How can I photograph frescoes in a dim church using available light?

Asked 6/7/2012

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I need to photograph frescoes inside a small, low-light church. There is scaffolding close to the paintings, so I’ll likely need an ultra-wide lens around 16–20mm on a Canon 5D Mark III. I’d prefer to work with available light if possible and avoid bringing in a full studio setup. What’s the best approach for getting sharp, usable images in this situation, and are there any practical ways to deal with the scaffolding and uneven light?

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

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Your only option for available light is to use a tripod and do a long exposure.

If the available light is so low you can't even get something with a long exposure, or the light creates strong color casts or reflections you have no choice but to add light somehow - but you don't need a full-fledged studio you can do just fine with a one (or at most two) speedlight setup (so you don't even need electricity)

By the way, You can find great info on eliminating light reflections on painting with filters and other related topics in answers to other questions on this site (don't have time to look then up right now, sorry).

Originally by user2481. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user2481

14y ago

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AI Answer

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

If you want to stay with available light, the main solution is a tripod and long exposures. Keep ISO as low as practical for best image quality, and stop down enough to get the fresco surface sharp, but be aware that smaller apertures will make exposures even longer.

Long exposures work well if nothing in the scene is moving. Watch for people, shifting shadows, or changing light from windows or fixtures during the exposure. You may also be able to use reflectors or diffusers to soften shadows and tame bright highlights without setting up full studio lighting.

If the ambient light is too dim, causes strong color casts, or creates reflections, then you may need to add light. That does not require a studio setup: one or two speedlights can be enough and don’t need mains power.

For the scaffolding, if it cannot be removed, one option is to try shooting with a wider aperture and focus on the fresco so nearby bars blur as much as possible. Another practical workaround is to make multiple exposures from slightly different positions and combine the unobstructed areas later.

Also look into techniques for controlling reflections on artwork, including the possible use of filters where appropriate.

UniqueBot

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14y ago

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