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The background you choose to photograph your work on may depend on your specific type of work. Neutral backgrounds such as gray, beige or black or the ever popular graduated photo paper often work best. These are widely available at photographic supply stores and are well worth the investment. Just note, they are delicate and need to be taken care of- wrinkles, scuffs and scratches can be unsightly in photographs.

Smooth fabric can also be used. But, if you use fabric, be wary of wrinkles and fold marks, they can be very distracting.

Some jewelers use translucent glass lit from beneath for that magazine ready look.

Some artists even choose to shoot their images in situ or in interesting venues such as their backyard. This can be done to great effect, but be careful that the background enhances rather than detracts from your work. And, some show juries can be rather conservative, so unless you know that they will not be put off by such images, it may be better to use a plainer backdrop for jury shots. The same goes for props- just make sure they play a supporting role rather than stealing the scene.

There are several approaches to composing a photograph of your artwork.

For jury slides, a simple compostion is probably best- center your work in the frame. Two dimensional work should be cropped to show only the work. Unusually shaped and three dimensional artwork should fill as much of the frame as possible.

For advertisements or other venues you may want to create a more interesting or dramatic compostion.

Either way, be wary of odd or unflattering angles.  Really look at the framed image in your camera lens as if it is a piece of art itself.

This tip applies mainly to all you 2d artists out there.

When you photograph your artwork, make sure the sides are in parallel. Sometimes paintings and other 2d images will look warped or fish-eyed in a photograph.

If you work is framed and the frame is not integral to the piece, consider photographing it unframed. Frames can present several problems: they often contribute the out of parallel effect, works under glass often have glares or reflections, and frames take up valuable real estate in your image that could be utilized by your actual artwork.

If you need to, it is often better to sacrifice a small sliver of your painting rather than to have a distracting slice of background in the frame.

Photo-editing software can help too. Many digital cameras come with scaled down version of software such as Photoshop elements. Additionally, there are several online services such as Picasa and Photoshop that offer basic editing tools like cropping for free. More complex programs such as Adobe Photoshop give you options to stretch or warp your images back into square, but they must be used with discretion so as not to alter your artwork too much.

Did you know that different types of light bulbs can create different color casts on your artwork?

Usually the most flattering light is daylight. Special daylight bulbs for photography are available. The can be a great addition to your indoor photography studio. It make take several lamps to get the results you want.

When I photograph my own artwork I find that shooting outside in natural light is often the best, easiest, and most economical solution. Shoot your images outside, out of direct sunlight- say on an overcast day or on the north side of a building when it’s sunnier (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere). This should result in an evenly lit image.

Either way you choose to photograph your work, watch out for harsh glares and deep shadows. They can be distracting.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when photographing their artwork is that they don’t get close enough. Their artwork becomes lost in a sea of seamless backdrop paper or other background distractions.

For 2d work that is square or rectangular, fill the viwefinder of your camera completely if you can. For 3d or irregularly shaped pieces, get as close to the subject as possible. If you can’t get in too close without losing your focus, you may need to use your camera’s “macro” setting or even a special close up lens.

The key is to fill the frame with your artwork. If you can’t do this when taking the photo, it is easy enough to crop out excess background using photo editing software. Professional programs such as Photoshop are great if you are going to do a lot of editing, but many digital cameras come with free basic software. Additionally, there are several online services such as Picasa and Photoshop that offer basic editing tools like cropping for free.