Photographing framed art

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Mary-Beth

Grumbler in Training
Joined
May 20, 2004
Posts
7
Loc
Ontario, Canada
Hello all,

I have tried photographing my framing projects for my portfolio but I have trouble getting a clear picture due to reflections from the glass.

I have just purchased a digital camera hoping that this may help solve some of my problems. Any tips out there for photographing these projects?

Many thanks!
 
Photographing glazed art head-on is problematical, whether you use film or digital.

Avoid using a flash. Indirect window light is nice but, with a digital, the color correction may be good-enough that you can use incandescent or even fluorescent room light without the color shifts you get with film. In that sense, digital IS better. The other advantage of digital is you can view the picture immediately to see if it's acceptable.

Some people photograph at a slight angle to avoid some of the reflections (and to avoid getting yourself and your camera in every photo.) The problem there is a slight parallax* distortion. The side of the frame closer to you will appear wider.

Others will assemble the package without the glass and dust cover, photograph it, and the re-assemble it with the glass.

I used to use a film camera with a polarizing filter and two polarized photo floods mounted at 45-degree angles. I shot transparency film, since it seemed easier for the lab to get accurate colors when I had them printed.

If you're shooting to have a personal scrapbook or to casually show off some of your work one or more of these systems should work.

If you're shooting for a web site or a brochure, consider having the photography done professionally.

Welcome to The Grumble, Mary-Beth.

*Come to think of it, that's not parallax. But it IS a problem.
 
I second everything Ron said,

your best bet,
Others will assemble the package without the glass and dust cover, photograph it, and the re-assemble it with the glass.
Click to expand...
This should give the best results.


framer
 
I take the pictures without glass. Make sure there isn't a tiny bit of glue in the corner of your frame before you slap that black suede mat in it without the glass though.

Don't ask!
 
When we're unable to remove the glass, we do it at a slight angle and have a second person hold a large piece of black foamcore to absorb/block the glare. (no flash)
 
You can re-square the image in photoshop to get rid of the distortion.
 
Sure, Dave, and you can remove the reflections, too, but let's be realistic.

Maybe Mary-Beth's digital camera has swings and tilts. :D
 
The other option when you're unable to photograph without the glass (ie: shadowboxes) is to photograph them with the lights turned off. No, I haven't had too much to drink yet! A friend of mine is a graphic artist and she showed me how to do this and by george it works, especially with digital. I usually hang the piece on either a gray wall or black fabric behind it, turn the overhead lights off that are directly above and in front of the piece. Shoot the photo and voila', I get very little or no reflection and the image is cleaner.

Roxanne
Langley House Gallery
 
Roxanne's right. I've been playing with a Kodak Easy share and discovered turning off the lights but open the exposure. Here are examples, (I can live with the little reflection on the second one).



<img src="http://www.rightangleframe.biz/glare_comp.jpg"<br

<img src="http://www.rightangleframe.biz/no_glare_comp.jpg"<br
 
I don't get it. Where does the light come from? Is that natural light from a window or what?
 
Jay, you will actually receive enough natural light from the remaining portions of the store. You're not photographing it in a pitch black closet just eliminating the direct light that is causing the glare on the glass or in some cases a glossy moulding. I almost always use my tripod even with the digital because the lens will stay open just a tiny bit longer than say if you were using bright lights.

Roxanne
Langley House Gallery
 
If it's already fitted with glass, I like to take it outside and prop up a piece of black 48" x 96" board (polyflute works nicely) so that there's no refelection.

Then the camera/tripod is positioned just far enough to one side, to be out of the reflection. Natural light gives good color rendition and no need for flash, even with macro close-ups.
 
Point the flash to the roof and not directly at the subject. If not diffuse your flash by putting a white cloth over the front so you dont get harsh blow back.

Either that or reduce your flash setting back so it isnt to bright. Or natural light during the could also be used.

www.photo.net is a great source for photographic information on any topic like this. Find out from the professionals.

Matt
 
Find out from the professionals.
Click to expand...
One of the cool things about The Grumble is that there ARE professional photographers here.

We also have chemists, geologists (that comes in handy here all the time,) nurses and an auto body guy that we humor. Oh, and the fone god.

Hardly any of us started out to be picture framers.
 
www.photo.net is a great source for photographic information on any topic like this. Find out from the professionals
Click to expand...
I also have worked as a professional photographer and framer and agree about learning from the professional - but it's interesting to see what you find on photo sites when it comes to picture framing - who's cheapest, what mail order house is the best, etc. Most common complaint - the local framer is tooo expensive, won't drymount, yada yada yada. I try now and then to set them straight, but it usually gets me in trouble
shrug.gif
.

Tony
 
I couldnt agree more Tony. Photo sites are good for one thing. Photo advice. Anything else on there should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Good luck with setting them straight, you have your work cut out for you. There are some pretty big egos out there.

Matt
 
I went through many, many thousand of pictures of my frames and my findings are the following:

1. Frames are highly reflective items. That is to say that they need very little ambiental light to show up amaizingly well in (digital) pictures.
2. Remove the glass or else you need polarizing filters, gobos, flags to mask or soften the offending light.
3. Turn frame away from direct light and bring the necessary light upon it by way of deflections (walls, large carboards etc.). Two large side deflectors should suffice.
4. Keep your camera right in front of it at the same angle as the frame (if that one is tilted). This way you avoid distortions as much as possible. If any is left, Photoshop will take care of it later.
5. Use a tripoid. Don't shoot from hands.
6. No flash at all.
7. Don't use wide angle lenses (panoramic, fish eye) as to cover the entire frame frome close range. Those lenses distort the image.
8. Don't use digital zooming to get closer. Optical zooming is all right.
 
Yes flash isnt required if you dont want to because you should be able to light the scene with other sources and this will allow you to shoot the subject front on.

Just keep in mind that the use of flash predominantly by photographers is a term called "fill flash". Where you are only using the flash to fill in shaddow areas. The subject is already lit by another source. Studio lights, sun etc.

As with only using a tripod and not hand holding... hand holding is fine. You just have to make sure that your exposure speed is larger than your lenses max focus. Eg if your lense is a 24mm-70mm. Just make sure you exposure is faster than 70th of a second.

But im sure in your case most standard digital cameras factor all this in for you. If not read your manual and adjust if you get blur.

Other than that CR info was good (his panoramic/fisheye comment could be debated and I doubt you have $2500 + worth of camera lense that take these type of shots anyway).

Cheers

Matt
 
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