How to Photograph Artwork for Online Sales

Online, the photograph is the artwork, at least until it arrives. Collectors decide whether to enquire, and often whether to buy, from what your images show them. Good photographs do not need expensive equipment. They need even light, a straight angle, honest colour and the right set of shots.

Your camera is probably good enough

A recent smartphone can produce excellent images of flat work in good light. A dedicated camera helps with larger works, fine texture and very dark or glossy surfaces, but light and technique matter far more than the camera. Whatever you use, shoot at the highest resolution available and avoid digital zoom, which only crops and enlarges the image. Move closer instead.

Light is everything

• Use soft, even light. Bright overcast daylight is ideal. Photograph near a large window or outside in open shade, never in direct sunlight, which creates hot spots and harsh shadows.
• Turn off mixed lighting. Combining daylight with warm room lights produces uneven colour that is hard to correct.
• For indoor setups, use two lights. Place identical lights on either side of the work, each at about 45 degrees to its surface and at the same distance, so the light falls evenly across the whole piece.
• Avoid on-camera flash. It flattens texture and bounces back as glare.

Beat glare and reflections

Glossy paint, varnish and glass all reflect. Photograph works before framing where you can, or remove the glazing for the photograph. If you cannot, change the angle of your lights rather than the camera, dress in dark clothing to avoid appearing in reflections, and darken the room behind you. A polarising filter on the lens, ideally combined with polarising film over the lights, can remove most remaining glare.

Square on, every time

The camera should face the centre of the artwork with the lens parallel to its surface. If the camera tilts up or down, the rectangle becomes a trapezium and the work looks distorted.

• Hang or prop the work so it is perfectly vertical, or lay it flat and shoot straight down.
• Use a tripod, or brace the camera, and position it level with the centre of the work.
• Step back and use a slightly longer focal length rather than standing close with a wide angle, which distorts the edges.
• Correct any small remaining distortion with the perspective tool in your editing software.

Get the colour right

Collectors notice when a work arrives looking different from its photographs, and colour is the usual reason.

• Set the camera's white balance for your light source, or photograph a grey card in the same light and use it to correct the colour afterwards.
• Compare the image on screen with the work in front of you, and adjust until they match.
• Correct, but do not improve. Boosting saturation or contrast beyond what the work really looks like creates disappointed buyers.

The shots collectors need

A single front view is rarely enough. A complete set usually includes:

• The full front, cropped tightly to the edges of the work.
• The work in context, hanging on a wall or in a room, so collectors can judge its scale. If you show the work in a room, make sure the scale is accurate.
• Details of brushwork, texture or line, close enough to show the surface.
• A raking-light detail, lit from one side at a low angle, which shows texture and the condition of the surface.
• The signature, close up.
• The back, including the stretcher or backing and any labels, stamps or inscriptions.
• The edges and corners, and the frame if one is included.
• For sculpture, several angles against a plain background, plus details of the base and any foundry marks.

Show condition honestly

Photograph any condition issues clearly: a scuffed corner, a small loss, foxing on paper. It can feel counter-intuitive, but honest images build trust and prevent problems when the work arrives. A collector who has seen a flaw before buying is far less likely to be unhappy about it afterwards. Our guide to reading a condition report shows what collectors look for.

Prepare the files

Export the final images as high-quality JPEGs at a generous size, so collectors can zoom in on detail. Keep your original files and note which image is which. Consistent framing and lighting across all your works makes a body of work look coherent, and it makes future listings faster to prepare.

Listing on Meridian's

A listing on Meridian's can carry several images alongside the documents and condition details collectors look for, including the back of the work and close detail views. Strong photographs work hand in hand with a complete listing: clear cataloguing, provenance and a candid condition description give collectors the confidence to enquire. If you are an artist or gallery thinking about listing with us, see selling on Meridian's and our pricing, which includes a free plan for sellers.