5 Top Tips when Photographing Scarves and Textiles
Top tips for photographing knitwear for your business
textile fashion photography edinburgh
photography knitwear fashion textiles scotland
fashion textile photography
photographing knitwear
scarf photography edinburgh
photographing scarves and textiles
As you probably guess...naturally I love snapping away with my camera! But when I get to combine my photography with textiles and capture fabrics, interiors, knitwear and fashion accessories, then this just takes it to a whole new level! I love capturing colours and textures as well as considering the backgrounds, the composition and the overall styling.A lot of people ask me about how I go about taking pictures of textiles and fashion accessories for their business, scarves in particular being a popular subject. So I thought I would share with you some top tips for photographing a scarf.1. Consider Your LightI love being in the great outdoors. Scotland's landscapes can act as fabulous backdrops, even although we may be left at the mercy of the unpredictable weather! For your best light when working with natural light, you want a low sun to cast soft shadows across your subject. Midday sun is worst as it is high in the sky and leaves harsh shadows which are very unflattering. Therefore the light is always at it's best for photography first thing in the morning or late in the day.**We are mainly focusing on photographing in natural light for today's post. Artificial light leads us into a whole new topic for conversation! Artificial light can be a brilliant addition to the photographer's toolkit, giving you more flexibility and control when working in varying lighting conditions...here's a picture taken with off camera flash just for interest!**2. Consider Your EnvironmentMake sure you consider your location carefully. Ensure you don't decide upon a busy, cluttered background or landscape which could add distraction or confusion. Think about the colours of the background and how they could compliment the products that you are taking images of. For example, if you are taking a picture of a dark scarf then consider setting it against a light background to allow it to 'pop' and not get lost amongst the setting. Consider contrasting colours for dark garments.3. Consider Your FabricConsider attention to detail. Different fabrics have different surface textures and you want to pick up the details. You may need to zoom in close to fill your frame, or perhaps you may want to set you fabric against a contrasting substrate. Details are key when photographing textiles.4. Consider Your CompositionConsider a unique angle, alter your viewpoint, MOVE AROUND THE SUBJECT and try not to get stuck snapping away on the same spot! Sometimes it's handy to cut out a rectangular piece of paper with a smaller rectangular hole in the middle and hold it up in front of you, to pretend it's your field of view.5. Consider Your Focus PointThis can be very handy in drawing the viewers eye to the detail. This can also be used greatly to help exaggerate the detail of the fabric, or maybe the branding on a label.These are just a few starting points. The best piece of advice is to get out there and experiment!! Take your camera everywhere you go so that you never miss an opportunity. But be careful because it's addictive and you won't be able to put your camera down!!
If you'd like to check out some more of my photography, then please do scroll through my textiles portfolio. All these photos are captured in the beautiful Scottish landscapes, taking into account the 5 tips
LIGHT * ENVIRONMENT * FABRIC * COMPOSITION * FOCUS POINT
You can also follow my travels on my Instagram, Facebook or Twitter pages.Do feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post or sign up to my mailing list to receive notifications of new blog posts and features at the panel to your right!Check back next week when we will be looking at 5 Ways to Wear a Silk Scarf!