Digital Literacy: A practical guide to photographing your own artwork

Tutor: Katy Beveridge

Sunday 21st May at 10:00am 4:00pm

This workshop is a guide for anyone who would like to improve their confidence & skills to capture and share pictures of their artwork, for submissions to shows, or for websites and social channels . 

We will help you make the most of the camera you have, be it a phone, digital camera or a DSLR. Taking a practical approach to using natural light and materials to photograph your work, what to look for and what to avoid when lighting, how to frame up an image with some basic rules for cropping and editing. 

We will also cover what file formats to use, how to send large files and how to transfer between different mediums without compromising quality. 

The intention of this workshop is for participants to come away feeling confident in taking photos using devices available to them and then sharing those images in a digital format. This workshop is not about creating a specific piece of work, it’s about gaining digital literacy and useful tools that can then help in your everyday practice. 

Throughout the day there will be space for anyone to ask questions and get feedback on specific issues they might have experienced. 

To book a place with Eventbrite click here

Day Plan 

Each person should bring a piece of artwork, this can be 2D (a painting, print, drawing, artwork) or 3D (a sculpture, products, jewellery, ceramics etc)  + the camera they would most likely use normally. Phone cameras are usually great quality nowadays and allow you to edit your image as well, phone cameras are more than welcome, if you have a digital camera or a DSLR you would prefer to use that’s fine, all of the principles we’re learning will still apply. 

Please be mindful of size, please make sure your artwork of a size and scale that one person could carry on their own. 

Shoot

What to aim for / avoid when lighting for 2D & 3D artwork 

– shadows, diffusions, focus, scale 

– using natural light in your home / studio

We will make two simple set-up’s in which to photograph your work; one using natural light from the window & one using a house lamp. The idea is to create soft diffused light that allows you to photograph your work evenly. 

Both set ups will be something you can replicate at home. We will use things such as a net curtain, a sheet and white card to diffuse and control the light around your piece (all materials will be provided). We’ll cover how to frame the shot, use a grid system on the phone/camera and check focus. 

Edit

Once everyone has a picture we will talk through some basic edit options. How to crop, resizing and using filters.

Pixels & file types  

We will discuss how pixels relate to image resolution, and what you can usually expect your phone or camera resolution to be. Some basic rules of what is considered ‘high resolution’ and ways to check your images. Katy will also talk through image file types; JPEGs, TIFFs, HEIC, PNG and PDF

We will cover difference between ‘working files’ and exported files and which to send when & sizing images for websites- we’ll cover some basic rules about how big or small to have your images for uploading to your own website. 

Transfers 

– useful transfer websites for sending image links 

– transferring between devices, phone, laptop without loosing quality 

About Katy Beveridge 

Katy is a commercial photographer. She graduated from Central Saint Martins with a degree in Graphic Design and has taught at The Courtauld institute, Central Saint Martins, UWE- Bristol. Katy has a studio in Edinburgh where she shoots video and photos. 

http://www.katybeveridge.com

£55.00 + Eventbrite fee
Upper Flat, Ladybank Station House, Victoria Street
Ladybank, Fife KY15 7JT United Kingdom
View Venue Website

3 responses to “Digital Literacy: A practical guide to photographing your own artwork

  1. Sylvia Scott avatar
    Sylvia Scott

    I have just bought a Canon 6D MK11.
    I am a beginner to photography, could this workshop be of help to me or am I trying to run before I can walk? Can you advise please?

    1. Claire Heminsley avatar
      Claire Heminsley

      Hello Sylvia
      Thank you for your query. I will ask Katy Beveridge and get back to you asap!
      Best wishes
      Claire Heminsley

  2. Anne Carlaw avatar
    Anne Carlaw

    Can I bring a framed painting or must it be unframed? Do I need an iPad or a laptop as well?

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