Photography

I'm often asked how I take photos and it's quite a simple process.  First of all I did invest in a good camera, a Canon EOS Rebel T3i, which takes great pictures and can also film video  I purchased this one second hand and saved a bundle.  Because I don't want to purchase a lot of expensive equipment (painting is my passion and it's where I'd rather invest my funds), I tend to look for spaces outside to take photos of my work and that changes depending on the season.  Thank goodness for digital photography as I can take as many pictures as I'd like and delete most of them.  At this point, I will do whatever it takes to get a great shot...in these pics I was taking photos of my daughter and her childhood friends at graduation so it meant kicking off my heels and almost falling into the water ;)  I also set my camera settings at the highest dpi (dots per inch) which has allowed me to have my photographs published in several magazines. 

With my paintings, I take images from many different angles, placing the pieces in light shade in order to get as accurate in colour as possible, and I make sure to try to fill up the view finder on the camera.  If I'm taking an angle shot, I pay attention to everything that will be visible in the final picture but if I'm taking a photo of the painting, I try to fill up the view finder and square the image, again to be as accurate as possible.  I like to brace my arms on my knees or against my sides so that the images aren't blurry.  Then, after taking many, many photos, I delete most of them, keeping only the best and only edit to focus on the painting (ie. cut out any background as it distracts). 

I also take photos of work in progress in our home, but again, depending on the light at certain times of the day or year, I will take the work into different rooms.  I do the same thing, never using the flash on the camera as it totally changes the colours and looks flat.  I have no problem climbing on furniture or cabinets or lying on the floor as that is usually when I get the best images.  I also put on the self timer and place my camera on a tripod, on the floor or other pieces of furniture to get photos of myself in the process of working.  Finally, I also have two daughters with an incredible eye for composition and I never hesitate to utilize their skills.