I have been deep into the artworld for years, as my sister was an artist.

I have designed sites for quite a few artists, and ALL of them take their
own
photos.  Most of the artists I deal with sell their art from Galleries, and
not from their websites.  They have the websites more as a brochure about
themselves, and like dealing with selling their work first hand. Most of
them
also have been taking photos of their own art for years as this is ususally
how they send samples for inclusion in alot of competitions.

Some of the artists I deal with are Fine Artists whos paintings are so
expensive, that their
clientele  are the type that like to view the art in their homes before they
make the decision to buy.
Because painting under different lighting conditions can look different.
Getting it home and
making sure it looks good in their lighting can  make or break a sale.

So the images of the art on the site is for a teaser only.. it isn't meant
to be dead on, only
a close representation of the peice.    I don't think I would ever buy a
painting off the web
site unseen as they never look like they do in photos.

So going to the expense of hiring a pro-photographer is overkill to me.
Most "galleries" do go to the trouble of using professional photo
techniques, but not
all.

Nancy


> > Anyone have advice about finding a photographer to take
> > pictures of the products? What kind of photographer
> > experience should I look for? Are there photographers who
> > specialize in taking photos of artwork?
>
> This depends on the financial realm the artist inhabits. If she currently
> sells her work for $200 a whack, spending big bucks on gorgeous
photography
> may not be in the budget. Most working artists know how to take basic
photos
> of their own work; it comes with the territory. I built and maintain a
site
> for a portraitist (http://members.aol.com/katrinahintze) who lives
thousands
> of miles away from me. She photographs her work with a digital camera and
> e-mails it to me; I do some color correction (to a best guess of the
> original's hue and intensity) and sharpen the images when sizing them for
> the site.
>
> Could the images look a lot better with professional photography? Yes, but
> she can't afford that and this seems to work well for her.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Anna Peekstok
> Seattle, WA

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