Umbrella or Softbox - to phtotograph artwork for selling

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matt scarlett

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Name
Matthew
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Yes
1st time poster:

Looking for the cheapest way to light my artwork (indoors) so i can get selling. Need to get my art/images on facebook. As you can see, photographing them under normal light/room light isn't that good (link below). Don't need anything super, super professional at the moment, just need to get a decently lit image.

http://surfandsound.wordpress.com/category/art/


What would be better, Umbrella kit or Softbox kit? I found this umbrella kit for £19.99 which for what i need looks ok. But what do you guys say?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121303832594
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photo-Stu...218?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c47e8a11a

Using a Sony H300 Camera ... set on 'automatic mode' as i'm not that up on cameras if that's any help to you. My budget: as little as possible for the time being!
 
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Yes they are Pen & Ink, but i'm also doing some stuff with Prisamcolor Verithin coloured pencil.

It's just for a quick sale, I'm not planning to sell any prints (for now). Its just that I want to take some WIP pictures maybe get a WIP video on YouTube. I half decent high res scanner is going to cost!

High-res scanning for proper/professional prints from local printers costs .... £27 is the cheapest quote i've had so far. The pieces in the link are on A3, but the images are A4'ish, but i have got some A2 and A1 pictures to sell as well. So you're average Epson scanner might not be the best route.

For now I just want to light them properly to take a half decent picture of what the recipient will be getting.
 
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I would suggest getting a piece of non-reflective framing glass at A3 and a piece of plywood the same size. Use that to hold the image flat and wait until you have a overcast sky on a dry day. Put the image outside sandwiched between the ply and the glass. Use a tri-pod for the camera (ideally) and shoot straight down.

Total cost about £20. Should get pretty good results.

Flash and softboxes only let you make light. If you wait, you'll often get similar light for free outside using the biggest softbox there is !
 
Hodders said:
I would suggest getting a piece of non-reflective framing glass at A3 and a piece of plywood the same size. Use that to hold the image flat and wait until you have a overcast sky on a dry day. Put the image outside sandwiched between the ply and the glass. Use a tri-pod for the camera (ideally) and shoot straight down.

Total cost about £20. Should get pretty good results.

Flash and softboxes only let you make light. If you wait, you'll often get similar light for free outside using the biggest softbox there is !
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Might hold him up though! stopping work at a crucial point for a WIP image, then having to wait for a clear day.
 
The method is 2 lights (softboxes or brolly's - doesn't matter) set at 45 degrees (ish) either side of the piece this'll give flat consistent light with no reflections into the lens. One light won't do it because there'll be too much variation in brightness side to side.
 
Thanks for both your suggestions.

Suggestion 1) is a good suggestion ... the use of non reflective glass might cost just as much as the lighting set up, unless you know where to get some non-reflective glass cheap? I do have a lot of wood around to place the artwork on, as I build subwoofers for car audio.

http://surfandsound.wordpress.com/category/sound/

There again I have some A2 and A1 work to sell and again, my research has found that a piece of good non reflective glass would cost more the lighting route. I already have an A0 drawing table I can use as a kind of backdrop .... its a good idea though, thanks.

Suggestion 2) I feared someone would say i needed two. No matter. Would either of those suggested items from ebay suffice?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121303832594
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photo-Stu...218?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c47e8a11a
 
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matt scarlett said:
Thanks for both your suggestions.

Suggestion 1) is a good suggestion ... the use of non reflective glass might cost just as much as the lighting set up, unless you know where to get some non-reflective glass cheap? I do have a lot of wood around to place the artwork on, as I build subwoofers for car audio.

http://surfandsound.wordpress.com/category/sound/

There again I have some A2 and A1 work to sell and again, my research has found that a piece of good non reflective glass would cost more the lighting route. I already have an A0 drawing table I can use as a kind of backdrop .... its a good idea though, thanks.

Suggestion 2) I feared someone would say i needed two. No matter. Would either of those suggested items from ebay suffice?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121303832594
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photo-Stu...218?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c47e8a11a
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Personally I wouldn't recommend the continuous lights, unless you're spending a fortune the colour reproduction will be dire.
I know you're not after 'professional standard', but if I was an artist I'd want the photos of my artwork to be a true representation of the colour. If you want decent colour and cheap, then flash is the only real option.
 
Colour - 99% of my stuff is black and white anyway. You still think those lights will be a waste of money?
 
Problem solved .... kinda. Naughty me, I've had this camera a few months never used the flash :eek:

Just taken a few shots and it seems to have done the trick. Not 100%, but I think it'll be enough to get me by for now.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I'm so sorry, but I'm a bit of a dope when it comes to photography, but next time i have a query, I'll know where to come.

:banana::ty:
 
matt scarlett said:
Colour - 99% of my stuff is black and white anyway. You still think those lights will be a waste of money?
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It's your money, but for me, as a photographer, I couldn't pick my camera up to take a 'product shot' knowing the colour was wrong. I might be a bit fussy, but for me there are certain standards, and in my photography colour reproduction is quite important, I buy decent monitors, I calibrate them, I'd be an idiot if I then started to light subjects with crap light products.
 
Phil V said:
It's your money, but for me, as a photographer, I couldn't pick my camera up to take a 'product shot' knowing the colour was wrong. I might be a bit fussy, but for me there are certain standards, and in my photography colour reproduction is quite important, I buy decent monitors, I calibrate them, I'd be an idiot if I then started to light subjects with crap light products.
Click to expand...

Good posts, Phil. Nailed it.
 
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