It's In The Photograph
Why Use Reference Photos?
My memory is terrible. Yours probably is, too. Human memory is so bad we have a term for people who are good at remembering things: we say they have photographic memory. The vast majority of people do not have photographic memory. Do yourself a favor & just use actual photographs!
Could I paint this without a photo? Yes. Will it be better with my reference? Also yes!
It's In The Photograph Of Love
Few things are more frustrating to me than spending hours looking for reference photos & coming up with nothing, or nothing I really like. If you take your own reference photos, you don’t have to rely on others’ views. You can get the angles, the shadows, & the framing you want! Best of all: you don’t need a fancy camera! The odds are very good that, if your cell phone has a camera in it, that camera is good enough to take reference photos. All my reference photos are taken with a Samsung Note 8 that’s at least four years old & it does a great job!
Last time I painted jellies I lacked a clear pic of lagoon jelly tentacles. Never again!
Rule One
Take many photos from many angles & at many distances. I watched a man taking pictures of a corinthian column once. He started out very far away & slowly worked his way towards it while walking back & forth, taking at least one hundred photos from dozens of angles. He probably ended up with some amazing reference photos!
Also pretty important
- I saw someone almost walk out into traffic taking pictures the other day. As you walk around taking your amazing reference photos, be aware of your surroundings.
- Try playing with the horizon line. So many people put that smack in the middle of the photo! Tilt your camera so the horizon line is in the top or bottom third of your photo.
- Think in terms of things like shape, shadow, & contrast. You know what you like!
- Think about your own skill level. High contrast & basic shapes are easy, low contrast & complicated shapes are hard, everything else falls somewhere in the middle. What should you be aiming for?
- Have something/someone in at least one photo (a person, a car, etc.) to lend a sense of scale.
- I really can’t say this enough: take a lot of pictures!
Strong shadows & basic shapes make this a good reference photo for beginner artists.
If A Photo Is Good, 24 Photos Per Second Is Better, Right?
Don’t get me wrong – nothing beats a lot of good reference photos. However, one of my favorite things to do while painting animals is to put on a nature documentary about that animal. I get to see where it lives, how it moves around in its environment, & learn some bonus nature facts! I’ve found some artists who shun reference videos entirely, but I disagree. I believe they can enhance – but do NOT replace – reference photos.
Incoming Reference Photos Alert!
I’m traveling to see family right now. I’m taking a ton of pics using all these tips & tricks! Keep an eye out on Ko-Fi & mastodon.Art for a superfluity of super photography!
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- All pictures posted are my own work.
- All reviews are my own unpaid & unsolicited opinions.