FINE ART REPRODUCTION

This workshop can also be time-shifted for anyone unable to attend on the days it is presented, or time zone is too offset to comfortably attend in real time.

This intermediate-advanced workshop develops the practical skills and critical understanding needed for the successful photographic documentation of 2D and 3D works of art, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, manuscripts, books, costumes, jewellery, glassware, and photographs. The workshop includes the staging, lighting, exposure, processing, archiving, and colour management and editing of files for limited-edition reproduction or publication in print and online. While state-of-the-art equipment is used during the workshop, particular emphasis is placed on achieving the best possible results with your own equipment in your own studio.  Specific topics that have been covered in this workshop include:

Reproduction Theory
• Reproducing colour and form
• Illusion versus fact
• Colour representation in a digital workflow
• ISO viewing, display, and capture standards
• ICC and DCP camera/scanner profiling and ISO standards

Reproduction Practice
• Reprographic lenses – resolution, contrast and MTF curves
• Diffraction, distortion, chromatic aberration and optimum apertures
• XY scanning, single shot, multi-shot cameras, and tethered capture
• Lights, lighting and controlling reflection
• Greyscales, rulers/scales and quality control targets

Photographing 2D Works
• Geometry, alignment and scale
• Flat lighting flat works
• Scene calibration and lens cast calibrations
• Reproducing surfaces, textures and colours
• Drawings, paintings, prints, books and multi-camera cradles

Photographing 3D Works
• Perspective – drawing with a lens
• Depth of field calculations, focus stacking, and exposure stacking
• Diffuse, direct, and polarised reflections and the family of angles
• Lighting highlights, shade, shadows and the third dimension
• Lighting for photogrammetry and 3D modelling

Reproduction Workflows
• Creating Archival Assets and Derivatives
• Scene referred capture
• File formats RAW, DNG, TIFF and JPEG, file naming, and keywords
• Adapting black & white points, contrast ratios, depth and dimensionality
• Working with equipment we already have

Derivative Production
• Soft proofing advantages and limitation
• Converting to sRGB for web distribution
• RGB to CMYK, greyscale, and spot colour conversions
• ISO and 3DAP publishing standards
• 3D Output and Access (AR, VR, Screen)

The workshop is broadcast live from our working reprographic studio, where objects and images are photographed, processed, distributed and output for web, press, and print-on-demand services.  Video conferencing and remote desktop software enable the entire reprographic workflow from lighting and capture, to the preparation of archival assets and fit-for-purpose derivatives to be critically investigated. Attendees are encouraged to share examples of their reprographic work, particularly any issues or problems they are encountering, as well as examples of objects and images they need to photograph and reproduce.

The workshop is also supported by a resource rich website including detailed course notes, videos, and images.

Updated 21 June 2023