Any photographic image of a work of art is only a representation of the actual work. When taking slides, you must do your best to clearly and accurately describe the artwork within the limitations of the slide format. The more care you take with this process, the better the appearance of your work. Here are a few guidelines:

• Use a decent quality 35mm camera with a 50mm or macro lens.
• Always use a neutral background, unless the background is part of the piece itself (as in installation works). Otherwise, a solid white, gray, or black background makes it easiest to see your work without distraction.
• Fill the viewfinder of the camera with the artwork. Show as little as possible of the background.
• Match the film with the light source recommended. If you don’t, your slides may end up with an unpleasant orange or blue cast. Slides shot outdoors should be taken on clear days between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. with daylight slide film. Slides shot indoors with tungsten lighting should be taken with tungsten film. No other light should be present in the room when using tungsten film.
• Never photograph artwork in fluorescent light.
• Use a film speed between 50 and 160 ASA/ISO for the best results. Films with lower speed (or ASA/ISO numbers), such as Kodachrome 25 have better resolution, color saturation, and contrast, but require a great deal of light. Films with higher speeds (ASA/ISO 200 to 400) have more grain and offer less detail.
• Shooting with higher f-stops (smaller apertures) increases the "depth of field." This means it is easier to keep three-dimensional works in focus with faster film (100 to 160 ASA/ISO) or with more available light, because you'll be able to use f 8, f16, or f22 instead of f 4 or f5.6.
• Never photograph artwork through glass or Plexiglas. Unframe flat works before shooting slides of them.
• Slide films naturally have slight color preferences. Kodachrome 25, for example, shifts slightly red. Warm-colored works often look very good when photographed with this film. Ektachrome, on the other hand, shifts slightly to the blue. Try several types of film to find the one that suits your work.
• Make sure that your piece is “squared up” in the view finder — i.e., that the camera is not tilted up or down, thereby causing the work to take on a trapezoid shape in the slide.
• Use a tripod and cable release or self-timer whenever possible to be more assured of focused slides.
• Take slides early in the school year to allow for learning and reshooting.

Some helpful resources include:

• Photographing Your Artwork, 2nd edition, by Russell Hart; Buffalo, NY: Amherst Media, 2001
• Photographing Your Craftwork: A Hands-On Guide for Craftspeople, by Steve Meltzer; Wilmington, DE: Crafts Report, 1997

See more Frequently Asked Questions.