I have essentially made a portable light room to photgraph my paintings, taking my photos outside.
The supplies that I use are:
- a big white sheet
- my digital camera, I have a canon 8 megapixel
- a tripod for my camera
- an easel for my paining
- two clothes pins
First, I take the white sheet, not a colored or printed one, and clip two end corners to the top of a fence, a clothesline or two nails (anything that will keep the sheet up above you and the painting.
Second, I set up the easel with the painting, keeping as upright as possible. I actually now have a shelf built on the side of the shed to set the painting on with two nails about 4′ across from each other at about 7′ off the ground.
Third, I set up the tripod with my camera about 2 to 4′ away from but facing the painting. It depends on the size of the painting, but I position the camera and use the close up to have the painting almost entirely in the frame. The camera is on the highest quality setting and I use a 3 to 10 second delay.
Lastly, I take the other end of the sheet and pull it over me, the camera, and the painting. Its like a lightbox that I take the photo in.
The sheet diffuses the light and gets rid of any glare, even when the painting has been varnished.
Of course, Arizona’s sunny weather makes this easy almost any day of the year. I have found it to be an inexpensive, simple way to photograph my paintings. The colors turn out very close to reality and the tripod keeps the camera steady.