How to Take Better Reference Photos for Your Next Art Project
Taking photos to create a drawing or painting from is a little different than taking them for memories. In general, the more information there is in the pictures I have, the more information (detail) I can put in a drawing or painting. Below are some general tips on taking photos for an art project.
1. Pay attention to the light source
The first thing I always ask myself when I take a photo is “where is the main light source?”. If you are outside during the day, it will be the sun. If you are indoors, it will probably be a window or a lamp.
If at all possible, position the camera between the light source and the subject. Try not to position the subject between the light source and the camera. If you do, you may end up silhouetting the subject and much of the detail will be lost. Positioning the subject so the light is coming from the side can create some interesting contrast effects if done properly.
2. Take a lot of photos
When I was taking photography in college, we shot with film. Film and developing was costly so deciding what was worth taking photos of was partially a financial decision. Nowadays with digital photography, the cost of photos is basically zero. A good photographer will take dozens of photos to get the one great image that has the timing and composition they are looking for.
Therefore I tell people to not be afraid to take a lot of photos! You never know what detail you will get out of an extra shot or two. I’d rather have too much information than not enough. Take photos in different lighting. Take photos that focus on a particular area or aspect of something.
3. Avoid busy backgrounds
Bust backgrounds act like camouflage. Go on to Pinterest and look at photos of food. Notice how a lot of them have a tight focus on the food and a blurry background? You can see the texture and color of the food without being distracted by a detailed background. Sometimes this can’t be helped but whenever possible shoot your subject on a simple background.
4. Take some photos with the whole subject in the frame and other photos zoomed-in to get the details
When I’m taking photos of my kid’s sports, at first I try to zoom-in slightly less than I think I need to. This ensures that I will at least get their whole body in the picture. After that, I can get creative and zoom in tighter.
If you want me to draw or paint something for you, be sure its in the photo. After that, zoom in on details. Follow tip #2 and take lots of photos. When you take each photo, think of what that particular shot is supposed to show.