The Booth Picture for Show Applications

By Larry Berman of Berman Graphics

The best place to photograph your booth is not at an art show where you don’t have control over the environment or the weather. It’s better to set it up for the picture at home on an overcast or cloudy day so there is even lighting and no sun streaks which might draw the juror’s eyes. Make sure not to have any signs, identification, ribbons and especially no people in the booth picture. I’ve seen booth pictures with so many people in the booth that you couldn’t tell what they were selling. When asked why, the artist told me that they thought to have a better chance of getting in if their artwork was popular. I’ve also seen pictures of an empty canopy because the artist didn’t understand that they actually had to show their artwork in the booth picture.

The canopy must be white and all three walls need to be seen in the picture. The sides of the canopy need to be in place so there is nothing distracting showing through the booth to draw the juror’s eyes. You can shoot two walls from a corner but still need to see along the third wall to satisfy the three walled booth picture requirement. The last thing you want is to be forced to create different booth pictures for each application. The floor must be clean of debris and leaves or put down a carpet.

If you’re photographing 2D work it’s best to take the glass out of the frames to eliminate reflections before shooting. If you have multiple pieces on each wall, line up the tops of pieces on the top row so they are all at the same top height around the booth. It makes the booth look more professional and enables the juror’s eyes to flow. And a symmetrical looking booth reads easier and looks more professional. If you use bins to display unframed art, make sure to include bin(s) in the booth picture. The booth picture needs to be representative of how your booth will look at a show. If you’re photographing 3D work and are using tables, consider hanging large photographs of your pieces to take up wall space and make the booth look fuller. Think of it as a way to show the jurors additional jury images. If you use tables with covers, make sure the covers are wrinkle free. Consider using pedestals or desks from Pro Panels or Armstrong Display. Or at least raise your table height to approximately 40 inches. If posible, don’t have objects overlapping from the camera position and make sure everything in the booth faces the camera. Consider the camera position as the juror’s perspective, not how you normally set up the booth. If your booth contains mirrors, make sure that they aren’t a source of distraction when the booth is viewed by the jurors. If your mirrors are for people to see themselves when trying on accessories or clothing, remove the mirrors from the booth prior to taking the picture. If you’re selling mirrors as part of your artwork, either position them to control what they reflect or (what I do in the booth pictures I edit) use Photoshop to drop a gradual gradient onto the glass.

For more good information including the above go to 
http://bermangraphics.com/blog/photograph-your-booth/