Pink Chalk Studio » Blog Archive

Quilt Photography

Nov 8th, 2007 by Kathy

I’m always on the look out for tricks and tips for taking better photos of my quilts. Holly Knott’s website was like finding the final piece of the puzzle. A talented art quilter and photographer, she’s written a wonderful multi-page guide to quilt photography.

Holly gives instructions on building these light stands. Very specific instructions. Like all the dimensions and the exact size of the screws. A very clever and utilitarian design, a woman after my own heart. The shape of the 2×4 is perfect for mounting the clamp lights.

I also finally bit the bullet and ordered the 30 watt trumpet top bulbs from Table Top Studios. I have come across several websites which recommend these bulbs and so does Holly. On the Note Taker photos I tried to get by with true light compact fluorescents from the hardware store but was never really satisfied with the light they created. I’m sold on the trumpet top bulb. Worth every penny. It created an intense bright light that illuminated the quilt detail. You’ll note that the curtains in my dining room are closed (another one of Holly’s suggestion to regulate the light source).

I received the order from Table Top in 3 days with regular shipping!

I built my display panels about 6 months ago using big pink insulation board (24″ x 8′). I made 3 so I can photograph large quilts by placing them side by side. I covered them with white synthetic felt (the really cheap stuff). I secured the felt on the backside using duct tape. I tried a staple gun but they kept slipping out of the foam board. I’m considering trying a layer of flannel to see if my quilts ’stick’ better. The felt is a little slippery requiring the use of a lot of pins.

The pictures I took for Anna Banana are my best yet. Thank you Holly!

Posted in Quilting, Photography 101 | 16 Comments

16 Responses to “Quilt Photography”

on 08 Nov 2007 at 11:08 am1katrin

omg… now i really feel bad about my pictures with my super-cheap nothing-special, compact & idiot-proof digital camera…. O.O
(not really, though. i mean - i’m not a proffessional. why try to be like one?! )
on 08 Nov 2007 at 11:59 am2Amy

Wow, that photo turned out great! Thanks for sharing info about your set-up!
on 08 Nov 2007 at 12:08 pm3adrienne

Love your set up!!!!
on 08 Nov 2007 at 12:19 pm4Mama Urchin

That’s quite a setup you’ve got. The photos look great.
on 08 Nov 2007 at 2:21 pm5Jodi

Wow! Thanks for all the helpful info! My next goal is to tackle my photography skills. I great picture really is worth 1000 words!
on 08 Nov 2007 at 3:07 pm6Anina

Lovely setup! We have a whole closet full of strobes and stuff I don’t have a clue how to use and a husband who’s too busy to teach me so my “studio” is the patio table.
on 08 Nov 2007 at 3:25 pm7Pam

Interesting.. I’m going to have to check that out since I do some quilt photography. Thanks for sharing the info. As usual, you’re ahead of the curve!
on 09 Nov 2007 at 5:48 am8Solidia

Thanks for the info Kathy. That is a really neat setup!!
on 09 Nov 2007 at 9:44 am9Lemon Tree Tales

That’s a great link to photography tips. Thanks a bunch! Most of the online information is geared towards the professional photographers with the high-end SLRs. But I just have a nice point-and-shoot and don’t really want to get into manual mode just yet.

–Tami
on 09 Nov 2007 at 1:52 pm10Kari

Thank you for sharing!
on 16 Nov 2007 at 9:13 am11Megan

Thanks for the information about Holly’s website. I’m a weaver, and I’ve been looking for a site like this. So helpful!
on 26 Nov 2007 at 8:01 am12Melissa

Thanks for posting these fabulous tips!
on 09 Dec 2007 at 5:55 pm13Holly Knott

Kathy, just stumbled across your site and was excited to see your posts above in which you were able to use our instructions - so glad to be of help, and so great to see the shot of the light stands you built based on our tips! Thanks for posting about our tips, too, as we enjoy spreading the word in any way that we can. It really isn’t that hard once you get a few of the basics in place!
on 09 Dec 2007 at 6:20 pm14Andy Baird

I’m glad you found Holly’s and my “Shoot That Quilt!” website helpful, Kathy. Combining our knowledge to create the site was both hard work and great fun. Our main message was simplicity. As Holly said, once you understand a few basics, anybody can take good photos… and do it without spending big bucks on either cameras or lights!
on 05 Jan 2008 at 7:44 pm15Pink Chalk Studio » Blog Archive » Selling on eBay - Part 1

[…] Excellent pictures. Very important. I made the above picture taking box with foam board and duct tape. I also used this box to take the pencil roll pictures for my Etsy listings. I talked about the lighting here. I took all my photos at night. The trumpet light bulbs totally rule (I think I’ve been around my kids too much, thank goodness school starts on Monday!). […]
on 06 Jan 2008 at 8:48 am16Tamara

Thank you so much for the tip about the Trumpet bulbs! I just ordered some. I’ve been living the erratic life of ‘daylight stalker’ for a couple of years trying to get properly lit shots for my yarns. It’s crazy…and it’s 10 degrees outside so my pictures might have light, but now they’re blurry because I’m shivering while shooting them! Hopefully these will allow me to finally come inside. Thanks again.