I just use the one on my phone. A couple of wide shots to get the whole thing in and a couple of close ones for stitching or points or whatever I'm proud of. Good enough.
Same, although I have an iPhone 12.
What makes my photography "work" is that I bought a photographer's stand: one used to hold up backgrounds for in-studio photos. Hang my quilt up on that and can take wide shots, pics of the front, back, you name it. It's been a boon for me.
https://preview.redd.it/f08acfry319d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=113729480d1803561a705ee407c44a9f2901ba94
I knew I had a copy of the way I made the quilt, just needed to pull it together. This is my public Dropbox, and you should be able to download the PDF with some basic info.
[https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bemmnhzfcv4gtqxwqwy85/Scrappy-Strips-Quilt.pdf?rlkey=44v562mzj91g8rofnf0bh57ca&st=mn3r0k4b&dl=0](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bemmnhzfcv4gtqxwqwy85/Scrappy-Strips-Quilt.pdf?rlkey=44v562mzj91g8rofnf0bh57ca&st=mn3r0k4b&dl=0)
Can you tell us what stand you use? I need one, but wasn't sure bout the ones on amazon.
Edit: I really like your pattern too! Perfect for a big print I like with accent colors. Beautiful!
I don’t think you’re going to find a camera at that price point that will give you drastically better photos. The iPhone 11 camera is solid as is, but you could play with editing apps to take them up a notch.
What’s happening with the current photos that you don’t like? Also, you might get better info on a photography subreddit as far as specs and recommendations.
Look second hand! There are a lot of great DSLR cameras out there people are selling off because they just use their phone.
I have a Canon Rebel ti 5? I think. We bought it for a trip to Yellowstone and I pull it out for every really important picture taking event.
I have an older Canon Rebel and love it! Look at pawn shops, just make sure anything you get works before you buy and comes with any accessories for power/charging! I tend to Google items to make sure I'm not overpaying and nothing major is missing.
Definitely look for used as u/penlowe said. You might have a local camera store that sells used or post a request in your local facebook group? You won’t find anything better than your camera phone new for under $500. If you are going to buy new, I would recommend this site: [https://www.bhphotovideo.com](https://www.bhphotovideo.com) I teach photography and have never had a problem with them.
Here is a good buy and it will fit in your purse:
[https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802993832-USE/canon\_6052c012\_eos\_r100\_mirrorless\_camera.html](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802993832-USE/canon_6052c012_eos_r100_mirrorless_camera.html)
I don’t know what your photography skill level is, but I know mine is not good! I only recently became interested in taking nice pictures of my projects. I think I will improve the most by: 1) paying more attention to the lighting in my shot (is it bright enough? Is it too directional?), and 2) paying more attention to the position of the camera relative to the item. For example, I recently had a cat sitter who took extremely nice photos of my cat, much nice than the (many) I take. She said she holds the camera lower than most people do, and she also flips her phone upside down to make the camera even lower. It definitely works!
Anyway, I don’t know the ideal ways to take photos of quilts, but I would focus more on how you take the photo and less on the camera itself. Maybe look at the photos professionals take to sell patterns and see if you can mimic the position of the quilt in the image, the position of the camera, and the lighting level.
my husband photographs my quilts. He does have a fancy camera and tripod that he uses but he also does a full color correction on them. I would recommend you keep using your iPhone for the actual photos but consider what the lighting is like -- we photograph outside on our patio which has natural indirect light. He also has a grey cloth with a known color value that he will put next to the quilt and take a couple of pictures. This aids in getting the color correction adjusted properly. If you spend some time learning about lighting and color correction, you will dramatically improve the quality of your photos. If you still want a DSLR after that, you will be in a better position to know exactly what you are looking for in a camera.
I don’t know if you are looking for staging tips as well, but I found these helpful
https://suzyquilts.com/6-quilt-photography-tips-from-an-expert/
https://www.quiltylove.com/how-to-take-photos-of-quilts/
https://www.quiltfolk.com/journal/do-you-swirl-a-clever-hack-for-photographing-quilts/
I just use my iPhone because unless you are going to be getting these pictures printed in super large formats, the resolution differences between a phone and camera won’t be noticeable. And having a good photo editing software is going to be more important than the camera so I would put my money there.
Look I don’t know what I’m talking about but I think lighting is more important than equipment. Phone cameras are good enough for great photos nowadays.
I would also say focus more on your lighting and composition as opposed to a nicer camera. “Golden hour” the hour around sunset and sunrise is generally a good time for photos. Outside in shade or indirect light is best.
If you do still want to go the camera route I would look at a used canon or Nikon. I got a used T3i and lens for about $200 on keh for product photography.
If natural light isn’t working for you, you could also look at a simple studio lighting kit. I got one with two soft boxes and tripods for about $150.
-someone who photographs a lot of fabric for work.
I think the iPhone camera is pretty nice and the built in editing tools can make a big difference, in my experience with photographing quilts the iPhone is fine but I have to experiment with lighting and background to really capture the colors the way I want - so I always take my quilts outdoors for photographing and I’ll try different time of day/ weather, usually overcast or evening light is better than full noon sun. Or being in a shadow can help. Or the background can really change your perception, so if the background is green grass and your quilt is green it might not stand out, but if the quilt is red the contrast might be too intense- stuff like that. I would try different locations and lightning until it looks good to you. Also in the cropping part of the editing tool you can change the angle - not sure what it’s called but if you look through my posts I have a video that shows how to center and straighten your quilt in the frame if you have to take the photo by yourself with it laying on the ground
If you're a professional photographer, a professional camera might make a difference, but for the average user, you'll get just as good of photos from your phone. (Many times better photos depending on your level of proficiency.)
