First of Four in the painting series "Checkmate At Dawn"
First of Four in the painting series "Checkmate at Dawn"
This isn't a very good photograph, the mix of bone black and ultramarine blue in the dark areas is still glossy and is reflecting the light giving it a hazy gray appearance in this picture instead of the deep, dark blue intended and as really shows up in the actual painting. But it's the only one I have for now, at least that I can find. One thing about digital photography, and if you've got a digital camera, get ready for this. Since you don't have to pay for developing photos with digi, before long, you'll have thousands and thousands of pictures. Having a great catalogue system is a must, as I say, "one cat a log". You've also got to have some great archival software that you're prepared to upgrade. One idea is to put it on your website as an on line reference for you and your friends (just remember, internet pictures are a lower quality than print-quality ones you may have taken with the camera; keep backups-- good time to get a d.v.d. recorder).
This is one very important reason to be a collector or go to art galleries and museums. The human eye (and possibly other highly visually attuned animals) is just about the only thing, in conjunction with the human brain, that can really and truly see an oil painting. The medium is that bizarre. Try it. Reproductions of artwork, properly done, are very costly for the company that makes them and photographers of paintings, oil paintings in particular, are very professional, top-of-the-line, and almost always very, very highly paid. The co-ordinate, using the amassed knowledge and experience they have painstakingly acquired, along with pure talent and ability, specially selected and measured lighting with special films that are almost a matter of their professional taste as technical knowledge. And even the best of these, though incredibly great, is by comparison with the person actually looking at the real painting, categorized as necessary.
Good, but no cigar.
Digital is a big help in advancement in photographing artwork, though I doubt if it could be used to make reproductions, for example, in the printing of a poster of the painting for, say, a museum shop or something. Not knowing how to co-ordinate the Kelvin rating of special lighting apparatus with the chemistry and speed of the film I need to use in my single-lens-reflex camera, I have to go about using my digital (one of them) in sunlight. That's the safest way to photograph if you're too poor, as I am (at least for now) to afford a photographer.
Click here to go to the next in the series of four, Checkmate at Dawn.
Click here to go to the Checkmate at Dawn basic page.
Click here to go to Premonitions of The Checkmate at Dawn.