Oprah is a huge fan of parents photographing their children’s hand-drawn works of art and creating a picture book courtesy of online photo editing services. I am with the Great O in regards to the book idea rather than having millions of drawings cluttering the front of the refrigerator. However, it helps to know how to properly photograph artwork if you want to craft a decent-looking book.
The number one consideration when photographing art is lighting. Without proper lighting there is no way you can preserve any of the drawing’s details. This is true regardless of whether or not you have an external flash on your camera. Flash can cause glares or compromise depth in addition to creating unwanted shadows. Bottom line: Never point and shoot your child’s art projects. What you want to do is to invest in a diffuser. A diffuser is a type of filter that fits over the flash to soften light. Basically, it eliminates the flash from bouncing back and causing hot spots or nasty glares.
Another option is to go with indirect lighting. By bouncing light off of a wall or the ceiling you can reduce shadows and still have enough light to illuminate the art piece. Indirect light can also come from lamps placed at the sides or at a slight angle to the drawing or painting. This method of lighting provides a smooth look.
The other major issue to consider when shooting one-dimensional artwork is camera shake. If you don’t already own one, I would seriously suggest buying a tripod. You might get the lighting just right, but if you can’t hold the camera steady when shooting, then you’ll likely be left with a blurry shot. The tripod allows for a steady platform and the ability to employ a remote shutter trigger without having to worry about disturbing a camera that is perfectly set-up for a particular shot.
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