My Goal is Simple: Take Good, Well Lit Images of My Artwork In Situ
An array of props for use in my in situ photos.
As I begin to show my artwork more consistently to an online audience, I’ve come to realize that having in situ images is an important part of showing my artwork. It’s the best way to show the scale and dimensionality of a painting and to help collectors imagine how it might appear in their own home.
Full disclosure here: Before this week I was a neophyte when it came to capturing images of my artwork in situ.
I know that there are apps that can be used to stage artwork in designer settings. But often those images can feel a little artificial for my taste.
Using an app like that just didn’t seem the way to go for me at this time.
So what better way to tackle this assignment than by experimenting with in situ photography in my own home? And since the February Blues series was just completed and varnished why not give it a try?
Arranging and rearranging
With my tripod and soft box lighting from the studio, along with my smartphone camera I set up to spend the day taking photos.
Pretty decorative items were collected from around the house: Lamps, books, plants, dishes, bowls, vases, small sculptures and even a few seashells. Once these items were collected and ready to go, I began by hanging a painting on the wall behind my desk and styling it with different combinations and arrangements of props:
Books placed to the right and then to the left of the painting.
Plants and plants resting on books.
Empty vases and vases with flowers.
Bowls on books and bowls on their own.
I photographed from slightly above and slightly below, straight on and from the left and from the right...you get the picture.
There was a lot of experimenting, arranging and rearranging books and plants and the rest, and moving from room to room, props, camera, lights and tripod in tow.
I was after the best lighting I could manage, interesting angles, suitable backdrop colours and complementary props all to show the art at it’s best.
About 100 photos later I had what I thought would work: some good images of my artwork in situ.
Having time and space
So here are my takeaways for photographing my artwork in situ for the first time:
It’s really good for me to see my paintings in different locations around the house and up on the walls. It’s as if they somehow gain an energy in a ‘real life’ setting different from the impact they had in the studio.
Photographing the paintings at different angles makes for more interesting images of the work. They are after all three dimensional objects.
Having a variety of props for styling is fun but a few well chosen items is all that is really needed to give a sense of scale to the work.
Colours and shapes of props that coordinate with the artwork without distracting from it are best, after all the painting is the star of the show. The props are the supporting characters in this drama.
Photographing work in situ is a task that takes time and attention to detail and is best done when I have lots of time and have my space to myself.
When the time comes to photograph another series of artwork, I’ll take the experience gained from this first go to get a bit more creative with the furnishings and styling of my art.
And one final thought now that I’ve had time to reflect on the whole process.
It was a lot of work! Next time it might be just as effective to tackle this task by setting up a spot in the studio where with a little vignette, a painting on a wall, over a table with a few books and a simple vase of white flowers...or no flowers at all.
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