolate your artwork and draw the viewer’s eye directly to it. This technique is particularly effective for minimalist pieces or when you want to create a sense of balance in your photo.
Step Four: Learn to edit your photos
Adjusting brightness and contrast
Simple adjustments to brightness and contrast can make a significant difference in how your artwork appears in photos. Use these settings to enhance the clarity and vibrancy of your piece, making sure to keep the adjustments subtle to avoid distorting the original look of your artwork.
Crop and straighten your photo
Ensure your artwork is perfectly aligned in the frame by cropping and straightening your photos. This step can help eliminate any distractions and focus attention on the artwork itself. Most photo editing apps provide simple tools for cropping and straightening.
Fix the colors
Adjusting the colors in your photo to match the original artwork can be a bit tricky but is crucial for authenticity. Use color correction tools to tweak the hues, saturation, and temperature until your photo accurately represents your artwork's true colors.
Remove any distractions
Sometimes, unwanted elements can make their way into your photos. Use editing tools to remove these distractions, whether they are minor imperfections or background elements. This will help keep the focus on your artwork.
You can do all of these with photo editing software. There are plenty of photo editing apps available for both free and paid options. Some top recommendations include Adobe Lightroom, Snapseed, and VSCO. These apps offer robust features that allow you to make both basic and advanced edits to perfect your artwork photos.
Step Five: What to do post-photo op
Backup your photos
Make sure to safeguard your photos by regularly backing them up. Whether you use cloud storage, external hard drives, or other backup solutions, keeping multiple copies of your artwork photos can prevent loss and ensure they are always accessible.
Share it online through social media
Each social media platform has its own optimal photo sizes and aspect ratios. For Facebook, aim for square (1:1) or portrait (4:5) images with a width of 1200-2048 pixels. Instagram prefers portrait images with a 4:5 aspect ratio. For stories and reels on Instagram, use a vertical 9:16 ratio.
Add it to your website and portfolio
High-quality images are essential for your professional website and portfolio. Platforms like RevArt offer art management systems that help artists showcase their work effectively. Ensure that your photos are high resolution to appear crisp and professional on various devices.
Find out what your style is
Maintaining a consistent style and quality in your photos helps build a cohesive and professional portfolio. Consistent lighting, backgrounds, and editing techniques can make your collection of artwork appear more unified, which is particularly important for exhibitions and online galleries.
Conclusion
Photographing your artwork with your phone can produce stunning results when done correctly. From preparing your artwork and setting up your space, to tweaking phone camera settings and editing your photos, each step plays a crucial role. Always remember that practice makes perfect. Experiment with different techniques, and don't be afraid to make mistakes—each shot is a learning opportunity.