Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Quilting and Photography

I took a few photos of my Oakshott fabrics before I washed them.  What a neat and tidy little stack.  Ahhhh...organization.  So comforting.  Spoken like a true control freak.

But if I didn't love order, I certainly wouldn't be quilting in my spare time, now would I?

The photo above looks a bit impersonal I think, sort of like something you might see in a catalog.  I couldn't resist trying a plain white background though since the fabrics were so colorful themselves.


If you ever want to take a photo like this, it is actually super easy.  Here's how:


I opened up the curtains and put a chair in front of the natural light coming in.


It happened that there was an old and HUGE calendar from last year hanging around.  I used the back of it which was white, and sort of draped it over the chair.  You could also just use a huge piece of white paper or poster board.  I would not use fabric since any small crease will show.  I then put the fabric stack right in middle and started clicking away.  


You know I love photography, and helping folks take better photos for their blogs is something that has always been on my mind.


I wrote a guide for crafters who do quilting, knitting, and sewing to inspire and help people take better photos.  It's free and it's posted here if you're interested.


If there is a blog out there that you think has exceptional photos, let me know, I'd love to see it.


2 comments:

  1. Marisa, I've read your blog for ages, but this is the post which I feel compelled to comment upon! I'm very new to blogging, and not a very good photographer, but I am learning rapidly - on my feet, you might say.

    I've just popped across to read your photography tips, thanks for posting them, they will definitely help. I've got a little 'flower' symbol, but on my camera it just does close-ups, not macro, and to me there is a difference. I love seeing those real close-ups of a textile piece where you can see - almost feel - the warp and weft of the weave, and the texture of the stitches, but my close-ups aren't that......er....close-up! But it will come, I'm sure, I'll just keep trying and enjoy myself as I go.

    Oh, and I have a small collection of Oakshott - uqite easy for me to get my hands on over here in the UK, usually at quilt shows. Just got to nerve myself to cut into the stash......
    Bye, Lynne.

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