bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

get a fast lens. and most museums will not allow flash photography.

Mercer Loc: Houston, TX, USA

I don't think the Sistine Chapel allows photos. I visited recently and found the crowds to be irreverent and noisy, even though silence was requested repeatedly. Frankly, I was ashamed of our tourists, most of whom were Americans. Even if you are not a Roman Catholic, or of any faith, please show respect for this most holy of places by wearing proper attire at at least removing your hat...both requested by vatican officials before the visit.

jefren Loc: Montgomery, Alabama

I concur that the art photos that I take are not as good as those available for purchase, but I take them for other reasons. Here in my office, I'm looking at an electronic picture frame that shows photos of great art that I've taken. I get great joy from this. If you think that others will be impressed that you photographed some great art, you'll probably be disappointed. Since you're interested, give it a try. You may decide, like me, that you want to do it again, or you may decide to spend your time and energy in other ways. All the best....

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Sometimes there is just too much negativity when this subject is discussed. Obviously, at certain venues photography is prohibited for a number of reasons- some justifiable and some are just downright silly- without scientific or other basis. So...enjoy your visit to theses places and buy the souvenir material if you so desire. What's, important, for the purposes of this thread and the answer to you question, is being able to capture some memorable images where photography IS permissible.

The images of great masterpieces that are published in books and what we see in fine quality lithographs are originally photographed under highly controlled conditions with polarized lighting and polarizing filters (a method called cross-polarization). Many of theses paintings are heavily varnished and have highly reflective surfaces or enclosed in showcases or displayed behind other barriers. These polarization methods enable cutting through the unwanted reflections and maintain a controlled level of contrast. In the film era, much of the original photography for art reproduction was done in large format on transparency film. View cameras with swings and tilts, enabled perspective control when difficult camera angles and camera position were encountered. Nowadays, much of this work is done on medium format digital equipment with perspective control lenses. My point it telling you all of this is twofold. You can not realistically expect the same level of quality that is obtainable by the aforementioned methods, however, you can extract a few tips form theses methodologies to help you get some pretty decent results.

Forget about flash for the most part. When photographing art in a gallery or architectural situation, on camera flash is virtually useless. Unless you are at an oblique angle to the surface of the artwork, you will usually end up with unwanted reflections from the surface or protective glass. Most speedlights will nor cover the field of view in very large works and murals and bounce flash methods will not work well in great halls with vaulted ceilings and far away walls. Galleries and museums usually have well placed lighting to illuminate the art pieces. A great accessory to bring along is a POLARIZING FILTER. This filter will enable you to eliminate many kinds of reflections form highly reflective surfaces, glass, or glass or Plexiglas enclosures. You can see the degree of reflection control by simply rotating the filter in its mount until the desired effect is obtained. This is not quiet as dramatically effective is the aforementioned cross-polarization method but it certainly helps. This filter is also great for landscape work for darkening skies, bringing out clouds and improving color saturation in many cases. You will looses about 2 f'/stops with this filter in place. Be sure to use a CIRCULAR polarizer in order to maintain your camera's auto-focus and exposure metering functionality.

Without a tripod, the use of a perspective control lens may me a cumbersome affair. You can try to shoot from a straight-on centered position and possibly correct slight perspective issues in post-production. Most situations can be handled with a normal prime or a fairly compact zoom lens, say 24-105mm on a fill frame sensor or the equivalent.

Here's the thing! Shooting carefully and using the polarizer for certain shots can give you some surprisingly good results in reproducing works of art, however, there is lots of other things you can do to make some memorable images. You can zoom in on details of large paintings or murals. This can reveal some awesome detail such as brush strokes and textures of canvas and pallet-knife (bas relief) paintings. If you can't get in close enough, concentrate on wide angle views showing the entire venue- even with many visitors in attendance- it's part and parcel of theses places. Oftentimes, including the people gives the large works of art scale and the people's reaction to theses exhibits can also make for interesting human interest shots. Sculptures and statues are best photographed with natural existing light, especially if the are placed where you can walk around them and find the best angle and lighting.

Many of the masterpieces were created my means of UNDER-PAINTING, that is, the artist built up his images with many layers of paint. This method gave their work incredible dimension and depth. Try photographing the detail from various angles to the light source and you will see some of the detail just pop off the page or screen when you view the results.

Most of us are not gonna make giant prints form our vacation shots so, when necessary, using a higher ISO setting when working in low light will not be a horrible “noise” factor. A tripod can be a drag when traveling and may be prohibited in many places. I like to use a small mono-pod with a neck strap (similar to a saxophone strap) or belt strap to steady the camera when required. A lens stabilization feature helps if you have that perk.

It is a good idea to try out some of these methods prior to you trip, perhaps at a local museum or gallery or with some artwork of you own or that of a friend.

Enjoy your trip and take lots of shots. Don't get to hung up on perfection- where you can't get the perfect shot go for the alternatives.

PS: I do a great deal of art reproduction for lithographic printing for our National Gallery, here in Canada and for art dealers and collectors for insurance, and evaluation purposes. Oftentimes the setups are very complex and require all kinds of special permissions and access. When I am a “tourist”, however, I just wing it and enjoy the absence of all the technicalities. Good luck! I call it ART REPRODUCTION ON THE FLY!

mmatus

Would I ask about copy write protection? As permission about Michelangion works.

alliebess Loc: suburban Philadelphia

It's copyright and Michelangelo, please! Unless Michelangion is a new artist out there.
The museums which own the works of art also own the reproduction rights.

williejoha

In a lot of places I have been to, a great amount of tourists are rude and inconsiderate which is a shame. My time and resources spent on a vacation are as valuable as anyone's picture of a painting or sculpture. I have learned of not to be to kind to a person showing no respect for their fellow tourist or venue. Call me viscous or mean, I can handle it, but that's the way it is with me.
WJH

jefren Loc: Montgomery, Alabama

Thanks, E. L. Shapiro!

ecurb1105

It's my understanding that most European museums prohibit tripods and flash. I would use my 24-120 and carry a 35mm for low light work. I have an f1.8 but if you are going to buy a lens, get the 35mm f2 D lens for your trip.

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...I can only judge how *my* brain works. I'm very linear and, if I'm taking photos, the emphasis is very much on that act. However, the subject rarely, if ever, escapes me... ;0)

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...I generally move faster than I should, so never has the thought "shoot pano" occurred to me when shooting art. Yes, indeed!

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Michelangelo. Brings back memories of the excellent movie, that the late Charleton Heston and Rex Harrison stared in. Heston played Michelangelo. Harrison played the Pope. Beautiful Art displayed in that movie. I would use a 24-70mm f2.8 lens if I had one, but since I dont, I would go with my 35mm prime f1.8, on a crop sensor. A good Sony pocket camera, such as the RX100 series would also work.

copladocus

Would a monopod be allowed? If so, use one. Put a head on it that makes it look like a cane on your way in...

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

There are many types of photographs a hobbyist with well developed skills have a chance to do as well as a professional - landscapes, wildlife, closeups, flowers, etc. But you have virtually no chance to make halfway decent photographs of artworks in a crowded museum without being able to use a tripod and lighting.

wesm Loc: Los Altos CA

I use 50mm f/1.4. The light will be low.
IIRC, photos not allowed in the Sistine Chapel AT ALL. Don't even try.