Artwork Documentary Photography in Adelaide

Artwork documentary has been a particular specialty of mine for over ten years now and is one of my very favourite types of photography.

I use a collaborative and finely calibrated workflow that ensures reproductions of flat artwork are near flawless, with highly accurate tone and colour, and that imagery of 3D pieces faithfully conveys not just the form, size, materials, and colours used, but the emotional tone of the piece as well.

A key part of my process is to shoot with my camera tethered to my laptop and the artist in the room, so we can see images as they’re taken, allowing us to compare and contrast different styles and compositions in real time and fine-tune the result as we go. Artists are often surprised by my tenacity and attention to detail when shooting like this — we don’t stop until we’re both really happy with the results.

See below for more information including pricing, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

My Love of Art Photography

Documenting artist’s work is one of my favourite photographic pursuits for a few reasons. I’m a huge fan of art in general, and I really enjoy the challenge of shooting something very technically demanding combined with a solid dose of creativity and problem solving. I also love being able to bring an artist’s vision to photographic life. I’ve shared so many special moments as they see their sculptural piece professionally staged and photographed for the first time after spending so many hours working on that piece in a workshop or studio with less flattering lighting.

The Process

Some artists have a real sense of how they want their final images to look – and that’s great – I’m more than happy to make it happen. Other briefs are more open-ended, and I’m equally comfortable working this way. In the latter case, we’ll start with a conversation so I can gain an understanding of what the art is about, which in turn helps determine what style of lighting, lens choice, composition etc. will complement the piece best. Either way, with my camera tethered to my laptop, you’ll see each photo as I take it, so we can nail every detail and make sure you walk away with precisely what you want.

Licensing

My artwork documentary photography includes a full commercial licence for you to use images in perpetuity across all mediums, with no hidden costs for extra usage after the shoot. No watermarks are used and no attribution is required.

Pricing for 3D/Sculptural Artwork

Pricing for 3D works is so variable that it’s impossible to know how much time a project will take until we’ve had a conversation, so please get in touch using the contact form at the bottom of this page. Jobs for sculptural pieces are rarely less than $500 for a single piece due to the large amount of setup time involved, but things move quite efficiently once the setup is done, so shooting multiple works is significantly more cost-effective.

I have a space at Stirling in the Adelaide Hills where I can shoot most sized pieces, but I’m also happy to travel to artists’ studios for a modest travel fee.

Pricing for Flat Work

Pricing for flat work is much simpler, though there are some caveats – very large pieces, art with gold leaf/paint or fluorescent markers/paint require extra attention and time. As does work behind glass. It will also take a little more time (and therefore cost) if we need to shoot the flat work ‘as an object’ – for example, if it’s important to show the surrounds or the substrate of the piece, such as a beautiful torn edge, I’ll often shoot the whole piece with a drop shadow against a white background.

Without any of the complicating factors above, the price for the first piece is $280, and $40 for each subsequent piece. I shoot flat artwork at Stirling in the Adelaide Hills. I’m always happy to travel as well, but do charge a modest travel fee for this.

About James

I started my photography career in a commercial studio in Adelaide almost twenty years ago and enjoyed it so much that I ditched my mechanical engineering and product design work to go full-time. Nearly two decades later, I still love what I do and am lucky enough to still work with some of the same businesses I served back then. Having great relationships with existing clients and getting to meet new people, businesses, products, and art and learning the stories behind them, then finding ways to convey that through the photographic lens, hasn’t gotten old yet!

Outside of photography, my wife and I live in the middle of a charming bush block in the Adelaide Hills with our lazy rescue greyhounds. I love soaking up nature, cooking great food, and trail running with the sunrise through Adelaide’s beautiful natural reserves.

Portrait of James Field

Get in touch!

email me at jamesfield@jame.com.au or call 0421 566 933