Quilt photography Archives - Ma Tante Quilting

5 Big Benefits of Improving your Quilt Photography Skills

Shelly — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 19:17:13 +0000

Have you ever been scrolling through Instagram, staring at all the beautiful quilty photos and WISHING yours could look as great? Then I have good news! Improving your quilt photography can be learned! It’s a skill that other quilters have worked on, and you can too!

Just like learning any new skill, it will take some time and effort. Let’s look at the top five benefits of improving your quilt photography.

There’s no way around it – gorgeous photography is Queen on social media. If you want people to stop scrolling and notice your pictures, the best way to do so is with pretty pictures.

Think about it: how often do you stop to comment, save, or like a darkly-lit, uninspiring photo that you see on IG? I’m guessing not often (unless it’s from one of your close friends or your grandmother who has just set up an account).

But you don’t want the only people that are engaging with your content to be related to you… You want complete strangers to notice your pictures.

Just like you follow your quilty heroes on IG, you are someone else’s quilty hero, just waiting to be seen. Give them something beautiful to look at!

With brightly-lit, colourful, interestingly-composed photos, you’ll be guaranteed to attract the attention of more than just your neighbours.

Increased sales

Y’know what made the Meadowland quilt pattern so popular? First, it’s a beautiful design that is fat-quarter friendly and was made by a lady who has an eye for combining colours.

But more importantly? Meghan did an AMAZING job of showing it off on social media.

I STILL remember seeing this post for the first time and thinking: I am 100% going to make that quilt when the pattern comes out.

Yeah, me and about a million other quilters!! Years later, this pattern is still going strong and I’ve longarmed more of this pattern than any other quilt.

But this would not have happened if Meghan didn’t have beautiful pictures of it on social media.

I cringe to think of all the amazing quilt patterns out there that will never be seen, simply because the designer didn’t take the time to improve their quilt photography.

And this doesn’t only apply to quilt patterns. If you sell ANYTHING online (notions, longarm services, online courses, fabric bundles), you need beautiful photos of your product. Otherwise? People will keep on scrolling.

Document your body of work

Here’s the thing: if you learn to take beautiful pictures of your projects, you’ll be more likely to *actually* photograph your work. And do you know what that means? No more kicking yourself for having spent 79 hours making a project, then gifting it and realizing you have no photographic evidence that it ever existed. I CAN’T be the only one who has experienced this!

It’s also amazing to see how my quilts have evolved over time (as well as my photography skills). Now that I know how to take great photos of my quilts, I’m super grateful to have a PILE of quilty photos on my phone (that make me happy and proud when I look at them).

What can you do with these piles of photos? You can share them on social media or store them for future use (if you one day start a blog, you’ll thank your past self for taking so many photos!) I’ve also seen quilters turn their photos into annual memory books. Imagine having a library documenting your quilting journey? Priceless!

Show off to your family and friends

Of COURSE Auntie Merle wants to see pictures of your latest quilt!!!

But do you ever find yourself sharing a photo and then adding a disclaimer like: “I promise it’s much more stunning in real life!” or “This photo doesn’t quite capture the correct colour in the blocks – the red is actually much deeper than it looks here”??? That’s not only frustrating for you, but also your poor family member.

Imagine if you could learn to take beautiful photos that *accurately* show your quilt off in its best light??

Your family and friends would finally be able to see the TRUE beauty of your creations! You’d be able to show off the fine details in interesting ways (with beautiful lighting!) so that instead of your friends or relatives thinking “oh great, another quilt”, they’ll think “OH GREAT! ANOTHER QUILT!!” when you show them your photos. No disclaimers needed.

Learning a new skill

Aside from the benefits of having oodles of pretty pictures, there are many advantages to learning a new skill.

First, can we talk about the self-esteem bump you get when you try something new, practice, then have success? It’s such a great feeling to be reminded that you’re a capable, competent human who can learn new tricks!

Then there’s the fact that photography is a creative endeavour – kind of like quilting! It uses a certain part of your mind that might not get a lot of use in everyday life. There’s a difference between consuming and CREATING, and I think you know how great the latter feels. If you practice your quilt photography, you’ll be lighting up this part of your brain!

And speaking of your noggin, learning a new skill literally rewires your brain. This will help the overall performance of your brain – kind of like upgrading your Internet access from dial-up to fibre optic!

