QM Tips

Tips & Techniques

 Photo Tips For Your Quilts

Want to show off your quilt to its best advantage in photography? These tips will help you:

• Remember to check your batteries before you plan to take pictures. That perfect light may not last long enough for you to hunt for replacements.
  
• Avoid outdoor shots at noon on a sunny day. Too much light! Cloudy days provide good diffused lighting.
  
• Remember to turn off the date stamp feature on your camera. This information is very distracting to the image, and the photo will probably be refused if you submit it for publication.
  
• Take time to focus your camera for the photo. Pin a hand-written note to the quilt, then set your camera to focus on the handwriting. Remove the paper before shooting.
  
• Avoid objects such as mirrors or windows that reflect a flash or unwanted images in the photo.
  
• When using a flash, the closer you stand to the quilt, the more color and texture you will lose.
  
• To emphasize the quilting texture in an indoor photo situation, try lighting your quilt from the side with a strong light source. Then take the photograph using ample natural light without the flash. You will have to experiment for the best combinations.
  
• As the photographer, position yourself in front of the center of the quilt. You will avoid the shape distortion that comes from shooting at an angle.