equipment recommendation - How should I light 2d artwork in a makeshift studio? What lighting products do I need?

Thanks to previous advice, I'm going to start photographing my 2d artwork (not behind glass) using the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens.

I'm operating in a room with no natural light so I have complete control over lighting. Unlike this question, the artworks will not be behind glass. I currently have no off-camera lighting of any kind.

I'd like to know:

1. What sort of lighting set-up should I attempt? One answer suggests studio strobes set at 45 degree angles from the artwork with polarizing filters on both the lens and strobes, the polarizing filters should be adjusted to reduce the glare on the artwork. This seems in accordance with how works behind glass should be photographed. Are there other setups I should consider? Should I reconsider and use another room that has natural light?


2. What exact products are we talking about here? As someone starting from scratch and not loaded with cash, what do I need (e.g. lights, polarizers, stands, etc.)? Specific product recommendations would be greatly appreciated, as I know nothing about lighting.


3. If I am using stobes or flashes, am I able to have tungsten ceiling lights on when taking the photo to aid focusing? Otherwise, how do I go about focusing in a dark room?

Answer

1. 
   
   

   The lighting setup depends entirely on the type and qualities of the artwork you're trying to photograph. If the texture is important e.g. you want to be able to see the brushstrokes then oblique lighting (e.g. 45 degrees) with a bare lightsource would be best. If on the other hand you want to avoid picking up texture a frontal lightsource with diffuser would be best. Also is the artwork itself shiny? If so you might need to follow the instructions for shooting behind glass.

   
   


2. 
   

   You don't necessarily need a lot of gear, if you're mounting the camera on a tripod a standard (non strobe) lamp could be used with a longer exposure (you'll want to stop down to f/5.6 for sharpness). Beware of fluorescent bulbs as these distort colours. Ideally you should be using a colour checker chart as part of a fully colour calibrated workflow. Using strobes would be more convenient as you can get shorter exposures and proper stands / accessories, but it depends on your budget.

   
   


3. 
   

   If using strobes you should be able to keep the room lights on to focus as they'll be a hundred times dimmer so won't show up in the photos.