A letter came over the transom today inquiring about how I
prepare my images to be posted online, (specifically, it was about my images at Fine Art America). I thought it could be helpful for
others, so I’m sharing here what I do.
Scanning Smaller Works:
An original should be scanned at no less than 300 dpi at 100%
size. 600 is the norm, and, if your scanner can do it, 1000 dpi is recommended
for works that will be printed at a large scale. However, RGB is fine. (see my note on color below for why I think this is so.)
Photographing Large Works:
First things first: TAKE YOUR OWN PHOTOGRAPHS. Unless you
have a contract that gives you all the rights, the photographer will own the rights to the photo itself, and thus, any profit made from it, if they choose to be a jerk about it. Yes, even though the photo
is of YOUR work! (BTW, it
goes without saying, but I AM NOT A LAWYER, I’m just breaking down what I do
for my own work.)
If you don’t have a good quality camera, borrow one from a
friend or rent one from a camera store. Renting is not that expensive, and it’s
a great way to test out camera bodies and different lenses anyway.
Avoid direct light – especially if your work is glossy. Just
like cloudy days make for the most-detailed outdoor pictures, a soft, allover
light will make the details of your painting more discernible.
Leave some room around the frame – leave a little bit of
room so you don’t accidentally lose a border when processing
your image in Photoshop.
Use the right lens for the job - Use the longest lens you
can, as the more macro the lens, the more distorted the edges. We’ve all seen
photos taken with a fisheye lens. Well, all
lenses distort the image the way, just to a lesser extent. Reduce the
distortion by using a long lens.
Shoot from an appropriate distance – the closer you are to
the work, the more distorted the edges will become.
Use a tripod – No matter how bright you think your lighting
is, or how steady your hand, don’t assume that because the screenshot looks
good, the photo isn’t blurry once you zoom in. It most likely will be blurry
unless you zoom all the way in to focus manually, AND shoot the photo using a
tripod.
Shoot in RAW Mode - Like scanning at a high resolution, shooting in RAW mode is a must as it offers the most flexibility when adjusting your image in Photoshop.
Photoshop – yes, you will need to use some photo editing
software to get your art to look right. There are filters that reduce the lens
distortion in a photo, meaning the edges can be straightened digitally.
Transferring Files to the Web:
Your native files will be gigantic, so you’ll have to
rejigger the image size and “save as” for a web-friendly version. The average laptop screen is something like 960 pixels across. 150 dpi
seemed to be okay in the past, but with all these retina-screens and whatnot,
that may be changing. It’s up to you and how much storage space you have
available on your website.
A Sidenote on Color:
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This post just touches the surface. I realize I didn't supply any details or examples. In case it wasn't already obvious, not only am I not a trained lawyer, but I am also not a trained teacher. If you have any technical questions about art photography or Photoshop, there are tons of forums online with plenty of information.
