So, this is what a typical picture of one of my quilts has looked like in the past: Yes, that’s my husband’s head, and the edge of the rug in the TV room…well, you get the idea. And in fairness, most of these pictures were taken years before I ever thought of having a blog and publishing them. Let’s just say they’re less than perfect!
Since I started the blog, I’ve tried to improve the old pictures with editing software. Most of the quilts are long gone to friends, customers, or both, so I don’t have the originals to make new photographs. After photo editing, the quilts were a bit easier to see, but the photos still weren’t exactly professional looking! See below.
I looked at a LOT of quilt pics on Flickr; most weren’t any better than mine. I looked at books and catalogs. The best quilt portraits I found were in the Keepsake Quilting catalog. They showed the quilts in nice settings, not just a straight-on picture of the quilt. I like this approach because it shows the mood of the quilt, not just the design.
I started trying to make better “quilt portraits”, showing more than just a straight-on shot of the quilt. I’ve found that a picture taken with the recipient is very nice. This next picture was sent to me by a friend who bought one of my quilts as a gift. Although it is clearly a snapshot rather than a professional photo, I think it does a nice job of being a portrait of the quilt (and the recipient). It has personality, which is lacking in the straight-on shots even if they show the whole quilt better.
I’m off to make some quilt portraits of my own, having learned a thing or two that I hope will improve the shots for my blog. Check back next week and see what you think of my “quilt portraits”.
I think good pictures of quilts are rare. I know some bloggers manage to do well at it consistently. I also sometimes wonder if their “popularity” as quilters rests more on their photography than on their quilts. (Sounds nastier than I mean it.) My husband and I have tried different variations trying to get good pix. I think there is value in straight-ahead shots, but yes, seeing the quilt in setting is more interesting a lot of the time.
Thanks for the post, late as I am in reading it. More things to think about…
Rita at Red Pepper Quilts does better pix than anybody, I think. I end up wanting to imitate her quilts when I see the pix. Now that I think of it, I’m going to hop over there & suggest she do a tutorial.