When you photograph a quilt you are capturing its distinct array of colors, the details of its stitching
and textures, and the story being told through its design. Whether you are taking photos for your personal
use, to share with friends and family, or to submit as an entry to a quilt show, use these simple tips to
portray your quilt as beautifully in digital form as it is in-person.
Special considerations for quilting show photos
If you are using your photos to enter a quilting show, be sure to carefully read all of the rules beforehand
so you know what photo sizes are needed, the minimum resolution setting for your digital camera, and whether
the use of photo-editing software is allowed. A common request for quilting show entries is one "full view"
photo of your entire quilt and one close-up, showing details.
The goal in photographing your quilt is to capture a good representation of your work. The first step is making
sure your quilt is set up correctly before you begin photographing. There are a few things to remember when
hanging your quilt:
Make sure your quilt is flat, with straight edges. You could hang it against an even, neutral-colored wall.
Keep your quilt well supported or it will sag under its own weight. This can make edges appear crooked,
and designs appear distorted or darkened by shadows.
You may use a rod or other rigid support inserted into an attached sleeve. (This is especially important
for depicting how it will look hanging in a show or gallery.)
Indirect lighting is ideal when it spreads evenly across your quilt.
To showcase your quilt's colors it is important to have the correct lighting. There are several things to
keep in mind.
Fluorescent lights, incandescent lights, and daylight will each affect the appearance of your quilt
differently. The white balance setting of your camera can help compensate for these differences.
When hanging indoors, try hanging your quilt near a large window where daylight is available. And don't
forget to turn off all other lights, including your flash, to faithfully represent colors and details.
When hanging outdoors, make sure to keep your quilt out of both direct sunlight and glare.
If needed, use sheets of white foam-board as "mirrors" and reflect additional amounts of daylight onto
your quilt.
Use the zoom button on your camera to find the "sweet spot" of your camera so that "full view" straight lines are
straight.
As for your camera's settings in the Capture menu, here are a few suggestions for taking great "full view" quilt
photos:
Set your white balance (WB) according to the light you're in. For example, if you're using indirect
daylight indoors use the daylight white balance setting. Other options on some cameras are "auto" or
"manual".
Set image quality at highest number of MP, or, highest number of stars.
Set auto focus area at "multi."
Keep the ISO speed low (around 50 or 100).
Red-eye removal, adaptive lighting, and burst settings should all be switched to "off."
Once you have zoomed in a small amount with your camera, move the tripod toward or away from your
quilt until its entirety, including all edges, appear as large as possible inside your display.
Long, straight lines can be challenging to photograph without distortion.
When you hang a quilt carefully, it will look great. So why do the edges look curved in the camera display?
In "full view" quilt photos the quilt's edges will appear very close and parallel to the camera's display edges,
so curving of the edges can be easily visible. Assuming you will not be modifying your images after the photos
are taken to correct for distortions, it is important to take your quilt photos at your camera's "sweet spot" to
minimize distortion.
Too much optical zoom will cause your quilt's outer edges to look bowed inward toward the center. Not enough
optical zoom will cause your quilt edges to look bowed outward. You have found the "sweet spot" for your quilt
picture when straight quilt edges are straight in the display. The suggested small amount of zoom setting
should be close, but don't hesitate to change the zoom setting if you see curving of straight edges.
The fun doesn't have to stop once you've taken your perfect quilt shots. There are plenty of things you can do
with "full view" or detail-focused photographs of your quilt. Here are a few ideas:
Quilt photo journal, including fabric swatches and quilt stories
Photo CD with companion envelope or box containing fabric swatches
Quilt show catalogue, newsletter, or "how-to" instructions
Take a free online class
in digital photography! Explore the many features of your digital camera, find tips for cropping and editing your
images, and discover new ideas for sharing your photos in creative ways.
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