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3çtCñ June 2003 Page 4 their own website or not, wifi be able to have their juried paintings photographed digitally at the jurying sessions at no charge (or decide to opt out), and have their paintings appear in the Club's virtual show on the website (this will be like the show at Park Royal, for example, except it is on the Web not in the mall!!). This is one of the advantages of the website to all members. For those of you who do not have digital cameras or the experience to load images in and out of computers and web sites, have no fear. We plan to have some instructional sessions in the fall and we will also provide a service to have digital photos taken or prints scanned for you for a nominal fee, so you can proceed with your website and learn these techie things in parallel. In the meantime included in this issue of the newsletter is a set of hints and tips for photographing your art. PHOTOGRAPHING PAINTINGS OUTDOORS 35mm Slides or Prints? Weather Equipment For truest colour reproduction and full-size viewing, slides are best For convenience in viewing and fast film processing, prints are best. Cloudy-bright days produce better colours than sunny days, which may wash out some colours. Any 35 mm camera can be used, but a camera with manual adjustments of focus, exposure, and aperture works best. For easier "squaring up" (see below) a tripod is recommended. To ensure that camera is steady when shooting, use a flexible shutter release. Best lens or lens setting is 50 mm. Painting can be set vertically or horizontally, preferably with a dark, non-shiny background, i.e. a black cloth. To avoid reflections on the film, shoot watercolours without glass. Picture surface must be at right angles to the camera lens, both horizontally and vertically, otherwise image will be distorted. Check very carefully through viewfinder and adjust tripod head. Also make sure top edge of picture is parallel with top edge of viewfinder frame. Position camera so there is a margin all around edges of picture when looking through the viewfinder to allow for viewfinder error. For average sized paintings the best aperture settings are F8 focus and shoot. -- Setting Up Squaring up Shooting Fl 1. Adjust exposure time to aperture; General INDOORS 35mm Equipment Make sure picture faces brightest light and has no shadows falling on it. A stepladder can substitute for a tripod. Use 64 or 100 ASA film. Use a 35 mm camera with provision for attaching a #80A fitter (also required), flexible shutter release, tripod, one or two 500 watt floodlights. Video or home-movie lights can be used. If floodlights are halogen, filter may not be needed. Direct light at an angle, and avoid overhead lights that will create reflections in glass. .Lens or lens setting should be 50 mm. If the camera is automatic ensure you turn the flash off. Painting can be set vertically or horizontally preferably with a dark, non-shiny background such as a black cloth. Shoot watercolours without glass. Position lights level with and slightly behind camera; if two are used place one on each side of the camera at angles. Check varnished pictures for glare and adjust lights to reduce glare as much as possible, or very slightly tilt painting. 450 Setting Up SquarIng Up Shooting General Same as for outdoors. If camera is adjustable, set aperture at F8 and exposure time to match: focus and shoot. A stepladder can be used in place of a tripod but camera should be taped in place to prevent blurring caused by longer indoor exposure times. Use 64 or 100 ASA film. Turn off fluorescent lights before shooting. Use any digital camera, set on a medium to high resolution setting. As above, a tripod is very useful, with at least one and preferably two lights on the subject at 45°angle. Most digital cameras can adjust their White Balance by setting up a white sheet of paper in the tight conditions you have, filling the viewer with the white sheet and pressing the White Balance adjustment. This adjusts for different sorts and colours of flood and ambient light. Same as 35mm Same as for 35mm, except that it is possible to crop and square up photos later on a computer using software like Photoshop. By using the external display on the camera you can avoid the view finder error (parallax) referred to in the 35mm section above. Use the automatic setting, but have the flash turned off. Another advantage of the digital camera is that you can immediately check the result to see if you have any glare or squaring issues and shoot again You can get from your 35mm camera to a digital image in a number of ways: · · · You can scan your photo print on a normal scanner You can scan your 35mm slides on a special slide scanner You can take your 35mm film to a place like London Drugs or Future Shop and have digital images placed on a CD or accessible via the Internet. This can also allow you to have only selected shots printed as well, so you can edit out poor shots. DIGITAL Equipment SettIng Up Squaring up Shooting General Then you can manipulate the images as digital photographs.