My wealthier friends take their art to a professional photographer, and they get great results. But I've always been a low-cost production, so I learned to do the photography myself. This involved a lot of mistakes and a great deal of cursing. Early on, I learned that doing it outside, on overcast days, was my best bet. Then I discovered that on the side of the house, between 11am and 1pm, the sun reflected nicely off the house next door, creating a reasonably diffuse light. So I built a permanent stand out there, and I attach either a white or black cloth when I shoot.