How to

How to - Advice & Information
Guide to submitting photos of paintings for Bury St Edmunds Art Society website galleries.

All BSEAS members can have a gallery page on the BSEAS website.
Here is a guide to help you submit photos of your paintings.

Please send your request for a gallery page via our website Contact Page.
I'll then send you an email and start work on your gallery page.

OK, here we go:-

1. Set your camera or tablet computer or smart phone camera to it's Best Quality (Highest Resolution).

2. Try to always take a photo of your paintings before they are framed behind glass, as with watercolour paintings.
Oil's and Acrylics are not normally framed behind glass.

3. Make sure you take the photo in plenty of light. It's best to do this Outside if possible on a bright overcast day
when the light is diffused.

4. Stand the painting on something fairly upright like an easel.
Make sure the easel supports do not obscure the edges of the painting.

5. If you have a tripod mount the camera on that. If not hold the camera as still as possible when you take the photo.

6. When taking the photo make sure the painting is as square as possible in the camera viewfinder / display.
Make sure all of the painting can be seen, leaving some of the background showing around the edges.
This will be cropped off by me. Make sure you don't cast a shadow over the painting while taking the photo.

Squaring up camera with the painting
Squaring up camera with the painting
 


7. If the painting is behind glass the easiest method I know is to lay the painting on the floor and take the photo looking down at an angle from above. Look for any reflections that show in the glass including yourself, and make sure your shadow including the camera, doesn't fall across the painting. If you need to do this indoors it's best if you have a plain white ceiling overhead to reduce reflections showing in the glass. It won't be possible to get the painting dead square in the camera frame but don't worry too much as I should be able to correct this digitally.

Taking a photo through glass
Taking a photo through glass
Take photo through glass at angle
Take photo through glass at angle
 


8. You can have up to 8 paintings on your gallery page in the BSEAS website.

9. Please send them one at a time to me by email stating the paintings name, media used and size.
This I have found is the easiest way to ensure I know the details for each painting photo with no confusion.

10. After I have received all your photos I will process them and put them on your gallery page.

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