My plan was to take one "quilty" photo every day, trying different staging set ups to create photos of whatever I was working on that day.
It's good to do a bit of pre-planning and set your project up so that it's simple, fun and fairly easy to achieve. I first decided that I would aim for photos that fit my "style" - light, bright, clean and simple. I decided to do all square photos since much of my work is posted to Instagram. Each day I took 3-4 photos of the same thing, changing angles, closeness, and maybe moving items around a bit.
Every Friday night, I uploaded my photos to my computer, edited and chose my favorite from each day. I tried to learn what I liked about each one and what I didn't like. I numbered each photo using the iPad app, A Design Kit. Then using the online photo printing site, Artifact Uprising, I added my 7 photos from the week to a soft cover book.
I missed a few days along the way, but finished up the project by taking my 100th photo on July 7th and ordered my photo book as a record of the project.
Here are just a few of the pictures...
Did I learn anything? You bet I did!
Number one, I learned to get my lighting correct. Lighting is everything in photography. In May, I was lucky enough to take a quilt photography class from Kitty Wilkin through the Greenville Modern Quilt Guild. As a result of the class, on Kitty's recommendation, I purchased these simple and inexpensive studio lights. They have made a world of difference and allowed more freedom as to where and when I can take a photo.
I love flat lay photography and learned to improve my composition in flat lay, primarily through trial and error. Practice makes perfect (or almost perfect).
Do you take pictures of your quilts and their progress? What I love about it, is that it makes me stop and appreciate what I'm doing, what I've done and where to go next. As someone who has a tendency to go, go, go, it's good for me. The proverbial "stop and smell the roses" or in my case, stop and appreciate the work.
I loved doing a 100 Day Project so much! Have you ever done one? There's definitely another in my future :)
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Interesting that you'd choose photos to make a 100-day project. I've not heard of anyone doing that. But it obviously worked well for you. Love those pictures you shared. Sounds like Kitty Wilkins workshop is a good one. I'd like to learn more myself about taking good photos. Personally, though 100 days of anything doesn't work for me, I don't mind that others do it. But honestly, it gets real old looking at 100 days of quilt blocks posted by people I follow on Instagram. Boring. I'd much prefer to see posts about things other than 100-days of blocks!
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible challenge! You certainly had a successful 100 days! I love your book idea, too! I think it would be an awesome experience to take a class with Kitty! Taking pictures of my creations is the most difficult part of blogging for me.
ReplyDeletewhat a great way to catch wonderful pics and yes learning experience. It sounds like your class was a great one and anyone interested in taking photos of their quilts or whatever would benefit from a class like that.
ReplyDeleteYou take very good photos. I love looking at your artistically arranged settings for each one.
ReplyDeleteI know when you do a 100 day project, you have the memory of it etched in your head bc of that one focus. And you also recall other things you were enjoying.
Hmmmm, 100 days of something. I would enjoy that. I have to think of what I would do. I do like the quilt blocks idea
Well done Cindy
Such beautiful photos. Those lights are intriguing - I'm assuming that they could be used for capturing what's on my design wall...?
ReplyDeleteI have followed some 100 day projects of photos - sometimes of the same thing day after day -- interesting changes that people don't observe ordinarily. I love your photos and the idea is great.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to use photos as a 100 day project. These photos are beautiful. Lighting is a big concern in my photographs. I am glad you were able to get lights that worked for you. What is flat lay photography?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to combine love of quilting with photography. You always take amazing photos and I can't wait to see your collection!
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