I agree, cross polarization with standard, approx 25cm heads and large polarizer sheets on each head oriented the same way. You can't really use tungsten lights as the sheets will be damaged and they are fairly pricey. Studio flash heads or monoblocs with modelling lights are the way to go. Just watch out the modelling lights themselves don't damage your pola sheets. This method will give you by far the clearest, most saturated/accurate results. The only thing is with textured oil paintings it can kill the surface texture so you lose that 3D effect. Just back off the lens polarizer a bit. If you can't manage the polarizers on the lights (cost/availability etc) a naturally polarized light sourc is the sun. As long as you have a sunny day and a polarizer on the lens you can do it in 10-15mins outside, probably handheld, compared to an hour or so setting up and packing down indoors. For very valuable articles proffessional archivists are very chary of having any sort of strong concentrated lighting anywhere near artworks. You then setup with a dummy, turn off modelling, insert original, and check for any frame shadows etc then expose. Don't forget to do a whitebalance. For archiving you also include a ruler, grey scale and colour patches out of frame but in the shot and this does not get croppped off unless the finished file is being finally cropped for repro/ catalogue etc. Regards, Frank Styevko from OZ
----- Original Message ----- >From: "Jonathan Coleman" Subject: [PRODIG] Photographing Paintings behind glass > > I have been asked by a friend, to photograph his valuable painting > digitally. It is framed behind glass and cannot be removed. > > I will be using my diffuse studio lighting to do this, but is there > anything else I need to bear in mind, either when shooting or in the PS > manipulation afterwards? =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
