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:

Lynne said...

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.

Susan said...

Wonderful photo here, marisa!