Learning a new skill will keep you young, engaged, adaptable, and flexible.

Plus, there’s the all-important boost in confidence when you master it. If you can accomplish this task, what ELSE can you do?? I think you can do anything you set your mind to – especially improving your quilt photography skills!

Improve your quilt photography with Beginner Quilt Photography

If you’d like to improve your quilt photography skills, you should check out Beginner Quilt Photography – the online course made just for you!

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Using natural light for quilt photography

Shelly — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 11:00:00 +0000

People always ask me “What’s the secret to quilt photography?” And the truth is, it’s not actually that complicated. With some natural light and a bit of practice, you can improve your photos drastically.

Start with natural light

The good news is that you don’t need fancy lighting equipment to get great photos. All you need is the power of the sun, which is free! The only downside to using natural lighting is that you’ll need to take your photos during daylight hours. No more photographing your projects at midnight when you finish them – sorry!

If you want pretty pictures, you’ll have to be patient and wait for the right lighting conditions.

Here’s an example of what not to do… In the below photo, I had completed some quilt blocks and was excited to show them to the world. I snapped this photo in my sewing room late at night (with the overhead light on), and the results were less than stellar.

Womp womp. The blocks looked gorgeous in real life, but the photo was a big disappointment.

Taking photos in natural light might be especially challenging if you spend lots of time outside of your home during periods when there are few hours of daylight (like when I worked a 9-5 during winter in Canada… that was tough). In that case, you might need to batch your photos on the weekend (or whenever you’re home during daylight hours).

Appeal of natural light

There’s no denying it – our eyes love natural lighting. If you look around Instagram, I’ll bet you’ll find that your favourite quilters / photographers are using natural light exclusively – if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for you!

That’s the same quilt as before! The only difference was that I waited a few days and took a photo in natural light. Wowee!

I promise that if you turn off your lamps and light fixtures and use only sunlight, you’ll be instantly impressed with the results. You might even be surprised to see how well your photos turn out on an overcast day – the sun pumps out some bright light!!

Not all light is equal

There’s a difference between sunlight and sunbeams…. If you take your photos in direct light (where a sunbeam is hitting the quilt), you’ll end up with harsh shadows which are not cute.

Instead, you’ll want to take your photos in a spot that is bright, but away from direct sunbeams. When you do that, the light will be much more gentle and even.

Place your quilt in a location where the light source (a window, a door, etc) is off to the side, then stand over top of the quilt and take some photos.

In the photo below, you’ll see me taking a picture of a quilt in our living room. The large window to the left is my light source, and I’ve avoided placing the quilt in the area with a harsh sunbeam.

Bonus tip: Use a foam board

If you want to get even better results from your quilt photography, you can “invest” in a light reflector. The goal with this tool is to bounce the light back onto your subject (a quilt) and even out any shadows or dark areas. It’s a nifty little trick that professional photographers use all the time, but it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Instead of buying a fancy reflector from a camera shop, I’d suggest using a cheap foam board. It’s rigid, and you can prop it up against something in order to get it to work hands-free.

I use the Elmer brand of foam board, and while I can find them on Amazon, I’ve noticed that they’re MUCH less expensive at my local Dollar Store. They’re usually located next to the bristol (poster) board. If you’re looking to support a local art supply store, you can also find them there (likely at a higher price).

The proof is in the pudding

Take a look at the difference this inexpensive tool can make. In the photo below, I did not use a foam board. Not bad, but there are some distinct shadows around the quilting lines.

And in this photo, I did use a foam board (you can actually see it leaning against my leg a few photos ago).

What a difference, right??? These two pictures were taken seconds apart, with all of the same settings applied. But the one where I used the light reflector looks much more even, doesn’t it?

Another benefit of using a foam board is that it can double as a background for your photos, and is easily tucked away. I take most of my quilty photos in my living room, and I store my foam board under the couch. It’s out of sight most of the time, and easily accessible when I need it. I’ve had it for years, and while it’s a bit beat up, it still does its job well! For a $2 investment, it’s produced some amazing results!

Summary

So there you have it. If you’re looking to take beautiful photos of your quilts, start with natural light, avoid direct sunbeams and any artificial light from lamps, and use a foam board to even out any dark areas.

Let me know in the comments below if you think these tips could work for you!

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