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The West Australian Fibre & Textile Association is an arts collective for creatives who have a passion for innovation, craftsmanship, knowledge and networking.

PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE

Guidelines, tips, and photographers' contacts

 

Quality photography will ensure your work is seen at its best for inclusion in the on-line ReGEN exhibition catalogue. Whether you engage a professional photographer, or photograph your work yourself, the mantra is: allow ample time. Work backwards from the entry deadline, and incorporate the photography component as part of your artwork completion process. 

 

Non-exhaustive selection of professional photography services (by region and in alphabetical order):

Greater Perth region:

Mandurah & Peel region: 

Denmark/Albany

Greater Geraldton region:

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If you are not using a professional photographer, the following guidelines and tips may assist in getting the most out of your camera when photographing your work. Ask for advice if anything is not clear; this helps avoid confusion later on. 

Camera setup

  • Use a good digital camera/phone (minimum 3 Megapixels is helpful). 
  • A tripod and self-timer are a good idea to keep photos sharp.
  • Turn off camera flash.
  • Set the camera for the highest quality available and the highest resolution that delivers JPG images, at around 3Mb in size. For the more technically minded: use manual setting for white balance (match current lighting conditions – sun, overcast etc) and switch off camera settings that increase contrast and enhance sharpness.

 

Setting up for the photo shoot

When photographing your artwork, use diffuse, bright light that is evenly spread (not in direct sunlight or at night). A simple option is to place your work near a window with a white sheet or white cardboard on the opposite side so that light is reflected and bounces from various directions. 

Avoid shadows unless they are a deliberate part of the artwork’s structure and display. Harsh shadows (the result of direct light, rather than diffuse light) are not good.

Use a white or light neutral coloured backdrop – a large piece of paper or fabric for example. This needs to be large enough to fill the whole background of the photo, be clean, seamless, and not be wrinkled. A set of images should generally share the same background.

When photographing 3D plinth-based works (or similar), use a seamless background by attaching a white sheet of paper to the wall and draping down onto a table to avoid a visible join line between table and wall.

Always position the camera/phone to be central and parallel to the artwork. If it is tricky to shoot your work 'face-on' or upright (on the wall), you can photograph it laying it on the floor (using a white piece of paper or card), but make sure to position your camera parallel to the edges of the work (i.e. shooting from right above and not at an angle).

For artworks behind glass, we strongly advise that the work is photographed prior to framing. 

 

Image quality & submitting images

Do not adjust, convert or edit images prior to submission unless you have specific technical expertise in this area. Avoid making changes such as colour correction, resizing, cropping, or resampling/resaving images as this can reduce the resolution and image quality, especially in JPEG format. 

Images must be submitted in JPEG format, at 300dpi. An average of around 2480 pixels x 3508 pixels is the preference for image size (equal to an A4 page); this will allow for possible image printing as part of the exhibition's promotion and marketing (posters, etc.).

Please submit a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 images of your entry, with the following guidelines:

  • A full image of the work in its entirety, with edges/borders included.
  • A detailed image of a small section of the work.
  • Images must be of completed work and not work in progress.
  • The work should appear as you wish it to be reproduced in the catalogue and other media.
  • Images must be in JPG format. File size should be minimum of 1 MB and maximum of 6 MB per image.
  • Title your image files with your first initial, your last name and the word “full” or “detail”. For example, ASmithFull  and ASmithDetail. If submitting more than one full or one detail image, list it as (for example) ASmithDetail1, ASmithDetail2.
  • Do not add your name, watermark, or any other text to the image itself.
  • Do not crop, enhance, or alter the original images.

 

For any questions, email the ReGEN committee, at exhibitions@wafta.com.au and we will respond as soon as we can. 

June 2024
 

CHANGE LOG:

13/6/2024 Image quality & submitting images: Reference to CMYK colour removed and minimum file size reduced to 1MB.