Ben Reynolds - Studio Photography

Notes from Ben Reynolds' Studio Photography Crash Course - March 2

**REMEMBER that you'll have to turn in digital images of your work by the end of the semester, or show them incorporated into your semester-long project. You can "check out" lights, a backdrop, and a camera from me with a few days' notice. Below are notes from BR's crash course on how to take photos of your work, using a digital camera.** For a more detailed description, visit the book, Taking the Leap, our text for class.

Taking Photographs of Flatwork:

1. Hang your work against a black backdrop. Velvet or felt produce a nice, rich black.
2. Set up your lights at a 45 degree angle to the work (see diagram in Taking the Leap)
Spreading out your light source will reduce your glare, if you are taking an image of an artwork that is framed (although it is recommended that you not take photographs of work that's already behind glass or plexiglas because of the glare). A polarizing filter will also reduce the glare.

Taking Photographs of Sculpture:

1. Set up a piece of long white paper so that it is pinned to the wall, then hangs down the wall, and is draped over a table top that is pushed against the wall. The curve of the white paper will make the table top/wall distinction less harsh, and will produce an attractive gradient with the light in the background. Could also be a black background just depending on the subject.
2. Set up your lights so that there is a primary and a secondary light source on the object, instead of just one, flat/constant light source as with the flatwork you photographed.

Taking Photographs of with the Copy Stand:

1. The copy stand that belongs to the Foundations department can be used to photograph small, flat works. It's recommended only for pieces 2' x 2' or smaller.
2. You can see me, or Chris Hocking, to sign up for a time to use the copy stand. The copy stand has its own lights, but you'll need to bring a camera.

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3. Check your ISO in the digital camera. Recommended that you set it to 100. A lower ISO like 100 will yield a higher resolution (quality of the digital image).
4. Check your "white balance":

WB (white balance)
AWB (automatic white balance)

An "off" white balance will produce a dingy look, dirty white. Use a custom white balance, rather than automatic white balance, to make sure that your white stays white (rather than having the camera balance out all of the colors, which it will do if the camera is set on automatic). With white balance selected, focus your camera on something white and take a 'meter' reading.

5. Regardless of the method you use in taking photographs of your work, make sure you have only one 'temperature' of light: indoor and outdoor are different 'temperatures.' Never combine natural light with artificial light, the colors/temperatures of the light will compete.

6. Try "underexposing" and "overexposing" your images by changing the shutter speed up and down. Digital is cheap, try a lot of different exposures until you get a true representation of your work.

7. Digital images should cost about $5/slide to have turned into slides. Go to E6 in Atlanta - you can call them and submit your files by mail/CD or by e-mail. Don't go to Wolf, in Athens - they don't have the technology to do it right.