Hi there! I’m amylouwho and Sara kindly asked me to help out with this week’s photo posts. But really, as I’ve read through the everyone else’s I’m not really sure I can add anything new. Maybe I’ll show you some what-not-to-dos!
I agree that lighting is key. Here are some things I’ve learned in the last few years…
***Morning and afternoon light are great for shooting outside. When shooting quilts outside you typically don’t want to be facing the sun as the light shine through your quilt. Like this:
I flipped the quilt around and got a much better shot:
But it was closer to noon and I still think the greens got a little washed out.
***Window light is GREAT pretty much all the time, especially if you have nice big windows. Which I don’t anymore. 🙁 The window filters the harshness of direct light on your project. This is one of my favorite photos (from my old house). The colors are so true. And this is unedited.
It helps that the Amy Butler print here is so gorgeous!
***I don’t ever use my on-camera flash anymore. I figured out how to turn it off on my little point and shoot too. And for the record, my pocket Canon Powershot can take a photo on auto as well as my Nikon D40 (the most basic entry-level version of a DSLR). It’s worth repeating that if you know your camera and work on your composition, it doesn’t matter what you are shooting with.
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| with flash |
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| without flash |
And I took these with my point and shoot. The on-camera flash can be so glaring. In all fairness the 2nd shot probably needs to be lightened up a bit.
*It’s important to know the light around you.
I have moved to a new house in the last year and have had to scout out new spots to take photos. I am constantly watching where the sun hits the house, inside and out, to find the best place to shoot so that my pictures need little editing. Unfortunately, the house is pretty shaded and so a lot of my pics are underexposed. But that can be easily fixed with iPhoto (on a Mac) or free software like Picnik. I also have Photoshop Elements, but really, free software to fix exposure is readily available and in a lot of instances, easier.
For instance:
SOOC (straight out of camera)
with a little adjustment in iPhoto (or whatever program you choose):
Here’s a pic I shot just the other day, when I found my morning sunbeam in my kitchen, and needed no editing:
I would say that the best way to get good photos is to practice A LOT. I am so busy with my kids and other aspects of daily life that I don’t have hours to edit and all of that. So I try to get shots I can use right away. And I’m with Kim, a lot of times I end up using shots that weren’t what I thought would be my first choice!
I hope this information is helpful! Just remember to make beautiful things that you love and you will get beautiful pictures!
Thanks for having me, Sara!
Your photography tutorials have been very helpful! Thanks for sharing!
Can I have one of those sprinkle cookies? Great post, amylouwho.
thanks Kristenita! That means a lot coming from you!
It’s interesting to see that the most common tip is not using the flash. I’m usually taking photos when it’s dark out so using natural light isn’t really an option, I’ve found that taking a few steps backwards and then using the zoom on my camera will allow me to use the flash without completely washing out the photo like using the flash close up does. It’s still not as good as natural light, but it’s a slight improvement.
It’s true stepping back helps the flash be less glare-y. I have to resist the urge to take late night photos and instead wait for better light. I’m always so excited when I finish something that I want to take pics right away too. But, if it’s late at night, I’m never happy with the pics. Even with my external flash…
great tutorials! thank you!
Fabulous as usual Miss Lou Who!!!!! That Amy Butler bag is to live for!!!!!
Great tips, Amy!