Why Medium Format Matters

Photographing artwork for RED DOT

RED DOT is my specialist artwork photography service for artists, galleries and private collectors. I photograph original artwork to create high-quality digital images that represent the work accurately and can be used confidently for websites, publicity, publications and print, while also providing a lasting photographic record of the original.

The idea for RED DOT grew from something I have increasingly recognised through my own experience as a creative: the quality of an image can have a significant influence on how creative work is perceived.

An artist may spend months developing a piece of work, carefully considering its colour, materials, texture and composition. When that work is photographed, the resulting image becomes its representative when the original isn’t in front of the viewer. The photograph therefore needs to preserve the qualities that make the work distinctive.

Why I use medium format

There are many ways to photograph artwork, but the equipment and technique used have a direct bearing on the quality and usefulness of the final image.

Smartphones are remarkably capable, but their strength lies in convenience and computational photography. The phone automatically interprets colour, exposure, contrast, sharpness and detail to produce an attractive finished image. That processing can alter subtle colours and textures and leaves less control over how the artwork itself is represented.

Crop-sensor cameras offer considerably more control and can produce very good results, but their smaller sensors generally provide less resolution and image information than a high-resolution medium-format system. Full-frame cameras can produce excellent professional artwork photography, particularly at higher resolutions, although medium format can provide greater resolving power and more information to work with when fine detail, tonal transitions and accurate reproduction are important.

For RED DOT, I use my Fujifilm GFX100 II medium format camera because it gives me an exceptional foundation from which to create a detailed and faithful representation of the original artwork.

Medium format camera is optimal for accurately capturing works of art. (Artwork by Lee Lewis)

That matters because the image may become the way the work is seen long after the original photograph was taken. A high-quality master file provides the flexibility to produce excellent digital and printed reproductions while retaining a detailed record of the original.

The process matters just as much

The camera is only one part of achieving that standard. Poor lighting can introduce reflections, hotspots, uneven illumination and colour shifts. An unsuitable lens or incorrect camera position can alter the proportions of the artwork and introduce perspective distortion. Inaccurate colour matching can change the appearance of colours that may have been carefully developed by the artist.

I control each of these elements as part of the RED DOT process. I use carefully positioned, controlled lighting, an appropriate lens and precise camera alignment to reproduce the artwork’s geometry and surface as accurately as possible. Colour matching then helps ensure that the colours recorded in the photograph correspond closely with the original.

Colour checking is part of the RED DOT process. (Artwork by Lee Lewis)

My experience as a creative has informed the way I approach RED DOT. I understand how much thought goes into making creative work and how important it is for that work to be presented with the same consideration. Photography has a responsibility to serve the work it represents.

For artists and galleries, RED DOT provides a professional visual record that can support the ongoing presentation and promotion of their work. For private collectors, it can provide a high-quality record for personal archives, documentation and insurance purposes.

If you have a piece of artwork that matters to you, it is worth investing in a quality photograph that does it justice. A carefully made image preserves the character and detail of the original and ensures that the work continues to be represented at its best, wherever that photograph is seen.

If you want to know more about this service head over to my RED DOT webpage or get in touch for a no-obligation chat.

Artwork by Lee Lewis.