Tuesday at the Table

Some clarification may be in order as you read through this post as to why it qualifies for Tuesday at the Table and the mystery will be cleared up soon enough.

But I wanted to share just a bit of a follow-up to my reveal post for my latest quilt, Confectionery. The good news/bad news plan I mentioned then was to head to the local beach, and use my new photographer's background stand to photograph my quilt.

The good news is that it telescopes both vertically and horizontally (maximum of 9.5' high and a range of 40" to 11' wide), which would feasibly accommodate a very large quilt. The clips (purchased separately) are easy to use, and the whole thing is pretty easy to set up, packs up into a sturdy bag, and is very portable.

The bad news, which should have been obvious, is that it is wind-sensitive. Ie. It is sturdy enough indoors and in very calm weather, but if there's much of a breeze, it can and will tip over. The other negative, to me anyway, is that the whole set up is a bit unsightly. In retrospect, if we'd adjusted the stand higher and wider, I could have photographed the quilt without the feet and sides of the stand showing. That leaves the clips showing, so we'll be working on a way to minimize that, though I definitely don't want to sew a quilt sleeve on every quilt I want to take on location to photograph. If you have any ideas, please do comment.

So leaving the beach with me moderately happy with the photos I'd taken, we passed a distillery that was new to town, and hubby pulled right in. Luckily for me, they didn't open for an hour, so we drove around looking for more places to take photos to pass the time! Then we stopped back by, did a little sipping, chatted up the owner, and topped off our afternoon in an unanticipated way. So note to self - and you too - if you want to keep photo assistants happy, and an assistant does help so much, combine your photoshoot with something fun for the assistant. Plan a shoot around lunch out, a winery visit, the park, or another entertaining outing. Besides making it an enjoyable time for everyone, you'll often find a new, interesting photo opportunity. It's a good thing.

That One Last Step

I'll confess right off that I don't always take the time or have the time or whatever, but I really do love a great photoshoot. You know, photos of a beautifully finished quilt out in the world. Something about the contrasts with nature, with color, and texture. Let's just say it makes me very happy, and it's the perfect finishing touch to a satisfying project.

So lately, I've seen several photoshoots around blogland that I really love. I'm not going to say much about them, as I think they speak for themselves. But do go check out the posts I've linked to. In every case, there are even more gorgeous shots that I know you'll enjoy.

Red Herring by Yvonne/Quilting Jet Girl

Diamond Sky by Jill/Pie Lady Quilts


Ocean Bricks by Cheryl/Meadow Mist Designs


Black and Red Plaid Flannel Quilt by Amy/Diary of a Quilter

So just a reminder. Take your quilts outdoors! Give them some fresh air and a new perspective. And if someone sees you, don't be shy. You've created a masterpiece, and you deserve to show it off!

p.s. Feel free to check out my Photoshoots pinboard - some of my own, and some I just plain like. 

Through the Lens :: Photo Challenge 1

It's been a few weeks since the new Camera Challenges & Tutorials series hosted by The Littlest Thistle was announced and I shared about my camera and where I am photography-wise. The first challenge was posted soon after and it's time to report in.

Here was the 1st challenge:
For each preset [on your camera], take a photo of a subject appropriate to the preset in both the preset mode and the full automatic mode.  

My camera's presets are:
Program
Automatic
Portraits
Landscapes
Close-ups
Moving Subjects
Portraits at Night

I chose to take each set of photos with three presets, Program, Automatic, and then 1 of each of the other modes. Hubby and I took the camera with us on a Saturday adventure to the city. Note location, presets, and shooting order in each photo.

Seattle Center ~ Portraits (l-r), shot in program, automatic, portraits

Kerry Park ~ Landscapes (l-r), shot in program, automatic, landscapes

Chihuly Garden and Glass ~ Close-ups (l-r), shot in program, automatic, close-ups

Seattle Center International Fountain ~ Moving Subjecs (l-r), shot in program, automatic, moving subjects

 

Writing this post, I realized I forgot to take portraits at night. And I see I need to work at taking the exact same frame if I want to accurately compare my shots. Lots to learn. But I'm anxious to see what others have done on this first challenge, as well as take in what Katy has to say. At the very least, I'm a tad more familiar with the camera settings available to me.

 

Linking up with Camera Challenge 1.

Through the Lens :: interlude

It's an age-old phenomenon, and I'm as guilty as they come. That would be the attempt to really learn about one's camera. The simple fact is, when I heard (ie: read) Katy/The Littlest Thistle's post about the Camera Challenges & Tutorials series she's starting, my ears perked up. I've tried, yes. But either my retention is really poor, or it just hasn't remained an important focus. But I'm willing to try again! Here's a glimpse of where I am today . . .

