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!
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.
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.