Photographing Artwork (Drawings)?

[Tigurius]

Hi everybody,
I was recently asked by my friend who owns a tattoo studio to photograph all of the artists sketches for a book they would like to produce. I initially asked why they don't want to just scan it but they replied they don't like the look of how it is scanned and want it to look more like an art gallery setting. I am very excited to do this shoot for them as it's mixing the two hobbies I love the most (collecting tattoos and photography of course).

My question is how should I shoot this? These sketches would be on either canvas or tracing paper (it's easier to draw a tattoo for someone using tracing paper to custom fit it to a persons body part) it would be done in bright pencil crayons. The drawings and sketches would be on a cork board or on a white backdrop or in a frame.

It will be most likely be done in a room with no or very little natural light. I do have two umbrellas with lights that I picked up for cheap off of eBay and a 430EX (though i wasn't planning on using it for this). I was thinking having an umbrella on each side of the camera to make sure lighting is even.

I'm using a Canon XS and have a 50mm 1.8 and the kit lens, however I have access to pretty much every canon lens. What lens would you all recommend me using to get the clearest most focused image? I was thinking of borrowing my friends 70-200 f/4L.

This would be my first shoot in front of other people, thankfully it isn't of a live subject! I'm a bit nervous as I don't think I am great at all and am suprised they asked me instead of one of the artists girlfriends who does photography for a living.

Oh and I am planning on bringing my laptop with me so that way I can view the pictures as I take them to make sure everything is satisfactory.

p.s. yes I will be using a tripod:-)

[wulf]

Are they all going to be pinned up against the same background? That will be the easiest way, as you can set up the camera and lighting gear and then just have to change the pictures. Otherwise, you will have to keep reassembling and checking the set up.

I notice you posted the original message a few days ago, so how are you getting on?

Wulf