5) Digital Camera for Preview Shots of Artworks

A digital camera is valuable for taking preview shots. This enables you to establish the best background and lighting to use without using any slide film. It’s also invaluable for selecting the best views of your artwork. I find it difficult to select the best views during an actual slide shoot. I "know" too much about the artwork, so my mind discounts what I’m seeing through the viewfinder in favor of what I "know" it really looks like.

So I take previews with the digital. As long as I’m using full lighting (two 500-watt photo bulbs) I can handhold the digital camera. So I can quickly take just about all the possible views that might work. I gradually rotate the sculpture to shoot all sides, taking shots at various heights as I go.

I also take digital photos of various views of "detail shots" I might want to use.

Then I download the photos to my computer with a card reader. I can view all the shots as a slide show, making notes about the best ones. If I’m still not sure, I can print out all or selected shots as a "catalog" from my image management program, Thumbs Plus.

It helps to view the preview shots from a distance as well as close up. The closeup view shows details, but the distance view shows the overall composition and impact. This can be more important in selecting the best views to use.

Once I’ve selected the best views, I print them out at about half-page size. I use Paint Shop Pro for this because it makes it easy to arrange two images on a page. Quite a few photo software programs do the same thing.

Having the best view printed out as a guide, makes the actual slide shooting session a relative breeze. It enables me to place the artwork at the best angle to the camera. Then I can adjust the tripod height and camera angle to frame the shot.

After taking my first rolls of practice slides this go-round, I realized that of all the factors that make up a good slide, the view is by far the most important. Composition makes more difference than anything else. You can bracket for exposure, and play with lighting as you go. But if the composition isn’t good, or the view of the artwork makes it look awkward or distorted or confusing, no other factor can make up for this.

Read the digital camera reviews at:

• Steve’s Digicams

• Phil Askey’s dpreview (where you can also find forums on specific brands and models)

I wouldn’t think of buying a new digital camera without having read its reviews on both these sites. Once you’ve narrowed the field to the best options, you may want to do a google search on each model you’re considering, to find more messages and sites about it.

The newsgroup, rec.photo.digital, is also well worth reading before buying a new camera. You’ll find out its best and worst points. It’s good to know these in advance. No camera is perfect, so there will be disadvantages to any model you choose. With knowledge of these in advance, you can choose the camera whose disadvantages that bother you the least.

I use my digital camera primarily for "inspiration photos" so I need it handy at all times. I’ve learned that I prefer a digital camera small enough to keep in my pants pocket all my waking hours. Otherwise, I won’t bother to keep it at hand all the time and will miss shots I want.

After using a Canon s110 for several years, I moved up to the s400 recently. I can see the difference in image sharpness. Also it has a custom white balance setting, useful when doing the preview shots under 3200K photo lights. And it will take movies up to 3 minutes long, so I can film videos of my sculptures rotating on an electric turntable base, showing them from all sides. This is a useful addition to the website.

In the spring of 2004, Canon is coming out with newer versions of this pocket camera, with better closeup capability and higher resolution. Reviews aren’t out as I write this, but the new models look promising. The s500 might be the best yet.