Best way to take digital pic of a colored pencil painting?

My father has a 16'; x 20'; picture that is an original and he refuses to 'unframe' it (glass, etc), but has allowed me to take a digital picture of it and to make a print. I have a decent camera (Canon XT) with some good lenses. I need to know the best way to capture this. Thank youBest way to take digital pic of a colored pencil painting?
I have a regular thing where I have to take pictures of photos or other artwork under glass and it's a pain in the butt.





You have some good info in the answers above, so synthesize them all and go for it. Here's some more food for thought...





My own suggestion, since you have 100% access to the framed print would be to take it outside and put it on an easel in total shade. You will have a problem with reflections from behind you. A polarizer can help. (See: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstei鈥?/a> for a demo.)





If you can find a totally blank wall to use and you set-up so that the wall is behind you, it's a start. You may have to intentionally shoot from below the framed piece to avoid getting a reflection and then use a distortion correction in Photoshop (etc) after the fact.





If you can not find a blank wall, hang a dark blanket on a line and use that as a background behind YOU - not behind the framed piece. If you can use TWO blankets, you can poke the camera lens out from between the two of them and then you only have one little bit to worry about getting a bad reflection. If you don't care about the blanket, cut a hole in it to match your lens diameter.





Set a good white balance or at least use the ';Cloudy Day'; preset. (See: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstei鈥?/a> for a WB demo.) If you can not do a custom WB setting, use the daylight and cloudy day settings and one will probably be close. Having the painting at your disposal will also allow you to adjust the white balance in Photoshop with the original at your side.





Use a tripod.





Add this up with the answers you have above, set aside an hour for testing and the final shot, and you will get a good result.Best way to take digital pic of a colored pencil painting?
You're welcome and good luck! Just take the glass off when your dad's not looking. (jk)

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Defused sunlight coming in from a window at an angle that does not reflect off the glass and a polorizer.





I like to keep things simple, no artificial lighting to set up and hassle with. My way, 10 minutes, set up the lights method, 1/2 an hour to an hour, maybe more depending if everything works seemlessly or not. You know, like, ';where in the hell is the damned extension cord --- or $hit, it's too damned short!!';





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Life is so simple, but we insist on making it complicated





Confucius


551 - 479 BC


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Peace





Jim








http://www.ChinaBlix.com





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the standard way is 2 difussed lights at 45s to the painting, a polariser would be good for reflections, a tripod





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The picture is still in the glass frame? Make sure the photo is really well lit, but also that there is no glare coming from the light itself since it's in a glass frame(i think). I have a canon XT also, make sure it's on manual, and just keep experimenting. A standard lens would work fine too.
I would use a tripod to steady the camera. Take the flash off. Get a straight forward shot. I usually just try different angles or try with the flash on or off. One thing I found out is when I take the flash off, I have to keep my hands very still otherwise my pictures blur. Also, you might try taking the picture and laying it flat, even in the frame, and stand above it or angle the camera above it. That might help, too. Hope I helped at least a little bit. Good luck.

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