Photographing oil paintings
3yr
@mussienko
Hi everyone! Here for a bit of advice on photographing oil paintings. I can't get rid of the glare no matter how I approach it. Is there any way to deal with this issue that does not require a professional photo studio setting? I hear some people avoid varnishing before photographing their work but I paint quite transparently so many places tend to appear dull when dry/unvarnished. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!
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Christopher Beaven
Hi Mussienko! Great question. I did a very long post years ago on how to photograph oil paintings without any glare. I start with using a smart phone and editing in Photoshop or Lightroom then I move on to a dual polarization setup that magically wipes away the glare. Recently I took a few photos of larger paintings with a DSLR using overcast light coming through a doorway and that worked really well but the light has to be just right and waiting for those days doesn't work most of the time. Here is the post. https://chrisbeaven.com/art-tips/professional-photos-of-an-oil-painting-without-glare/ Let me know if the post is helpful or if you have any more questions.
Yeşim
3yr
I don't know if this can be called advice but when i take my photos, I take them in two different light settings. I try to set them in a way so that later on I can combine the two photos on photoshop and avoid glare. Though I haven't found a way to take a photo with no glare at all.
Christopher Beaven
Hi Yesim! Here is a post I wrote years ago on how to take photos without glare and it may speed up your workflow a bit. https://chrisbeaven.com/art-tips/professional-photos-of-an-oil-painting-without-glare/
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