Scrapropos

One of the first questions I get asked by potential guest artists is this:
“How can I get clear photos of my layouts?”
It’s simple.

Find a spot - either outside or inside - that’s bright with natural light.
Avoid direct sunlight, as it will wash out your photos; look for a spot that has strong, yet indirect light.
Be aware of shadows that you’d usually not notice.
Watch for shifting light, and avoid that, too.

Once you’ve located your spot, determine the best time of day.
I use the stoop on my porch almost exclusively, but I’ve learned that if I photograph too early in the morning, my layouts have a blue glow to them. Mid-morning works best in that spot. There’s an east-facing window inside my house that works well on cloudy days.

Position your layout and yourself where you can take a photo looking straight down on the layout. Take care not to cast your own shadow over the layout. As you look through the viewfinder or at the LCD panel, watch for glare on your photos as well as shadows. Reposition until both of those things are avoided.

REMOVE THE PAGE PROTECTOR. No matter what you do, page protectors will interfere with the quality of the photo you’re taking.

Take the photo shooting straight down. Line up two edges of the layout with two edges of your viewfinder/screen to make sure you’re taking the photo truly straight-on.

DO NOT USE A FLASH.

Using your photo editing software, crop the image so that only the layout shows, getting rid of whatever is under your layout.

You’re done!

Here are some poorly photographed layouts. I’d love to say that the reason I have these on hand is for the sole purpose of being able to show you examples of what not to do. But the ugly truth is, I was too lazy to retake them in the first place.

blue glow from early morning light:

weird glare on the left 1/3 of the photo:

shadows all over the place (from nearby bushes):

not straight-on, used a flash which resulted in glare and reflection, and didn’t bother to digitally crop (but isn’t he CUTE?):

Now. Pull out your favorite layouts, photograph them, and share them!