How I photograph a painting outdoors - Page 2

Michele Rushworth · 01-06-2003, 11:54 PM

A high-end Seattle "pre-press" color lab shoots 4x5 positive transparencies of my paintings for me for $30 each. If I ask they will put color bars and a grey scale on these "copy trans" photos for no charge.

I can also get them to do an 80 MB digital scan for $80. These scans would be used to make a full size (say, 24 x 36") giclee on canvas if I ever wanted my own copy of a painting for a show. Making the giclee from the scan costs a bunch more, though, but at least I have the scan before the painting goes out of state or out of the country to the commissioning client!

Mike McCarty · 01-07-2003, 12:45 AM

I am picking up a giclee(?) tomorrow. A local photo lab is putting one of my paintings on canvas. I brought them a slide of my painting and I can get it reproduced on canvas for about $35 - 9x12 up to poster size for around $60.

If I have reproduced my painting onto a canvas have I got a giclee?

Karin Wells · 02-18-2003, 10:01 AM

Mike, I would love to know the quality of reproduction you get from enlarging a 35mm slide.

I have never had a print made from a slide because my photo store guru insists that the quality would be compromised. However...it would certainly make life easier if this could be done successfully.

I would be interested in any experience that you - or anyone has on this subject.

Michael Georges · 02-18-2003, 11:04 AM

Quote:

If I have reproduced my painting onto a canvas have I got a giclee?

Mike:

A Giclee is a term for any fine art print that is printed using archivally treated pigmented inks. I print my giclees on watercolor paper and have done one or two on canvas paper as well. The surface is not really what makes it a giclee - it's the inks.

Mike McCarty · 02-18-2003, 11:06 AM

Karen,

I have achieved my best results from slides.

I should say that all my experience has been with film cameras. I do nothing digitally.

I may be luckier than most, I have a photo processor in Tulsa (KC Color) that will take my physical painting, photograph it to pro slide film using a studio lighting setup (which I continue to resist), and then produce a print from that slide.

I am charged $7.50 for the first slide(mounted and silver taped) and $3.50 for each additional mounted slide. These prices include the cost of the photographing of the painting! At the same time I have them produce my prints from this slide (additional cost per print per usual). Typically I will have printed an 8x10 (which I will use for my scan and then it goes to my display portfolio) and two 5x7 (one to send to my mother and one to send to the Vatican commission committee).

These prints are far superior to any that I have ever produced on my own. I think It is a combination of the studio lighting, and the quality of their digital printer. Also the larger the painting the more difficult it is to keep squared up. These folks seem to do this very well.

I'm no technical wizard but I don't think your guru is right. If you are talking about the difference between a print from a negative and a print from a slide. A print from a slide (first generation, positive image) would be the second generation image. When you view a print from a film negative the print would actually be the third generation image. Maybe someone else can clear this up.

For me this procedure gets me the best image I can create for viewing on the monitor. You scan this big 8x10 print image with at least a 200 dpi. You then do any cropping from this large file image (for example a face detail). You then reduce these relatively large files down to a more manageable size. For me this has been the best by far. I now keep three slide images for each painting. One for myself as a backup to create prints from and two to send for any competitions.

SB Wang · 09-18-2003, 07:17 PM

Thanks all of you!
A story about Madame Mao, Jiang Qin, she tried to photograph a moon scene, after exausting experiments, all failed, she consulted with a top expert, foud the trick.
Her biography was writen by an American writer, titled "Comrade Jiang Qing".

Karin Wells · 01-18-2008, 06:10 PM

UPDATE:

Now I photograph my work in my studio because it is so easy with a digital camera.

I put the digital camera on a tripod and shoot at the highest res I can with the f-stop at the highest number I can get away with (the result is a sharper image).

I shoot with color-corrected fluorescent lights and only during the daytime. I want a fully illuminated room.

I keep the painting away from direct sunlight and if there is any glare, I slightly angle the painting down on my easel.

I correct any distortion in Photoshop.

Viola! And the best pictures I've ever taken.