Quilt Phtography help

It seems the intersection of people interested in quilting and those interested in photography is not that large. My wife has taken up quilting and IMO is pretty good at it. I enjoy photography but am a novice at best. Not that much room to work with since the subject is always going to be a quilt, but I'm sure there are folks who have better ideas and an eye for these things than I do.

From what I gather, things to focus on when photographing quilts are the stitch detail, design features, binding, etc. Any tips or comments on these? I included the pic of the entire quilt because I read that was important, but it was just laid flat on carpet. That seemed pretty boring.

1.

#2 the color is very nice. Maybe just a little more light or a longer exposure with a tripod might help.

For quilts that are so colourful and eyecatching the main thing your photos lack is colour. Go grab your vibrance slider and give the colours a boost!

Also the photos are slightly underexposed. When photographing something which is quite light in colour you often need to apply some slight exposure compensation to make the whites look white and not grey. You might be able to boost the exposure slightly in your image editor without introducing too much noise.

The conditions you are shooting in don't look ideal... any time you have to start using your camera's flash it's a sign that you probably would be better moving the quilt closer to a window. I have a preference to natural light wherever possible.

We've got an outside wall that has space.
Being quilts, or the style of, it's not a pristine white plaster wall.
Rather it's galvanised corrugated iron which is in keeping with the origins (roots) of her quilts.
It's dead easy to hang and stand back.

Some quilts have plain backs, others are detailed.
Plus wife makes labels with storey and other details.
That's important IMO.

I've made a few custom quilt templates from perspex and other plastics and the paraphernalia that goes with quilting all adds to the storey.
It's all about the quilt and don't forget the maker.

Thrown over a chair in the intended use is good IMO as quilts were made to use as opposed to hang on walls or other uses.
That puts life into the quilt as opposed to a static object treated as a work of art.
Plus King or Queen Cat! They love quilts!

Bottom line is, do you just want a decent record or to impress on Web or other areas.
If it shows the designs, fabric, colours, quilt style, hand or machine stitching plus other matters important to quilt makers then I guess if it ticks your boxes then all good.

I do know first hand, you can quickly make life uncomfortable in some situations depending on who you're talking to.

I know it can be very rewarding, very frustrating and also expensive

Enjoy.

They just look a bit flat. Otherwise... fine.

On image 1... not sure I think the front edge of the quilt being out of focus is working on not.

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Shooting in indoor ambient light is usually going to give you flat, dull colors with bluish overtones.

I suggest taking the quilts outside to photograph them in direct sunlight when the sun is low in the sky; not necessarily the golden hour, but not midday, either.

I really like the first image. The way the quilt is arranged on the chair, and the entire composition, is quite pleasing. Only issue I have with that image is the flat, too-cool color cast.

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Just realised this thread is yonks ago Sep 08, 2010 09:53
No idea why it popped up when it did and I answered.

Hasn't changed my thoughts, just jerked me into August 2019

Looks like Bone11 hasn't been active in six years... hopefully they have been off stitching away at some amazing stuff...... oh well.... interesting to review.

Just use a cat

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For me, something like a quilt, like food, is best photographed 'in context'. Your first shot attempts this but is let down by flat lighting, low saturation/vibrance and messy arrangement of the quilt itself. It just looks like it's been tossed there.

Using the light from a window works well, provided you use it as directional light to create some shadow (and therefore depth and texture). Spend more time arranging the quilt in a stylish way (Mrs Wife should be able to help with that if she's a crafty person) and look out for unsightly creases and folds. Perhaps the quilt should be steamed first, to remove wrinkles?

If you haven't got studio lighting, window light and DIY reflectors such as simple sheets of white paper strategically positioned to control the shadows can work really well.

How are these quilts used? On a bed, as throws, or perhaps both? Whichever is the case, create a 'set' in the same way you would if it was an artsy movie, thinking not just about the quilt itself, and the lighting, but the typical use and then choose objects that will share the frame to convey the appropriate mood. Does your wife think her quilts are 'homely' or in some other style? Incorporate her vision into the 'set'.

Close-ups of details or stitching may be of interest to other quilters, showing your wife's skills or aesthetics, or potential buyers looking for high quality assembly.