How to photograph artwork

Discover the best way to light and shoot paintings, artwork and old prints at home

- James Paterson

Whether you want to capture a painting, digitise old prints or take on a copy work job, photographing artwork is a useful skill. But there’s more to it than pointing your camera at the canvas. Here we’ll look at a host of camera skills that you can use to hone your technique, from lighting and shooting set-ups to cross-polarisation and more.

What kit do I need?

Camera - A DSLR or mirrorless camera that lets you set manual exposure. Lens - A 50mm prime or longer lens is the best option. We used a 105mm lens. Lights - Two speedlights or strobes are ideal, or strong LEDs, plus two stands and white umbrellas or softboxes. Tripod - A tripod that lets you swivel the centre column to a horizontal position is helpful to use, as it allows you to shoot downwards without including the tripod legs in the frame. Tape measure - Useful for matching the height of the painting with the camera. Circular Polarising Filter and Polarising sheets - To cut out glare completely by using the cross-polarisation technique.

A simple lighting set-up at home