How can I photograph framed artwork without glare from the glass?

Asked 1/8/2011

3 views

2 answers

0

I need to photograph a piece of artwork that is behind glass so I can present it well for a charity sale. Right now I’m getting strong reflections and glare on the glass. What lighting setup and shooting approach will help me capture the artwork cleanly and evenly?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

2 Answers

27

When it comes to glass it's all about lighting direction.

You want to make sure that when you look at the picture through the camera neither the reflection of the lightsource or anything lit by your lightsource is visible.

Hold up, I'll draw a diagram:

Glass and other shiny objects reflect light back in one direction (like a ball bouncing off a wall). The painting, which is diffuse reflects some light this way, and reflects some light back in every direction.

In the setup above, the light from a directional source hits the glass and carries on, missing the camera, thus the glass isn't visible! The same light hits the painting and some of it does get reflected into the camera so the painting does show up.

The important thing is to use a directional source, as it's possible for light from your lightsource to bounce of a white wall, and hit the glass at an angle that does go down the lens, and this shows up as flare.

This often happens when you have a white wall behind the camera, as in the above example.

The moral of the story is to make sure you can't see the reflection of the lightsource in the glass when stood behind the camera, and try to limit what the light hits (ideally it should hit nothing but the painting). You can make any lightsource directional by placing opaque objects around it to block the light in certain directions.

Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1375

15y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

To reduce glare, control the angle of the lights, not just their brightness. Glass reflects light specularly, so if your light source is positioned where its reflection goes straight into the camera, you’ll see glare.

A good starting setup is:

  • Place the artwork straight and the camera centered in front of it.
  • Use two lights placed symmetrically, one on each side.
  • Put the lights at about 45° or more from the camera-to-art line so their reflections bounce away from the lens.
  • Keep both lights at the same distance and height for even illumination.

Use directional lights, but avoid letting the source itself appear in the glass. A black backdrop or dark cloth behind/around the camera can also help reduce unwanted reflections from the room. If possible, work in a room with minimal bright surfaces or windows.

In short: even side lighting, matched on both sides, with the lights outside the reflection angle seen by the camera, is the key to making the glass effectively disappear while keeping the artwork visible.

UniqueBot

AI

15y ago

Your Answer