I'm blog challenged!

#1

I’ve been on knitting blogs of all sorts lately looking here and there for patterns for different things, and one thing has really stood out to me (aside from the 100% pure TALENT and SKILL I’ve come across and beautiful knitting projects!)…the artistic photos that are posted on the blogs. I’ve tried to be “artistic” when I take pictures of my things, but I’ll find that maybe you can’t see the stitch detail, or I’ll get something in the background that detracts, etc. The blogs I’ve visited showcase the finished object beautifully; you can see the stitch definition very well, and the finished objects are usually staged with little props or in really beautiful surroundings.

Are there tips or advice that anybody can offer when taking pictures of finished objects for blogs?

There’s a bunch of examples I’ve come across but I can’t find now, but here is one example of the kind of photo I’m talking about. See how the picture itself is great, not to mention the finished object, and you can see all of the stitching?

#2

I know how you feel, I really suck at photography myself. It’s really hard to photograph a piece of work so that it really looks good and all of the details come through.

#3

I find it very difficult to shoot with a digital camera. I feel like I can’t control my images at all. I think it just takes a lot of practice and taking lots of shots. I much prefer using film… I know, old fogey time…

#4

OK, I just started a blog about 2 months ago- because I had a tendon injury in my left hand and couldn’t knit… so, there’s not a lot of knitting photos up on my blog- but, a few are there.
However, that being said… there are all sorts of photos on my blog and some of them do show things ‘close up’… which would also apply for knitting projects.
Your photo quality will largely depend on camera quality too- however, you can also have a fancy pants camera and still not take GOOD photos. Here are some photo taking hints… that might help some.

**First of all ‘photograph’ your knitting item where there isn’t a lot of background clutter.

Examples: Draped on a chair or any other piece of furniture, or put a pretty fabric behind and under the knitting to cover up anything else that is around… if you can’t take it outside. You want the focus to be on the knitted item.

**Outside natural light photographs knitted items best… (for me right now-- I live in a huge city w/out bright light on a good day and since, it’s winter… it’s already dark when I get home- so, I try to take photos on my closed balcony… Yes, they are not open to the outdoors)
Examples: Take a photo near a window that does get good natural light, take the item outside if you can…

**USE the macro setting on your camera for close-ups of stitch definations. If you have a digital- do you have a setting showing a flower? IF so… that’s it.
Example: You can really zoom in close using this setting- however, it also depends on how close using your camera. It might be a good ideal to take a skein of pretty yarn, full of a variety of colors and/or textures and phototgraph it at various degrees of closeness to see where your ‘best focus areas are’ using your camera.

Usually a flash isn’t best for taking photographs of knitting- but, it can work. Do you have a soft flash setting? That setting will tend to not wash out the colors as much.

Go to my blog and check it out… even if it’s not as ‘knitting focused’ as other knitting blogs are… I do have quite a few photos that I’ve taken… and there are even some photos of just yarn that I’ve taken so you can get an idea of what I’m talking about.

And of course… the best advice is to take about 20 different digital photos of one knitted item… upload them to your camera and see which ones work best. Take several in various locations… and see which areas of your house/apartment provide the best light and management of ‘background clutter’ that takes the viewer’s eyes off of the knitting that you are trying to feature. And remember that is easy to do… by just draping a scarf, a piece of fabric, a tablecloth or whatever behind and under your knitting.

Good luck.