What do I have?
I've shot with a Canon EOS Rebel T3i for nearly 3 years. When hubby bought it for me, he called it an advanced beginner's dslr - my very first. It came with an 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 lens, which stays on probably 95% of the time. I also have a 55-250mm f4-5.6, a medium range telephoto lens. It's used more on vacations than with my quilt photograpy. But the good news is, I do know how to switch the lenses out.

What I know.
I got off shooting automatic right away. I'm comfortable in Program mode, fiddle in Macro mode occasionally, but haven't explored much beyond that. I finally know how to control the auto-focus though. And I can manage downloading and editing my own photos, though have plenty to learn about composition and all that.

Where have I been?
I've participated in photography challenges online, specifically with Plum and June last year. I posted about those experiences then - taking fabric photos, subject and composition, and about white balance. I hate to admit whatever I learned I either don't continue to practice, or have forgotten entirely.

What I meant to do.
I have a Pinterest Photography board where I collect all sorts of things about photography. I'm sure I could learn a lot through what I've collected, but I haven't read most of it. I purchased a Craftsy photography class (Shoot It! by Caro Sheridan) and another that I can't even remember {not good}. I watched neither.

So yeah. Pretty pitiful. Good intentions but not much progress. That's why I'm gonna do my best to follow Katy's posts and learn what I can. I know there's alot she can teach us me.

Bokeh

photo editing courtesy of PicMonkey, but the bokeh is mine!

Venturing into White Balance

Whew. Photography is hard stuff. This month's assignment for Plum and June's Quilt Photography Workshop is all about white balance. And two days ago, that was something I knew absolutely nothing about. Of course I read through what Beth had to say on the subject, appreciated an informative post by Erica/kitchen table quilting, and to top that off, got the excellent advice from friend Katy/The Littlest Thistle to, ahem, consult my camera's manual. And after son-in-law shared a helpful {read: basic} summary of the topic at a family gathering last night, it all began to sound more and more interesting.

So today I felt brave enough to do some experimenting, beginning with setting my camera's custom white balance by taking a photo of some white copy paper. From there, it was challenge enough for me to run though the available white balance options, both indoors and out, the results of which you'll see in the mosaic below.

After comparing all the photos, here's the results. The photos on the left were taken using the auto white balance; both on the right taken with custom. In both cases, the ones taken with the custom white balance settings were truest to what I actually saw in each setting. The indoor photos (top row) were taken in natural light on a pale green surface; the outdoor photos (bottom row) were taken about 2pm on a cloudy day.

So what do I know about white balance now? At the very least, I know that it exists, that it has to do with adjusting color tone, and how to tweak those settings on my camera (a Canon EOS Rebel T3i). I also know that those settings are situation-specific, ie. affected by the time of day, location, lighting etc., and custom will need to be re-tweaked each time I want to use it. I'm glad to know all that, though I think that's enough for me to mull over for now.

Linking up with The Quilt Photography Workshop. And I'll be reading all the other link-ups with interest!

Subject and Composition

Looking back, I totally missed both the assignment and the link up for the September Quilt Photography workshop at Plum and June. But since I enjoyed August's session so much, I thought I'd at least focus on the topic momentarily.

We were given a list of words and phrases, and while keeping in mind the elements of subject and composition, were to share photos illustrating our interpretation of them. Each photo was to tell its story without needing any written explanation. So without further ado . . .

A Typical Day

Makes Me Smile

Favorites

Relaxing

Peaceful

Frustration

Color Palette Inspiration

Quilt Design Inspiration

Appreciation

Imagine

My Style

Previous assignments:

Learning Another Language

Some Randomness and A Table Winner

There was a feature last Friday that I haven't mentioned yet! My Triple-Zip Pouch was listed as one of the 4 Favorites 4 Friday on the Sewing Summit website. It was an honor to be among such lovely projects.

If you want to read an insightful article about taking better blog photos, check this out by Bijou Lovely. I found it really helpful.

Source: bijoulovelydesigns.com via Debbie on Pinterest

TWO of my blog buddies have recently opened etsy shops! 

First was knotted thread by Jennifer, who blogs by the same name. She has some quilts and other handsewn items as well as a bunch of Riley Blake chevrons and dots.

Then there's Winding Bobbins by Heather of Crafting..., who has some quilted items in her shop.

Consider supporting both of these new shops as they begin their new ventures!

And about that September Tuesday at the Table winner!

That would be Katy of The Littlest Thistle and The South Beach Pinterest Project. Congrats, Katy, and thanks for sharing your new recipe adventures this month! I'll be emailing you so I can send that Chicopee bundle your way!

Speaking of Pinterest, thanks for all who pinned my bundle from Fresh Squeezed Fabrics earlier in the week. You may have heard that there was a bit of a snafu, much to the disappointment of many. I can see how things got out of hand, and will just be putting this little incident behind me and moving on. Thanks though for your support! Hope you have a great day!

Linking up with Really Random Thursday.