Using Garden at Night - Studio Too Small For Lighting Larger Oil Paintings?

Two_In

Two_In

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I've had trouble photographing a larger oil painting of 150cm across. My studio is too small and I couldn't get my flash lights far enough away from the painting - had large hotspots on either side of the painting in the resulting photos. It occurred to me that I might use the garden at night as a studio? Does this make sense? I'd be able to pull the lights farther away from the larger paintings. Using daylight is possible but it's difficult to avoid the sky Etc. reflecting on the paint surface - maybe I could use/make some sort of tent for this?

My lights are X2 Lencarta Smartflash with softboxes.
 
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Don't use either a light tent or daylight for this, just use your flashes in the dark or near-dark.
 
What if I did want to use the garden during the day? How can I get a good shot in daylight?

There's a slight sheen to the paintings and the canvas creates a slight texture - light can catch the surface from differing reflecting sources (mainly the sky I believe?). I've tried positioning the paintings in the shade, but the reflected light still gets onto the surface. I've tried positioning in full sunlight too. Would a polarising filter be the answer?
 
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Two_In said:
What if I did want to use the garden during the day? How can I get a good shot in daylight?

There's a slight sheen to the paintings and the canvas creates a slight texture - light can catch the surface from differing reflecting sources (mainly the sky I believe?). I've tried positioning the paintings in the shade, but the reflected light still gets onto the surface. I've tried positioning in full sunlight too. Would a polarising filter be the answer?
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To control the placing of shadows and hot spots really requires control of the placement of the light source in elation to the subject and camera.
As you have no control over the placement of the sun, that means you can only control the other 2 variables.

A suitably overcast day ought to illuminate the paintings without too many problems, but on a sunnier day, you’ll have bigger issues.

So it’s trial and error, avoid direct sun (look for open shade perhaps) and you might get it if you persevere.

Just remember it’s easier if the painting is vertical. The bane of my life when I worked in IT were the users insisting on tilting their screens then complaining about glare from overhead lights.
 
Phil V said:
To control the placing of shadows and hot spots really requires control of the placement of the light source in elation to the subject and camera.
As you have no control over the placement of the sun, that means you can only control the other 2 variables.

A suitably overcast day ought to illuminate the paintings without too many problems, but on a sunnier day, you’ll have bigger issues.

So it’s trial and error, avoid direct sun (look for open shade perhaps) and you might get it if you persevere.

Just remember it’s easier if the painting is vertical. The bane of my life when I worked in IT were the users insisting on tilting their screens then complaining about glare from overhead lights.
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As above.
The advantages of doing the shoot at night or when nearly dark is that zero natural light can spoil the shot, also the effect of the flash modelling lamps will be far easier to see.
A polariser may or may not help to some degree, depending on the angles involved, but is a long way from being an answer. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarizing_filter_(photography)
 
Phil V said:
it’s easier if the painting is vertical.
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I do tend to use a spirit level, but may not have done so when in the garden. Probably essential due to lack of level ground. I'll give it a go, but the night time sounds like the answer - my neighbours are going to wonder what's going on though:D
 
Two_In said:
There must be polarisers and polarisers? What can I expect to pay for a good one for my 60mm?
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It’s not about the quality of the polarising filter, it’s about the polarised nature of the light. Not all reflected light is polarised, ergo trying to filter out that light can’t be done effectively
 
I'd actually be willing to take the trouble of building a tent. Any advice on how to do it? We've already got one of those pull out canopies over the French doors. Would it be as simple as making a couple of walls and using the canopy on top?
 
I told you how to do it, and also told you that neither a light tent nor a polariser will work.
@Phil V then told you that the painting should be vertical.
Your response to that was to talk about a spirit level.
You then asked which polariser to buy . . .
And now you're asking about light tents again.

Light tents have never been a serious photographic tool because all that they can do is to surround the subject with light from all directions, which is opposite to the principles of lighting. They are designed to sell to the unwary and the lazy, not to address lighting problems.

I really don't know what else to say to you:(
 
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