I’ve been asked to consider presenting a class on photographing needlework for tutors at our guild. In time, I think it could also be presented to guild members.
If you were to do a class like this, what would you like it to cover? What never works out for you when you’re photographing and therefore what would you like to improve?
To help me get a feel for the equipment people have, do you have a digital SLR camera, a point and shoot camera, or just a phone? Do you have a tripod?
Thanks for any input you can offer.
The biggest challenge is getting the lighting right, I think. Especially for white-on-white. I have a tablecloth that my Grandmama stitched that I would love to blog about, but I can’t take a decent photo of it!
I have an ordinary digicam, although it has great anti-shake software and a good macro feature. I’ve been surprised and impressed by the photos my camera takes, but I rarely use those for my blog – I use them for Twitter and Facebook instead.
I do have a tripod and a timer feature on the camera, and I use them sometimes but not always.
Does that help?
Thanks Rachel, yes that’s excellent.
You know, I’ve never used the macro setting on my camera. I must experiment with that.
White on white – directional lighting is the key. I usually light from the side, as that throws the embroidery into relief by creating shadows. Most often, I put the embroidery by a window. I match my white balance setting to the colour of the day’s lighting. Don’t light white on white from directly above, and don’t use a flash.
Yvette, It’s all about color for me. Not only in my pictures but in pictures posted by bloggers, online shops, designer’s blogs. I fall in love with a pattern in a picture only to find out the fabric or fiber color is very different than what the picture shows. And I have no better luck with my own photos. I have a digital camera (also with macro setting) and a tripod. Even though my iPhone takes great pictures that sometimes have truer color than my digital camera. And perhaps color discrepancies all stem from light issues. I don’t have the money to invest in fancy photog lights but there has to be something you can do with aluminum foil 🙂 Would love to be close enough to hear you speak, but hope this helps.
Thanks Paula. Until all computer monitors, tablets, phones, cameras etc are all made with exactly the same stuff at exactly the same time, with exactly the same technology (i.e. NEVER!) this will always be a problem. Cameras record different information, and displays display it differently. It can be a lighting issue, but it can be just as much an issue with the parameters of the camera, and the display it is displayed upon. I’m sorry to say this will never be solved, other than seeing things in real life, in daylight. Sorry!
If you’re wanting to light consistently though, match your white balance on your camera (if you have a white balance setting!) to the lighting of the day. Sunlight, cloudy day light, different types of indoor light all have different colour temperature. Some seem warm (yellowish) and some seem cold (bluish). Aluminium foil could be difficult to work with as it reflects light in a not very natural way.
I usually light my work by having it next to a large window where the natural light comes in. I usually DON’T want it in direct sunlight – this creates too much contrast and makes it very difficult to adequately expose for both the light parts and the parts in shadow. If I need more light on the side that is furthest from the window, I will hold up a large white card to reflect more light onto the darker parts. It can make quite a difference.
I have a point & shoot and a phone (haven’t used that for needlework though). While white on white can be tough, I find it’s black on black that is the real test of wills. I must add that I photograph, or try to remember to, mostly sewing projects. Oh – black on white or vice versa is also tricky for me – either the background or the stitching is clear, rarely both.
One thing I’ve recently discovered with my point & shoot – when trying to get a closeup of my black kitty, it works much better to not use the macro setting while she’s on my lap, and instead use the zoom feature while she’s sitting a few feet away. Maybe that’s the trick for the other 2 situations I mentioned??