|
Post by lyn on Dec 8, 2018 22:03:14 GMT
I really enjoyed making this diorama to photograph for my Christmas cards. Although this is my third snowmen diorama, I never re-use the snowballs as I want the scene to look fresh. So using merino wool fibres I made 9 snowballs of various sizes and 3 carrot noses - the 2 hats were made from my felt scraps box. The miniature knitting was done with crochet cotton. Unfelted Merino wool fibres are impossible to photograph clearly, but that works to my advantage when I want them to look like snow on the ground as they blur beautifully!
|
|
|
Post by MTRuth on Dec 8, 2018 23:25:30 GMT
Adorable!!! Love that she's knitting away.
|
|
|
Post by lindsay on Dec 9, 2018 7:12:48 GMT
Absolutely gorgeous, Lyn. Lots of life and drama. I particularly love the little tree decorations - so sweet.
|
|
|
Post by lyn on Dec 9, 2018 8:25:54 GMT
Thank you Ruth - I don't know why but the knitting angle really appealed to me too.
Thank you Lindsay - the tree decoration is made from felt balls and crystal beads strung on white sewing cotton.
|
|
|
Post by lindsay on Dec 9, 2018 17:24:53 GMT
Lyn’s post made me wonder if other people make felt / wool things to photograph for cards (rather than making felted cards). I do print photo cards of my felt pictures but this year is the first time I’ve specifically made something to create printed cards from rather the cards being a by-product. www.ipernity.com/doc/2373440/47808898The first one I separately wet felted the robin and the background then needle felted them together. www.ipernity.com/doc/2373440/47808900The second one I lightly prefelted the bird then wet felted it straight into the unfelted background. The second technique is quite a lot quicker but there’s not as much chance to fiddle with the shape and you get more of the background coming through.
|
|
|
Post by lyn on Dec 9, 2018 17:51:56 GMT
The robins are beautiful Lindsay!
|
|
|
Post by Pandagirl on Dec 10, 2018 0:07:23 GMT
Beautiful birds Lindsay! Lyn, your snowman pic is so adorable and has a lot of movement.
|
|
|
Post by Shepherdess on Dec 10, 2018 1:18:23 GMT
Your snowman scene is fabulous Lyn. I can't believe you knit that little hat with ears. Lindsay both are very nice but I like the first one best. I like the way it stands out from the background. Can I ask both of you how you get pictures that are good enough to print? I never seem to get a good picture. I am using my iPhone camera but I hear about people shooting a whole short movie with them. Do you have lights or those light boxes?
|
|
|
Post by MTRuth on Dec 10, 2018 1:38:53 GMT
Cute Robins!
|
|
|
Post by lindsay on Dec 10, 2018 6:14:01 GMT
Your snowman scene is fabulous Lyn. I can't believe you knit that little hat with ears. Lindsay both are very nice but I like the first one best. I like the way it stands out from the background. Can I ask both of you how you get pictures that are good enough to print? I never seem to get a good picture. I am using my iPhone camera but I hear about people shooting a whole short movie with them. Do you have lights or those light boxes? Thanks Ann. I am amazed by how Lyn knit that little hat too. Re photos - I use my iPhone camera too. Im lucky that my studio has a big window but with sort of corrugated plastic over it. It gives really good light but is never in direct sun. My living room is very light too so I take photos in one or the other of those. They seem to be good enough for card-size prints. I don’t do bigger prints so don’t know whether they’d be good enough for that.
|
|
|
Post by lyn on Dec 10, 2018 8:50:26 GMT
Your snowman scene is fabulous Lyn. I can't believe you knit that little hat with ears. Lindsay both are very nice but I like the first one best. I like the way it stands out from the background. Can I ask both of you how you get pictures that are good enough to print? I never seem to get a good picture. I am using my iPhone camera but I hear about people shooting a whole short movie with them. Do you have lights or those light boxes? Thank you Ann - the knitting was a challenge that I loved! It's not easy to get photos right is it? I sometimes spend longer trying to get a photo than I do making the item! Edit: There's a timer on i-phone cameras. If you use that, then you will be able to hold the phone steady while the shutter works instead of poking a button/the screen and possibly moving the phone. Images are sharp if the camera is steady. The first thing to get right is the light. Ideally a light-cloudy day around midday outside ... not often possible! For the winter I've got some fluorescent tubes in my craft room - they are non-strobing and 98% colour good. But on their own it's still not enough. I also have to wait for good daylight to be pouring in through my bay window and I soften it through white lined voile curtains. I have heard that you shouldn't mix light sources, but hey, if it works ... Secondly the camera needs to be still when the shutter is operated so that the images are crisp. I use a tripod and a shutter release cable on my camera - that way the camera doesn't move at all. But if I'm taking shots without a tripod i.e. holding the camera with my hands, I set the timer on the camera to operate the shutter so that reduces camera movement because I don't have to press the button. On a bright cloudy day, I open the curtains and use the strong natural light to catch the texture on felt. I use a white board to reflect the light, coming in from the window, back over the felt. Otherwise the top is lighter than the bottom. If you're photographing a picture on a wall the frame can look distorted so stand well back and use the zoom on your camera. I don't understand why but it helps.
|
|
|
Post by tracey on Dec 10, 2018 15:55:22 GMT
Another wonderful Christmas card Lyn!
|
|
|
Post by Shepherdess on Dec 10, 2018 17:00:06 GMT
A little tripod should be on my Christmas list. Lyn, you said a hanging piece looks distorted how are you photographing flat pieces. You can't really get right over them with a tripod do you have a cool attachment?
|
|
|
Post by lyn on Dec 10, 2018 17:17:29 GMT
Thank you Tracey!
Ann - when I have piece hanging on the wall I do use the tripod and stand well back then use the zoom as it does seem to save distortion but I have no idea why. It's a tip I picked up from a photography forum.
If possible I will pin flat pieces to a piece of polystyrene or foam board then stand them against a wall to photograph them.
I wish I did have a cool attachment Ann. If I need to photograph a piece flat on the table then out comes the stepladder. I get well above the piece then steady my elbows on the handgrip of the stepladder. I use the timer on the camera to reduce movement when the shutter clicks.
|
|
|
Post by Antje on Dec 10, 2018 22:00:36 GMT
Wow....not only some great colourful happy snow people, and elegant birds but also some great photo tips. Thanks to you all for sharing.
|
|