Artwork behind glass

JSPhotography

I need to take pics of artwork framed behind glass. How do I handle the glare and reflection issues?

pathfinder

Polaroid filter on your lens, and if you still have glare and reflection issues, perhaps a pair of Polaroid film filters over your lights, both at 45 degrees from the shooting angle.

JSPhotography

Wow, just a polarizor? I was expecting something much more complex.

ziggy53

JSPhotography wrote: »

Wow, just a polarizor? I was expecting something much more complex.

Pathfinder is pretty complex. clap

Edit: ... in a multifaceted, "Renaissance Man" kinda way.

Dogdots

pathfinder wrote: »

Polaroid filter on your lens, and if you still have glare and reflection issues, perhaps a pair of Polaroid film filters over your lights, both at 45 degrees from the shooting angle.

Wow .. never thought of that .. you are so smart

Ohiohiker

The easiest way is to take the glass out. I photograph some of my custom framing without the glass then add the glass before delivery to the client. The other option I use is to place 2 flashes fired into umbrella's at about a 45 degree angle. You also must use a shutter speed that kills the ambient so you don't get glare from ambient light. Like everything else just start photographing a framed piece on your wall and practice till you get it right.

pathfinder

Excellent suggestions, Chris.

I hesitated to suggest removing the glass, because I thought that was not an option. But if the glass can be dispensed with, that is the best approach.

Large, soft flash light sources off angle with a fast enough shutter speed to kill ambient is exactly right.

I photographed a large collage for my sister in law recently, using two soft boxes with electronic flash approximately 45 degrees off axis, at 1/200th sec, in a dim room and had no problems with glare from the glossy image, altho I was quite concerned it might be an issue. It was not. I did not need a polarizer with this setup, but glass is worse, because it has two reflecting surfaces, not one.

JSPhotography

Tried the polarizor, didn't work. Glare was pretty severe on the first so I tried a couple other pieces but no go. Wasn't a very expensive polarizor, not sure if that matters.

Taking the glass out is not an option. We do photograph the wifes artwork before it is framed for making prints. We can't dissassemble others artist's work at our gallery.

Lights - need to purchase more stuff. That could be fun. I currently only have one flood with an umbrella and one flash. Convincing the wife that they will look good using flash could be difficult. I tried using my external flash with a diffuser and bounced off the ceiling and she did not like it.

Don Kondra

With polarizers you do get what you pay for. It cost me $16 to find out

Then I purchased a Hoya Pro 1 for $125.

Don't mean to be rude but I have to ask, did you turn the polarizer for maximum effect ?

Generally speaking it will be most effective if the lights are from the sides..

You say you are using a flood light ? What type ?

It would help if you posted an image of the piece and the set up.

Did you try the off camera flash bounced off the ceiling without the diffuser ?

Can you borrow another off camera flash and shoot with them behind umbrella's from the sides ?

Cheers, Don

pathfinder

As mentioned, you want the ambient light dim, dim enough not to cause reflections.

If your primary light sources are at 45 degrees, then the reflections from your primary light sources will not be captured by your camera. Large soft light sources will be better than small, hard light sources.

A good polarizing filter will help as well.