Protege. Oil on canvas. Copyright 2020, Gene Stout.
Capturing accurate images of fine art is a subtle art and requires more skill – and patience – than I anticipated. Apparently, only a few pro photographers handle this niche. Because it’s tedious.
First, the piece of art must be perfectly horizontal. The slightest tilt will skew the image. Second, the lighting must be accurate or (a) the painting will shine in the wrong places or (b) the texture of the paint will be flattened or (c) the color will be off. Third, the photographer must account for the paint medium – for example, a glaze will cause shine that only proper lighting can eliminate.
I was “inspired” (forced, really) to enter into this foray when my significant other requested photos accurately representing his work for submission to contests and galleries. Over the past two years, I have: worked with Gene to build a new easel that holds the painting perfectly horizontally; obtained several lights and experimented with lighting set ups; purchased a new full-frame camera; obtained new glass (lenses); practiced shooting…
And practiced developing. I’ll chat about that in another post. Because that’s its own special hell.
Here’s the thing: You live. You learn. You keep trying until it’s perfect. You get kisses from the hubby.
