Quilt Photogrpahy Workshop - August

Plum and June is hosting a Quilt Photography Workshop and each month there is a new assignment and link-up. This month's assignment is to photograph fabrics.

Plum and June

Before I even started quilting or blogging or even really sewing as much as I do now, I started getting really interested in photography. I always loved taking pictures, but never enough to invest in a good camera or the time. When I was pregnant with big relish, I asked Mr. Relish for a DSLR so we could take the best pictures possible for my sweet little girl. Little did I know that there was so much to learn just to take the picture. Then came the editing. In over my head for sure!

Here is one of my first pictures I took of my sweet Boo-Boo Bear (aka Bailey). Not so bad, huh?
Photography Skills
And here is one of big relish when she was just a few days old. At first, I thought this picture was terrible. Then I cropped it and turned it into b&w and now it's one of my favorites.
Photography Skills
AND here is one of my most recent with little relish. This was taken with my newer camera and editing in photoshop elements.
Photography Skills


When I first started, I just used Picasa by Google to edit my pictures. There are also several other free photo editing services out there, but this was the one I found easier for me. Once I started to really understand and improve, I asked Mr. Relish for a better camera and started using Photoshop Elements. At this time, I realized the importance of getting out of auto and shooting in RAW format. I am still learning everyday. My favorite blogs for tutorials and actions are Pioneer Women and Coffee Shop Blog. These women are so generous to share their knowledge and actions for free. Be sure to follow them to keep up with new tutorials or actions.

A little about actions. Actions are a great tool to edit quickly and get professional look pictures. The pictures I took for this assignment, I only adjusted colors and didn't use any actions. That is the benefit of shooting in RAW. When I take pictures of my girls, I usually use some skin smoothing actions and soften the colors. Another great tool is simply cropping (as I showed you in the b&w photo of big relish). Cropping your photo at a certain point in your photo can change the perspective greatly. Don't always center your subject in the frame. And try cropping it a square. You would be surprised at how different the picture becomes.

I hope to share more info along the way, but without further adieu, here are my pictures for this month...

Photograph Workshop with Plum and June
Photograph Workshop with Plum and June
--I just wanted to give a shout-out for the shop I purchased my bundle from--
Photograph Workshop with Plum and June
Photograph Workshop with Plum and June
Photograph Workshop with Plum and June
Photograph Workshop with Plum and June

Photograph Workshop with Plum and June
Photograph Workshop with Plum and June
Photograph Workshop with Plum and June
Photograph Workshop with Plum and June
Photograph Workshop with Plum and June

These were all taken outside in the shade in natural light on my patio. Natural light is always best. If you are inside, pick a location with lots of windows and open them up and turn off all lights as well even if the room goes a bit darker. These lights will create unwanted shadows.

Photos taken with Canon Rebel T3i.
F-stop: f/3.5
Exposure: 1/125-160 sec
ISO 100

Happy Photographing and Quilting!
Melissa



Comments

  1. Great pictures Melissa! I have that same camera and LOVE it. I need to spend even more time with it as I am sure I am not using it to its potential. Seeing your lovely pics inspires me to spend more time with it.

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    1. Thank you! I love my camera too! I love the creative auto feature that allows you to get out of auto but not ALL the way out. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!

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  2. Great, great pictures. Thank you for the tips too! :-)

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    1. Thanks so much! I hope some of my tips were useful as well and thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!

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  3. Such a useful post! Thank you.

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    1. You are soooo welcome! I'm glad my info is helpful! Thank you for visiting and commenting!

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  4. Nice photos :) I like the contrast of the rough patio texture with the softness of the fabrics. I also really like Pioneer Woman's actions (and any self made actions for the sake of time).

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    1. Thank you, Jess! I think the patio is my favorite location for pictures since it is under cover and no light issues. Actions are amazing! I still need to learn how to make my own for my usual edits. Thanks for visiting!

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    1. You're welcome, Nini! Hope my info is helpful! Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. Great pictures and great tips! Your stone background looks great with your fabrics!

    :) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

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    1. Thanks, Kelly! I love that stone background! It really makes the best background for everything!

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  7. Great pictures!!!

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    1. Thank you so much! Next to sewing/quilting I think photography is my passion. Hope you find some useful tips here and all the others that linked up!

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  8. I love all the photos.. Definitely outside photos are great! I love it outside too.. but its winter right now.. and I just have to live it since I am only back home when it is already dark...

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    1. Thank you! I am lucky to have such great places to take pictures with lots of light. Hope the sun gets to you soon! Hugs!

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  9. Those are great pics! Thanks for joining in.

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    1. I am so exciting about this series! I am excited to see what next month's challenge is! Feel free to give me the inside scoop...lol. Thanks for visiting and letting me know!

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  10. yummy new stash additions, beautifully photographed. some really great tips, too!

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    1. Yes, they are so yummy! I am still deciding how I want to use them. Thanks for your sweet comment and visiting me, as always!

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  11. One of the reasons I follow your blog is that I love your photos. I think they are stunning! Always very high quality.

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    1. That is the sweetest thing anyone has said about my pictures/blog! I strive to make my pictures as pretty as possible because that is my favorite part about blogs...the eye candy. Thanks for visiting and commenting...it makes my day!

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