The Quick and Easy Guide to Photographing Your Artwork

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OK, so you're ready to start entering art competitions or preparing your first portfolio: how best to photograph your work and come up with the good slides essential for success? Saddington presents a step-by-step approach, starting with cameras (conventional 35 mm more accurately depict art than digital), lights (halogen work lamps are cost-effective alternatives to professional photography lights), and other equipment, then progresses to light setup and camera angle. Wisely, he does not presume that painters and sculptors understand photography, so he begins with brief explanations of aperture, lens, shutter and shutter speed, and exposure, then discusses single-lens 35 mm reflex cameras; automatic, two-lens instamatics; and digitals. Along the way, readers will learn about building and using a light stand; employing a light box for viewing slides; and controlling reflection and exposure. Saddington's primer is an excellent resource for shooters of all skill levels who want to effectively photograph two- and three-dimensional artworks. Whitney Scott
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Book Description
Even artists with limited photography experience can produce competent reproductions of their artwork with Roger Saddington’s easy-to-use book. This guide tells artists how to take satisfying photos without spending a lot of time or money. Readers will learn how to: Get good results with their current photography equipment Master the relationship between film type and light source Avoid unnecessary pitfalls with processing labs Present slides and photos professionally Recognize the best shooting conditions Good slides or photos are essential for entering art competitions, applying to juried shows, keeping records and presenting a portfolio. Artists will appreciate the book’s easy steps and common-sense approach to the photography process. Roger Saddington gained extensive knowledge of art reproduction during his five-year tenure at the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia. He teaches a popular class on photographing artwork and lives in Australia.


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This book by Australian artist and designer Saddington is for artists looking to photograph their own work. Unfortunately, it limits itself by recommending that the artist have an SLR camera such as a Canon or Pentax with a 50 mm lens, a light meter, and other specialized equipment, which would seem to take the "quick and easy" out of the whole process. Divided into four chapters, the book is simplistic in layout, but Americans will need to consult the metric conversion chart. Saddington, while a known artist in Australia, admits that he is largely self-taught as a photographer and does not provide the detail necessary for novices. Any book on basic photography should be able to help artists understand lighting, angles, and the various photography equipment required to enhance their photographs; those who want a book that specifically addresses the issues faced when photographing artwork should consult Russell Hart's Photographing Your Artwork. Hart is a photographer, and his detailed book, released in 2000, received excellent reviews. Saddington's book is not recommended for most libraries, though large academic libraries serving art or design programs might consider.-Sandy Knowles, Henderson Cty. P.L., NC Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.


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