The thicker the paint the harder it is to get a good photograph in the studio,
especially if the paintings are large. Shown here is a professional shot of my oil painting Between Earth and Sky, 30" x 40" (click image to see detail). In the new photograph you can see better hue shifts as well as more visible texture.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lEzaopOJ29w/UYHeOSMZxQI/AAAAAAAABug/pJTMGy3t7TA/s320/Poplar-by-the-water-Brad-Teare.jpg)
It is expensive to get professional photos but in some cases it is the only way to accurately communicate the depth of your work. Fellow painter Robert Britton suggested I get a light tent which I did until I realized it would take up too much of my studio.
I find that the smaller paintings are easier to photograph despite thick texture. Until I expand my studio I will use the services of a professional photographer for my large abstract paintings. Note that 90% of the photos in my book (see below) I shot in my studio with conventional studio lighting.
Another great tool I use to get great shots both for still photography as well as video is the StudioBoom–a boom that conveniently holds the camera in any position I need. Many have asked how I get the camera so close to the painting without interfering with the painting process and this boom is key. I will often film with the camera hanging upside down on the boom and reorient the footage in iMovie. With the StudioBoom I can easily take an oblique photo of a heavily textured painting–to avoid glare–and square up the resulting photo with the Photoshop Perspective Crop tool.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lEzaopOJ29w/UYHeOSMZxQI/AAAAAAAABug/pJTMGy3t7TA/s320/Poplar-by-the-water-Brad-Teare.jpg)
It is expensive to get professional photos but in some cases it is the only way to accurately communicate the depth of your work. Fellow painter Robert Britton suggested I get a light tent which I did until I realized it would take up too much of my studio.
I find that the smaller paintings are easier to photograph despite thick texture. Until I expand my studio I will use the services of a professional photographer for my large abstract paintings. Note that 90% of the photos in my book (see below) I shot in my studio with conventional studio lighting.
Another great tool I use to get great shots both for still photography as well as video is the StudioBoom–a boom that conveniently holds the camera in any position I need. Many have asked how I get the camera so close to the painting without interfering with the painting process and this boom is key. I will often film with the camera hanging upside down on the boom and reorient the footage in iMovie. With the StudioBoom I can easily take an oblique photo of a heavily textured painting–to avoid glare–and square up the resulting photo with the Photoshop Perspective Crop tool.
Brad Teare September 2013
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