Tips on photographing your book for awards submission
When photographing your book for awards submission there are are a number of things that should be taken into consideration to make sure you are not only making an accurate representation of the design, but also giving it the best chance of impressing the judges with any finishes/physical features that the flat files might overlook.
To assist, designers Mark Campbell and Andy Warren have put together this helpful checklist of things to consider before you start.
Good luck!
1. Background
A plain coloured background will help showcase the book better than a busy, patterned one, by not pulling focus from the design itself. Suggest using a complimentary or contrasting colour that makes the book stand out.
2. Lighting
Natural daylight is as good as setting up lighting, but make sure either is clean, white light and doesn’t alter the colours of the design in any way. Some shadows will accentuate the 3D nature of the book, but they shouldn’t be too strong or dark.
3. Angles
Shoot the book straight on, preferably from above or, if you prefer it standing, show a small amount of the spine for effect. Avoid any angles that warp the design or give an awkward perspective.
4. Scale
The addition of items to demonstrate scale isn’t always necessary, but if your book is an interesting size/shape and you’d like to show that, consider adding something not too distracting to the photo. Too many items will crowd the book and pull focus.
5. Crop
Make sure you show the full object evenly without cropping edges or corners. You don’t want the judges to miss any important features of the design!
6. Colour
If your photo doesn’t accurately show the colours of the book, consider adjusting it in Photoshop (or similar) before submitting. A colour-correct image that matches the flat files you submit will make for a much more impressive presentation.
