Recently, the Paperboat Creative team received a request to edit photos from one of Australia’s top still life photographer in preparation for an art gallery exhibit on his pieces. Melbourne-based Sean Fennessy has an impressive repertoire of both commercial and editorial clients such as Vogue Living, Belle magazine, and British Airways among many others!
For this particular project, the team had to apply Fine art Photo Editing for exhibit pieces that were to be shown at the Sophie Gannon Gallery in Australia.
When it comes to Fine Art Photo Editing, there are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Keep adjustments to a minimum
Unlike with other photography retouching projects, this type of retouching requires that you keep the subject looking as pure as possible. Maximize natural white light for an accurate representation of how it would look in an actual space.
2. Keep communication lines open
Staying in touch with the photographer throughout the process is a must. This is because they know the nature of the item best. From the tones and hues, to the texture of the piece, we need their help in making sure our retouching job cleans up the image, while remaining faithful to the piece itself.
3. Real, not Perfect
Rather than perfecting the subject, focus on communicating how it would be experienced in real life.
4. Let the Piece Be the Focal Point
Sometimes the picture or its frame may have some imperfections, or the gallery floor itself may not be so clean. Paint marks, scratches, and uneven background lighting are common issues that have to be handled when it comes to Fine Art Photo Retouching. Make sure to clean these up so the piece can really shine by removing the scratches and then redrawing a clean shadow.
We hope that you picked up a few tips from our experience in shooting gallery shots. Retouching for an Australian museum was an honor for our team, and definitely a project that we consider one for the books. Scroll down to spot some of the Sophie Gannon Gallery shots taken by esteemed photographer Sean Fennessy!
