Pictures of Quilts – hints, tips and where I take mine

Having a spot to take pictures of quilts is great….. somewhere you can rely on getting a good shot.  Whether you use it for your quilt journal or scrapbook or whatever, finding a spot that works and is easy to use and get to is a must.

In the past I had the sewing cottage in the back yard and that is where for a couple of years I took my pictures for finished quilts and projects. Both for patterns and for tutorials.
Since moving to a new place I thought I’d give a back door view of where I am now and what I use for Quilt Pictures.

In the back yard I have a big red barn. There are actually a couple of them, but this one is the easiest to use.

At some point it will be painted, but for right now I love the rough wood look and the underneath wood showing through the red paint.

There are a few nails on the wall that I can hang rope or twine to so it works out perfect.

If I don’t use the rope option I just hang using pins….. the wood is just a little soft so they go in fine and can hold the project if it’s not too heavy.
Sometimes I use a wood prop– a pallet. It goes along with the rough wood look and I can move it around by myself easy enough.

What you can’t see– behind the wall. Here it is.
And, it’s the home of two chickens and one Alpaca named Petey.  Can you spy his little face in the above picture on the left?  Always curious!

He’s always in the background humming and looking about chewing on his yummy hay.  Two chickens are his friends– they don’t enjoy it, but he likes to chase and play tag with them. 🙂

Sometimes the chickens make it into the picture…

Hints for taking pictures of quilts:

outdoor light but not harsh sun- try the shade
mid afternoon the best- morning leaves a blue tint
have helpers to hold or help hang

With these it really is in experimenting.  Experiment with the time of day, the weather and even the helpers!  Some are better than others at helping.

Supplies I use for projects and quilting pictures:

camera – I use the Sony Cybershot HX100 It’s not the newest kid on the block, but it has the Carl Zeiss lens which is totally awesome.  Great pictures, all the time. You don’t have to be a genius to use it.

clothes pins– simple wood ones work great.  You can pick them up at the dollar store too.
straight pins– just grab a few from your quilt room (not your fancy awesome pins though)
Bakers Twine– this is the cute twisted double color twine.  Sometimes I use that and sometimes I grab the first rope I see and head on out…. it usually isn’t the prettiest. Might need to pay attention to that more!

Programs I use to adjust images:

picmonkey – this is free and a great online program you can use to crop images, adjust the lighting, colors and tone of the picture.  Head on over and give it a try- quick to learn and use!

Do you have a favorite spot for taking pictures?  Suggests? Ideas for us– share it!

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