Taking a shot of a well known art piece may seem a task simple enough to carry out. However, in order to capture the beauty and uniqueness of the original artwork, as well as incorporate a range of innuendoes concerning the artist, the era that the art was created in, etc., very specific and high quality equipment is required.
More to the point, the default settings must be altered slightly in order to stress the unique features of the art in question. Speaking of the Hasselblad camera lens, one must also give credit to the developers for updating the lens line of the specified camera model; according to the existing description, the camera has a 4.8/24mm HDC lens (“HDC 4.8/24mm” para. 1).
To display the specifics of Dali’s and Picasso’s paintings fully and give the audience a clear concept of what the key features of the great artists’ styles are, a Hasselblad H5D with a standard lens will suffice, yet it is crucial to make sure that the surface is completely even (e.g., a cement floor) and that no vibrations occur in the process (Judovitz and Duchamp 127).
As far as the settings of the camera lens are concerned, it will be required to set the HASSELBLAD camera on the highest resolution possible (according to the information provided by the company producing the device, the properties of the camera allow for setting it at 6000 x 4000 or higher (file size: 72mb or more).
The company assures that the HDC lens concept allows for capturing the image impeccably and prevents from having any possible issues with stray light, light reduction, etc. Consequently, the color balance had to be maintained throughout the shooting process, which was achieved with the help of a strobe.
Moreover, the quality of the lens provided by Hasselblad is suited perfectly for taking pictures of artworks in specific conditions, such as during an exhibition: “Thanks to the T* anti-refection coating and internal stray light reduction treatments, these lenses produce unbeatable image contrast and color saturation” (“Lenses” para. 3).
Thus, very clear and accurate shots of the works by Picasso, Dega and Remington can be taken with the help of the camera in question. As far as the lighting is concerned, it is crucial that every single element of the artwork should be lit fully.
With high end art, such as the pictures by Dega, Picasso and Remington, it is essential that the color saturation of the photo should emphasize the characteristic features of the pictures; the slightest shift towards a deeper saturation or a sharper contrast will ruin the picture.
The camera was positioned in a specific manner so that the light could hit the artwork in question both from the left and from the right angle at exactly 45°. The white lights with polarized gels helped keep the colors clean and vivid. According to the official data provided by the producer, the camera is compatible with a number of similar products and has an impressive aperture:
Focal length: 24mm
Aperture range: ƒ/4.8 ~ ƒ/32
No. of elements / groups: 14/11
Focusing range: 38cm ~ Infinity
Magnification at close range: 1:9.7
Coverage at close range: 48x36cm
Filter diameter: 95mm
Compatibility: H4X, H2D, H3D, H3DII, H4D & H5D
Length: 100mm
Diameter: 99mm
Weight: 810g
Product number: 3023024. (“HDC 4.8/24mm” tables 1–2)
Making the camera steady and, therefore, facilitating the environment for a clear and well positioned shot of an artwork is essential for capturing the key characteristics of the latter. Therefore, the choice of the method of fastening the camera is essential.
In the course of taking shots of the art in question, the Foba stand was used. The specified type of stand allows for maintaining the camera perfectly horizontal, which sets the premises for using perspective properly in the course of shooting. As a result, the artwork gets an additional dept, which reveals the hidden innuendoes within the picture.
To be more specific, the Dega piece was shot at approximately 9”x13”, whereas the photo of Picasso’s works was taken at around 17”x23”. The picture painted by Remington, in its turn, was shot at approximately 28”x27”.
It should also be born in mind that taking a successful shot of an artwork is not quite enough for allowing the audience to enjoy the artistry of the picture and the genius of the painter. It is also crucial to store the picture properly so that the image should not deteriorate by fading out or losing certain properties, such as brightness, contrast, etc.
At this point, it should be noted that, with the integration of the latest technologies into the art of photography, there are two basic solutions. First and the most obvious concerns storing the images in a digital format on a hard disk, whereas the second one presupposes that the pictures could be printed and kept under specific conditions.
The latter choice is often dismissed as a rather unreliable and unnecessarily complicated. Indeed, when printed, pictures become especially vulnerable to the effects of the outside factors, such as dampness, heat, etc. Therefore, storing pictures in a digital format seems the most reasonable choice (Montabone 45).
As far as the type of file is concerned, the one that can be opened in a standard image editor is the first type that comes to mind. Indeed, this allows for editing the picture easily, accessing it with the help of a variety of software, etc. However, at this point, the issue concerning the resolution of the image must be born in mind.
The JPEG option must be dismissed immediately, as it does not allow for the high quality of the picture. A more acceptable PNG still has a few minor drawbacks, which make the PSD format a more reasonable choice. Indeed, PSD opens a plethora of opportunities for editing the picture in a Photoshop or any program of the kind, which is essential for putting a stronger emphasis on specific features of the artwork.
However, seeing that it is the quality of the image that matters in the given case, the TIFF format seems to be the most appropriate one. Alternatively, the image could be stored as a PDF document; however, in this scenario, the quality of the picture will suffer as well.
Despite the fact that the slightest changes in the lighting and positioning of an artwork may change the perception of the latter drastically, in order to take a high quality picture of a piece of art, a Hasselblad H5D with a standard lens is quite enough, as long as the camera is positioned steadily and fastened firmly, with several essential settings on it.
Though taking a picture of a preexisting art may seem a rather easy task, in fact, capturing the specifics of an artwork means being able to identify and emphasize its key features, which requires a rather impressive skill.
Works Cited
“HDC 4.8/24mm.” Hasselblad. 2014. Web.
Judovitz, David and Mary Duchamp. Drawing on Art: Duchamp and Company. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, 2010. Print.
“Lenses.” Hasselblad. 2014. Web.
Montabone, Sebastian. Beginning Digital Image Processing: Using Free Tools for Photographers. New York, NY: Apress, 2010. Print.