Unexpected Company

So, when selling art online, how you photograph it is everything. It's tricky to photograph art well no matter the medium, but I'm fairly certain that photographing stained glass is a special kind of pain in the keister.  

For instance,...

...I photographed this work while standing over it on a chair.  The photo was just for me to see if I was happy with everything before I glued it down, so I didn't need a super-clean shot. The glare and shadows of the stained glass on the white sheet behind the work are typical of what you will get.

Same work, same set-up, different problem... 

...The glare and shadow of the stained glass on the sheet are minimized, but now objects on the ceiling (a light fixture and a vent) can be seen reflected in the glass.  

frown...

So, as you can see, trying to capture the colors and the play of light on stained glass without glare or unwanted reflections is ridiculously hard.  Just, ridiculously hard.  So, I decided to invest in All The Equipment.  I got an SLR Camera, tripod, studio lights with telescoping stands, light-reflecting umbrellas, and telescoping stands to suspend giant rolls of paper to use as a backdrop. 

So, my set-up was essentially a light-filled tent—approximately 5 feet long, wide, and high—with a camera lens sandwiched between dark sheets because even the camera lens will show up as a round spot reflected in the stained glass.

I was happily photographing... 

...and then...

...

...an unexpected visitor dropped in...

This is my dog, Bluebell. She is quite a character and super-smart, as Rat Terriers often are.  She's happiest being in the middle of whatever I'm doing. She is my constant companion. This little photo shoot "incident" was more than two-and-a-half years ago. 

Now, she has metastatic cancer, failing kidneys, and breath that could kill a dragon.  The vet says that by all rights, she should be in constant pain and coughing constantly.  But she isn't.  She's happy to do all the dog things, is still just as nosy as Gladys Kravitz, and is one helluva snuggler. 

And I'm always happy to see her, no matter what I'm doing.