How can I get accurate color when photographing paintings, especially reds?
Asked 7/5/2014
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I’m photographing my paintings and want the colors to be as accurate as possible, but I’m having trouble with reds, especially in paintings that are mostly red and don’t include strong contrasting colors. Would lens filters help, or is there a better way to improve color accuracy when photographing artwork digitally?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
8
Probably not. Color filters can be useful when you want to get a certain look in a black and white photograph, but usually don't enhance color. That's because they are inherently restrictive — they subtract colors from the scene.
Probably what you need is a) better lighting on the painting and b) to shoot in Raw so you can make careful adjustments to bring out those subtle differences in reds.
It's a good idea to color-calibrate your monitor, and the suggestion of working with a color target for accurate color isn't a bad one. And, definitely do not use automatic white balance — set it manually to the color of your light source, or use a gray card.
I should also mention that a filter can help with one thing: if your paintings are reflective (oil paints, say), using a polarizing filter on your light source and on the camera may be helpful. There's a good tutorial on that at http://chsopensource.org/2013/02/27/polarized-light-photography-for-art-documentation/. but from your description, this isn't the issue you are dealing with.
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Lens filters usually won’t improve color accuracy for artwork. Most color filters subtract parts of the spectrum, which is the opposite of what you want when reproducing a painting faithfully.
The more useful approach is color management and controlled lighting:
- use even, consistent lighting on the painting
- shoot in RAW so you can fine-tune white balance and color later
- avoid auto white balance, which may “correct away” red if the frame is dominated by it
- set white balance manually, or photograph a white/gray reference card in the same light and use that as your correction reference
- for higher accuracy, include a color target such as a ColorChecker and build/apply a profile for that lighting setup
- calibrate your monitor so your edits are trustworthy
A polarizing filter can help only in a different way: reducing glare/reflections on glossy or oily paint surfaces. It is not a general fix for inaccurate color.
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