As a frequent grant panelist and artist who provides photo documentation services to other visual artists, I know what good documentation looks like and why it matters. Quality documentation can lead to opportunities. Poor documentation can misrepresent the excellence of your work.
Although some artists prefer to hire out documentation services, this may not be financially feasible for you. You may want the flexibility and control that comes with doing it yourself. Like anything else, learning to document your work is a skill that you will be able to hone over time with practice.
Why Quality Documentation is So Important
Art documentation is necessary to apply for grants, residencies, fellowships, and other funding opportunities. In all of these scenarios, panelists must judge the quality of your work based on the images alone. It may be the first time the panelists have ever seen your work.
Just like in other areas of our lives, first impressions matter here, too. Even if a panelist is familiar with your work, they are usually required to ignore this familiarity and judge the application on its own merits using scoring guides and rubrics. Poor documentation detracts from your ability to share your artistic vision and causes you to appear less professional.
Now, think of other times you’ve needed images of your work. Do you post your art on social media? Do you have a website devoted to your art? Photographic documentation can be used for these, too! Quality documentation preserves your work so you may still share it with the world in its digital form.
I also highly recommend building a digital archive of your art so you can access images of pieces you no longer have in your possession (e.g., sold artworks or ephemeral works made from materials that may decompose).
More on Digital Archiving
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The Cloud Ate My Homework: Why Artists and Arts Orgs Need a Digital Archive
Creating a digital archive can help you preserve your legacy, strengthen your storytelling, and make your work easier to access in the future.
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Archive Smarter: A Step-by-Step Guide to Digital Preservation
Every archive needs a plan. Learn how to evaluate what matters, organize your materials, and build a strategy that fits your creative or organizational goals without getting overwhelmed.
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Future You Says Thanks: Making Digital Archiving Part of Your Workflow
Learn how to build sustainable habits that help you stay organized and protect your work, one folder, filename, or upload at a time.
What You Need to Document Your Work
You need three basic components to successfully document your work: a camera, a light, and a non-distracting background. Below, I’ll give examples of how to use these components, as well as additional tools you may want to familiarize yourself with as you continue to build documentation into your practice.
Camera
If you have access to a digital SLR or mirrorless camera, wonderful! Learn the manual settings if you do not already know them, as this will help you to produce the best possible image of your work.
No standalone camera, no problem! Your smartphone’s camera can produce images on par with those of entry-level digital cameras. I suggest downloading a separate camera app (such as Lightroom’s mobile version) to override your phone’s built-in camera app and manually control the camera’s settings.
Light
I typically use two identical lights when documenting individual art objects.
If you do not have lights, you can strategically set up your work near a window to take advantage of natural light. Use a large piece of white foamcore to bounce the light from the window back at the art to reduce shadows. Turn off any overhead lighting. Try to photograph on an overcast day; the clouds act as a natural diffuser, providing even light for your work. On a day with little wind, you may photograph your art outside instead.
Background
The best background will be hardly noticeable. I prefer to use a white wall in my studio or a seamless paper backdrop hung from a pole and draped over a floor or a table. I recommend choosing grey or white, as both will bounce light onto your art, further reducing shadows. Black will absorb most of the light, and colorful backgrounds can reflect their colors onto your art. For two-dimensional work, you may crop the background out completely.
Additional Tools
Want to invest in documenting your art?
I recommend purchasing:
1)
A steady tripod
2) A camera with manual controls
3) A roll of white or grey seamless paper
4) At least two lights with light stands and some sort of diffuser (e.g., softboxes, umbrellas).
DIY Documentation Tips
2D Work
Typically, you want even light distribution for 2D work. For most objects, I set up two lights at a 45-degree angle from the center point (one on the left, one on the right). The farther you place the lights, the wider the light distribution will be. Placing the light too close to the art may create hot spots.
Always remove art from behind glass or plexiglass before photographing to avoid glare. If you use varnish, metallic paints, or anything that appears shiny, experiment with your light placement until the light appears even. You may have to place your lights slightly above your work, or at 90-degree angles.
3D Work
For 3D art objects, experiment with light placement. I start with one light slightly to the left of the camera, angled downward, and another light at a 45-degree angle on the right, level with the artwork. From here, I make minor adjustments to eliminate distracting shadows.
Other tips:
- Photograph 3D objects from multiple angles.
- Research how to use focus stacking (note: this only works with cameras that allow for manual focus).
- Create a custom box out of foamcore to place smaller objects in and to evenly bounce light around the artwork.
Camera Settings
These are the settings I recommend using when documenting art:
- Choose the lowest ISO possible to avoid visual “noise” (small, grainy dots throughout the image).
- Increase your shutter speed if you notice blur.
- If you need to use a slower shutter speed to reduce ISO, place your camera on a tripod.
- Begin with an aperture of f5.6 or f8. (Note: phone cameras have fixed apertures.)
- Set white balance manually.
Editing Your Photos
The benefits of documenting your own artwork are that you likely have access to the actual artwork while you are editing your photos! Use it as a reference. Try to match the image to the work itself as much as possible.
I primarily use Adobe Lightroom Classic for my edits. Occasionally, I open Photoshop to touch up the backdrop or create a composite image from focus-stacked shots.
Adobe offers a bundled subscription for Lightroom and Photoshop. To save money, subscribe for one month, edit all the images you have on hand, then cancel until you need the software again.
Alternatively, open-source software like Darktable is free! It works similarly to Lightroom.
Storing/Archiving Photos
Avoid losing files by creating backups. Every hard drive will fail eventually, even though they can last for many years. Always save your images in at least two separate places. I save mine on an external hard drive and in cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can keep a copy on your computer, too! For more information on archiving your files, check out this Ideas Hub series. (Link to article about archiving.)
Where and How to Use Your Photos
Applications for opportunities often have different requirements for submitting work samples. You will likely need to use a program like Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, or Darktable to export your files at different sizes.
Always save the original, unedited file! Create a duplicate file when you resize so you do not lose the original. Unless otherwise noted, save your files at 300 dpi for best quality (even for the web!).
Some applications will specify a total file size, while others will list the maximum pixel dimensions. Most applications request JPEGs, but read the requirements closely. The National Endowment for the Arts Project Grant currently asks for links to your website and a single PDF file with each visual art work sample on its own page.
Conclusion
When I first began documenting my own art, I felt overwhelmed by the process. Over time, my photographic documentation improved. I have used my art documentation to secure funding, apply to shows, and share my work on my website. I now offer documentation services to other artists! The more you photograph your art, the better you will get at producing quality images.
Start with the tools you have, practice photographing your work, and identify where you can improve. Documenting your own art is a skill worth honing, and doing it yourself will save you a lot of money!
Match Color with Reference Tool
For the best photographic color reproduction, use a neutral grey card or a color calibration device such as the one I use for Catherine Reinhart’s art. This method will help capture complex color details.
Shooting in RAW, the “Digital Negative”
RAW files give you the most flexibility for editing and produce the highest-quality image possible, especially when correcting white balance and color. These files often require specialized software to open, such as Adobe Lightroom or Darktable.
Learn more about RAW vs. JPEG