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PORTFOLIO
SERIES - article 5 - PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR WORK ... MAKING SLIDES
& TRANSPARENCIES(for mostly creatives such as freelance graphic designers, illustrators, artists, etc)
How to Submit Slides or Transparencies to Art Directors
Artists
are frequently asked by hiring art directors to submit transparencies
and/or slides. For this reason, I feel it is important to cover
this subject. As I am sure that you know already, slides are 35mm-sized
transparencies that are contained within cardboard, matboard,
plastic, or other material. Transparencies are normally 4x5 or
8x10 and are more expensive than making slides. Transparencies
duplicate better, but are probably not worth the extra money.
Have a Professional Photographer Take Pictures of Your Work
When
possible, have a professional photographer take shots of your
artwork. (I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIRING A
PHOTOGRAPHER. IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD ONE, TRY HIRING A COLLEGE PHOTOGRAPHY
STUDENT OR POSTING A JOB OPENING ON ALLFREELANCEWORK.)
If
you don't have the extra cash to hire a photographer, you will
want to keep a few things in mind before starting your photo shoot:
1.
Making even little photographic mistakes could diminish the beauty
and professionalism of your samples.
2.
Buy, borrow, or rent a standard 35mm SLR camera with a 50mm normal
or macro lens.
3.
Buy, borrow, or rent a standard tripod.
4.
Buy, borrow, or rent a cable release. A cable release is an inexpensive
and necessary item that eliminates unnecessary vibration.
5.
Use 160 ASDA Tungsten Ektachrome film for the best results and
choose an overcast day for your photoshoot. (Diffuse daylight
is the best light source for this). If it is not possible to shoot
outside, direct light is second best. The problem with direct
light is that it could cause unwanted light reflection. TURN OFF
YOUR FLASH!!
6.
Make sure that your camera is clean by using a lens tissue on
the lens and the body of the camera.
7.
For a nice backdrop, purchase a roll of photographer's seamless
background paper (or a table cloth works as well). Attach the
paper to the surface behind your image and on the table that your
image sits on. As long as the complete background of your sample
artwork is covered and there are no seams, you can use any material
as a backdrop. I always suggest that black is the color that you
use as a backdrop.
8.
Place the sample artwork in a way that it is level vertically
and horizontally on an exterior wall. In order to keep your work
safe, hang your picture under an overhang. Or if your image is
small, you may be able to shoot your image from above. If your
artwork is framed, you should take your imagery out of the frame.
If this is not possible, at the minimum take the glass out of
the frame to reduce reflection.
9.
With your camera on a tripod, focus in on the sample artwork so
that it fills the frame and there is the same amount of margin
on all sides. Take at least five shots of each sample piece, each
time choosing a different shutter speed with the f-stop at 11
or smaller.
10.
Make sure to use a gray card to check proper lighting.
11.
Take your slide film to a professional photo lab and have your
slides developed. Let the photo technician know whether you want
your film developed unmounted or mounted. It is easier to have
the photo lab take care of the slide mounting or you can opt in
to take care of it yourself. If you opt to mount your transparencies
yourself, then you will want to purchase slide pages, slide mounts
and special foil tape. Glass mounts are best for projection but
they are not suitable for mailing. A good alternative is the plastic
mounts. You can use the slide masking tape on the shiny side of
the film to mask out unwanted areas of the slide.
12.
Be careful not to fingerprint or smudge slides.
13. Pick the best slide for duplicating and mark 'ORIGINAL' on
the slide so that you don't get confused between duplicate and
original slides later.
14.
Make sure to label your slides properly.
When
labeling your slides, you should either generate nicely
printed label with your computer or with a black felt pen.
On the front of the slide, you should include the following:
(on
the top of the slide)
1. Your Name
2. Title
3. Medium
(on
the bottom of the slide)
1. Size of Sample
2. Year or Date of Creation
It
is important to place a red dot on the bottom left of the
slide of how it should be viewed.
15.
Place your duplicate slides in a single 11"x9" clear
transparent PVC slide sleeve for mailing or other intended purpose.
Keep original slides, only send out duplicates.
16.
Include a slide sheet along with your slides (if intended purpose
is to mail slides). A slide sheet is a list of information about
the slides that you are sending. All information is listed in
the order of the slides that are enclosed. You should list the
title, medium, size, and price (if applicable).
If
you decide to hire a photographer, make sure to make a good choice.
It might be wise to make sure of the following:
1.
Has this photographer ever photographed art?
2. Check References ... do they pan out?
3. Do you like the photographer's sample work? Make sure to look
at his work before hiring him.
4. Make sure that you will own the negatives and the copyright
after the work is completed. Sign a contract stating this.
5. How much will the photo session cost?
Any
comments about portfolios - or do you want to share your knowledge
with us? Please send questions and comments to allfreelance@comcast.net
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All Freelance Work is a Community for Freelance Workers Including Free Portfolios, Job Search, Job Posting, Helpful Articles, Forums, & More for the Self Employed.
