How to Photograph Paintings — Simple Advice From Dmitry Afremov
Posted: Wed May 27, 2026 2:41 pm
# How to Photograph Paintings — Simple Advice From Dmitry Afremov
Alright.
Once again my marketing people are telling me:
> “Dima, we need more articles for Google ranking.”
> “Write something about photographing paintings.”
> “People search for this.”
And honestly?
I keep telling them:
I’m not a copywriter.
I’m not going to write fake “Top 10 Photography Secrets” articles.
But I *can* share real experience.
And honestly, this isn’t even my experience as much as it was my father’s.
---
# My Father’s Old Canon Camera
It’s been almost 7 years since my father passed away.
And honestly, for us it still feels like yesterday.
Recently I was going through some of his old things and found his old Canon camera.
We bought it probably 20 years ago.
Today it’s basically a relic.
Modern phones are probably technically stronger now.
But almost every painting on Afremov.com was photographed using that exact camera.
And honestly?
The process itself was incredibly simple.
---
# The Most Important Thing — The Photo IS the Painting Online
Remember this.
When people buy paintings online,
they don’t see the real painting first.
They see the photograph.
So the photo becomes:
* your presentation,
* your storefront,
* your first impression.
That’s why photographing paintings correctly matters.
---
# How My Father Photographed Paintings
Very simple.
The painting was placed on an easel.
If you don’t know what an easel is —
then you’re probably not a painter anyway.
The painting gets secured onto the easel.
Then comes the most important part:
The sun must be behind you.
Bright natural sunlight should hit the painting directly.
That’s it.
Seriously.
No magic.
---
# Use a Tripod
Very important.
Don’t photograph paintings holding the camera in your hands.
Use:
* a tripod,
* a stand,
* anything stable.
Otherwise the image may become blurry.
The camera stays still.
The painting stays still.
Everything sharp and clean.
---
# Automatic Mode Is Fine
Honestly, even automatic camera mode is usually enough today.
Modern cameras and phones are extremely powerful.
People overcomplicate this too much.
You do NOT need:
* expensive studios,
* giant lighting systems,
* crazy photography setups.
---
# Simple Editing Afterward
After taking the photo:
* crop the edges,
* remove extra background,
* straighten the image.
Then slightly adjust:
* sharpness,
* brightness,
* contrast.
Very slightly.
Don’t destroy the real colors.
The goal is not to fake the painting.
The goal is to make the photo look as close as possible to the real artwork.
That’s all.
---
# Don’t Overcomplicate It
Seriously.
Artists spend too much time worrying about photography instead of painting.
The important part already happened:
you created the artwork.
Now you simply need to photograph it properly.
That’s it.
---
# Simple Formula
Here’s the entire process:
* Painting on easel.
* Bright sunlight behind you.
* Camera on tripod.
* Take photo.
* Slightly adjust brightness and contrast.
* Done.
Simple.
---
Hopefully this helps somebody.
And if you photograph your paintings differently —
share your experience in the comments.
This is Dmitry Afremov.
Alright.
Once again my marketing people are telling me:
> “Dima, we need more articles for Google ranking.”
> “Write something about photographing paintings.”
> “People search for this.”
And honestly?
I keep telling them:
I’m not a copywriter.
I’m not going to write fake “Top 10 Photography Secrets” articles.
But I *can* share real experience.
And honestly, this isn’t even my experience as much as it was my father’s.
---
# My Father’s Old Canon Camera
It’s been almost 7 years since my father passed away.
And honestly, for us it still feels like yesterday.
Recently I was going through some of his old things and found his old Canon camera.
We bought it probably 20 years ago.
Today it’s basically a relic.
Modern phones are probably technically stronger now.
But almost every painting on Afremov.com was photographed using that exact camera.
And honestly?
The process itself was incredibly simple.
---
# The Most Important Thing — The Photo IS the Painting Online
Remember this.
When people buy paintings online,
they don’t see the real painting first.
They see the photograph.
So the photo becomes:
* your presentation,
* your storefront,
* your first impression.
That’s why photographing paintings correctly matters.
---
# How My Father Photographed Paintings
Very simple.
The painting was placed on an easel.
If you don’t know what an easel is —
then you’re probably not a painter anyway.
The painting gets secured onto the easel.
Then comes the most important part:
The sun must be behind you.
Bright natural sunlight should hit the painting directly.
That’s it.
Seriously.
No magic.
---
# Use a Tripod
Very important.
Don’t photograph paintings holding the camera in your hands.
Use:
* a tripod,
* a stand,
* anything stable.
Otherwise the image may become blurry.
The camera stays still.
The painting stays still.
Everything sharp and clean.
---
# Automatic Mode Is Fine
Honestly, even automatic camera mode is usually enough today.
Modern cameras and phones are extremely powerful.
People overcomplicate this too much.
You do NOT need:
* expensive studios,
* giant lighting systems,
* crazy photography setups.
---
# Simple Editing Afterward
After taking the photo:
* crop the edges,
* remove extra background,
* straighten the image.
Then slightly adjust:
* sharpness,
* brightness,
* contrast.
Very slightly.
Don’t destroy the real colors.
The goal is not to fake the painting.
The goal is to make the photo look as close as possible to the real artwork.
That’s all.
---
# Don’t Overcomplicate It
Seriously.
Artists spend too much time worrying about photography instead of painting.
The important part already happened:
you created the artwork.
Now you simply need to photograph it properly.
That’s it.
---
# Simple Formula
Here’s the entire process:
* Painting on easel.
* Bright sunlight behind you.
* Camera on tripod.
* Take photo.
* Slightly adjust brightness and contrast.
* Done.
Simple.
---
Hopefully this helps somebody.
And if you photograph your paintings differently —
share your experience in the comments.
This is Dmitry Afremov.
