Frank, been watching your blog for a while with great interest. Both because I like your paint handling, and because I've been to SMA twice and love the place. I'd like to put together a workshop there myself and my wife even looked into the same hacienda you used a few months ago.
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Regarding the shooting of your work in the shade and not getting good color. Here is what I do, in case it isn't what you are doing yourself, or your readers would like to know:
First, I shoot the copyshot in RAW format (with a digital 35 mm, of course) and use Photoshop to open it. If needed, which is often, I adjust the color temperature, and boost the clarity and saturation to match the original in warmer light. Not perfect, but usually much closer to the original as a starting point -- and as you say -- resulting in much less glare than shooting a painting in direct sunlight. (I dislike using polarized filters and lenses because they add contrast to the end image and that cannot be digitally compensated for.)
Also, when shooting in RAW you get almost one more additional fStop of dynamic range so I actually overexpose the copyshot a bit to open up the darks and I can still pull out detail in the highlights using photoshop. (With RAW, the digital information is weighted towards the highlights for some reason which is why we can do this.)
Hope it helps you or your readers . . .
And If I ever get back to SMA someday I'll make a point to look you up.
Thomas Kitts
Oh, and here's my own blog, should you be interested:
http://www.thomaskitts.blogspot.com
September 5, 2010 at 11:25 AM
This top painting was from yesterday but it was too dark to get a good photo. Today I finished two pieces.
To purchase any of these mini paintings, email me: frank at frankgardner.com The first email in my box stating intent to purchase a painting by title gets it. Please write preferred method of payment: personal check or by Paypal. I will return your email with instructions and where to mail a check or send you a payment request through Paypal. I will return the other emails advising that the desired painting has been sold.
Shipping from México to the US costs $35. USD via FedEx. You may ship several in one package for the $35.
A street here in San Miguel de Allende with the San Francisco Church in the distance.
Had a hard time getting good color in this photo. I may try and re post the image tomorrow. Taking good photos of artwork is hard. Any artist will tell you that having to rush is not the best way to get good pics. I shoot in the sun, so I'm relying a bit on the weather and time of day. Wet paintings give glare, and if I shoot in the shade I don't get the color and texture I like. Doing my best to get a good representation of these.
"September 3rd mini paintings"
2 Comments -
Very nice on the goat! (from someone who has raised, shown, and exported goats for 20+years)
September 4, 2010 at 10:35 AM
Frank, been watching your blog for a while with great interest. Both because I like your paint handling, and because I've been to SMA twice and love the place. I'd like to put together a workshop there myself and my wife even looked into the same hacienda you used a few months ago.
---
Regarding the shooting of your work in the shade and not getting good color. Here is what I do, in case it isn't what you are doing yourself, or your readers would like to know:
First, I shoot the copyshot in RAW format (with a digital 35 mm, of course) and use Photoshop to open it. If needed, which is often, I adjust the color temperature, and boost the clarity and saturation to match the original in warmer light. Not perfect, but usually much closer to the original as a starting point -- and as you say -- resulting in much less glare than shooting a painting in direct sunlight. (I dislike using polarized filters and lenses because they add contrast to the end image and that cannot be digitally compensated for.)
Also, when shooting in RAW you get almost one more additional fStop of dynamic range so I actually overexpose the copyshot a bit to open up the darks and I can still pull out detail in the highlights using photoshop. (With RAW, the digital information is weighted towards the highlights for some reason which is why we can do this.)
Hope it helps you or your readers . . .
And If I ever get back to SMA someday I'll make a point to look you up.
Thomas Kitts
Oh, and here's my own blog, should you be interested:
http://www.thomaskitts.blogspot.com
September 5, 2010 at 11:25 AM