You need bright, even lighting. If this is just a one-off, I'd take it outside and photograph it in daylight. Indoors next to a large window would be an option but watch out for light fall-off across the frame..

If you decide to use flash instead, you will need two. The further they are from the subject, the more even the light will be..

Use the 50 mm lens - sharper and with less distortion than the zoom, and probably a flatter field (guessing only re the flat field). Stop down to f/11 for maximum DoF without introducing diffraction softness..

If you have a tripod, use it..

I would use custom white balance, even in daylight, and if there's a lot of white paper don't forget exposure compensation - check the histogram...

I agree with everything you suggest, Steve, except this part....

Steve Balcombe wrote:.

Stop down to f/11 for maximum DoF without introducing diffraction softness..

It is best not to stop down quite so far..

Most lenses give their sharpest results around two stops down from maximum aperture... and that will be quite far enough for the DoF requirements of even a *rumpled* art workRegards,Baz..

As above, plus....

...chances are pretty good that the color of the paper itself will fool your camera's meter, and make the picture darker than you want..

So, set the camera on manual exposure, and put some mid-toned flat thing on top of the drawing a magazine cover with a photo that covers a wide specturm of colors and densities would work well - and take your meter reading..

Then take away the magazine, and shoot the drawing..

I'd be tempted to turn up the contrast setting in your camera, too, to make the colors a bit more punchy..

BAK..

You could use a scanner if one's available. If not a kinkos might be able to do a good job. Alternatively use a tripod, bounce the flash off a white ceiling and stop down the lens to get a good dof (try f16). -Bruce.

Wojtekk wrote:.

I have to photograph a picture drawn by a child on a paper (which iscrumpled, to make it harder). Do you know any good ways to do itwell? I have nikon d70 with 18-70mm and 50mm + sb600 flash (and I canborrow sb800 also). I'll just experiment and try it myself, but maybeyou know some good ways to do it. If you do, tell me please ..

Wojtekk wrote:.

I have to photograph a picture drawn by a child on a paper (which iscrumpled, to make it harder). Do you know any good ways to do itwell? I have nikon d70 with 18-70mm and 50mm + sb600 flash (and I canborrow sb800 also). I'll just experiment and try it myself, but maybeyou know some good ways to do it. If you do, tell me please .

I made this when a friend was showing me an old yearbook. I did not have a scanner, so I placed it on the hood of a car in bright sunlight. set the iso to 50(Minolta Z1) & also used the exposure comp, set it on program & shot away..

Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window.

Just experiment, keep the paper as flat as possible & try it in bright daylight. since your camera lowest iso is 200, use your exposure compensation & bracket your shots..

25 years as a freelancer,(news,magazine, wedding photography) camera equip. over the years: Practica MLT, Canon A1, Minolta 9xi, 7xi, Dimage Z1,Fuji 5200,Canon S2,Pentax K100D,Olympus 380(see my Z1 shots athttp://www.photobucket.com ALBUM NAME: buckl the COMMUNITY album was done with the Z1, and most of the photos in the album:Other were w/the Z1)..

If glare off the crayon's wax is a problem you can mute such glare with a polarizer...

Barrie Davis wrote:.

Steve Balcombe wrote:.

Stop down to f/11 for maximum DoF without introducing diffraction softness..

It is best not to stop down quite so far..

Yep, quite possibly. I doubt whether you would see much difference between f/8 and f/11, but it's surprising how little depth of field there is at copying distances so I went for the safe option. If it's a larger sheet and therefore a greater shooting distance, then yes, f/8 is more likely to be the ideal choice..

There can often be a difference between a few words of advice and what we would actually do if we were there, in possession of all the facts and in complete control of the shoot!..

I couldn't imagine better help, thanks a lot guys. Now I'm going to shoot ..

How come you are not using a scanner? It would definitely give you the best results...

The right tool for the job means probably a scanner which would help to force the paper to lay flatter. If the pic is bigger than the scanner then scan in pieces and use a software program to stitch back together...