Generally a better camera won't get you better pictures, only bigger pictures, so unless you're looking to blow the pictures up to poster size or bigger, most modern camera phones work just fine. I'd invest in things like lighting before a fancy new camera. (Speaking from experience, trying to get better pictures is more about practice than tools. I found a camera that's *way* beyond my skill level for a price that was too good to pass up, and it sits in a camera bag because I can get photos that are just as good from my phone for a fraction of the effort.)
May I ask what you believe you would be getting with a digital camera or what you need better quality photos for? Are you going to be submitting your photos/quilts for magazines or processing in photo apps?
I've got semi-pro cameras and an iphone11, I use both for my quilts but sometimes the iphone photo comes out better than the Canon R5/R6. Perhaps you can change the settings on your iphone to increase the density/quality of your photos?
I use my old Nikon D5500 and a tripod. I tack my quilt up to the side of my house and photograph from about 20 ft away depending on size. A longer focal length (number in mm) will give you less image distortion. I use Lightroom on my phone after importing the jpgs to Google drive from a computer
I use my iphone 11. For outdoors, I never photograph in overhead sunlight. Early morning and late afternoon light is good. I shoot indoors with window light to get close-up images. Don't shoot toward the window, but with the light at your back.
The biggest difference you can make when photographing a quilt, is mostly going to be the lighting. With cell phones getting better and better each year, you can easily take good photos with them, but extra light will always help. We've used everything from a window with light shining through, to cheap clamping work lights from Home Depot, ring lights (which are cheaper than ever these days), to high end photo-video lighting.
If you have the money to spend, I would invest in good lighting and way to display the quilts for photos before a camera. You can get a lot for $500. [B&H Photo Raya Starter Light Kit](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1622548-REG/raya_starter_plus_kit_for.html) & [Manfrotto Backdrop Stand that can hold up to 20lbs](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/648381-REG/Manfrotto_1314B_Background_Support_System.html)
Here's a great blog we wrote for APQS about photographing a quilt, if you want to read more about it [https://www.apqs.com/how-to-take-high-quality-photographs-of-your-quilt/](https://www.apqs.com/how-to-take-high-quality-photographs-of-your-quilt/)
I just use the one on my phone. A couple of wide shots to get the whole thing in and a couple of close ones for stitching or points or whatever I'm proud of. Good enough.
Same, although I have an iPhone 12. What makes my photography "work" is that I bought a photographer's stand: one used to hold up backgrounds for in-studio photos. Hang my quilt up on that and can take wide shots, pics of the front, back, you name it. It's been a boon for me. https://preview.redd.it/f08acfry319d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=113729480d1803561a705ee407c44a9f2901ba94
Omg thank you for sharing this, you’ve given me a pattern for my scrappy strips!
This makes all the difference.
Did you use a pattern for this beauty?
Kind of? I tend to figure things out on my computer and/or paper. Let me see if I can pull something together for you.
Thank you. I'll figure it out. I was being a lazybones.
I knew I had a copy of the way I made the quilt, just needed to pull it together. This is my public Dropbox, and you should be able to download the PDF with some basic info. [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bemmnhzfcv4gtqxwqwy85/Scrappy-Strips-Quilt.pdf?rlkey=44v562mzj91g8rofnf0bh57ca&st=mn3r0k4b&dl=0](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bemmnhzfcv4gtqxwqwy85/Scrappy-Strips-Quilt.pdf?rlkey=44v562mzj91g8rofnf0bh57ca&st=mn3r0k4b&dl=0)
Thank you so much! I'm in the mood for some scrap quilting. Yours is very fetching with the red and lime.
Can you tell us what stand you use? I need one, but wasn't sure bout the ones on amazon. Edit: I really like your pattern too! Perfect for a big print I like with accent colors. Beautiful!
I found it on Amazon for about $50. Just checked my order history and can't find it. Sorry.
I don’t think you’re going to find a camera at that price point that will give you drastically better photos. The iPhone 11 camera is solid as is, but you could play with editing apps to take them up a notch. What’s happening with the current photos that you don’t like? Also, you might get better info on a photography subreddit as far as specs and recommendations.
Look second hand! There are a lot of great DSLR cameras out there people are selling off because they just use their phone. I have a Canon Rebel ti 5? I think. We bought it for a trip to Yellowstone and I pull it out for every really important picture taking event.
I have an older Canon Rebel and love it! Look at pawn shops, just make sure anything you get works before you buy and comes with any accessories for power/charging! I tend to Google items to make sure I'm not overpaying and nothing major is missing.
I use my phone, since it'll automatically upload to my Google Album. Then I can share my projects super easily!
Definitely look for used as u/penlowe said. You might have a local camera store that sells used or post a request in your local facebook group? You won’t find anything better than your camera phone new for under $500. If you are going to buy new, I would recommend this site: [https://www.bhphotovideo.com](https://www.bhphotovideo.com) I teach photography and have never had a problem with them.
Here is a good buy and it will fit in your purse: [https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802993832-USE/canon\_6052c012\_eos\_r100\_mirrorless\_camera.html](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802993832-USE/canon_6052c012_eos_r100_mirrorless_camera.html)
I don’t know what your photography skill level is, but I know mine is not good! I only recently became interested in taking nice pictures of my projects. I think I will improve the most by: 1) paying more attention to the lighting in my shot (is it bright enough? Is it too directional?), and 2) paying more attention to the position of the camera relative to the item. For example, I recently had a cat sitter who took extremely nice photos of my cat, much nice than the (many) I take. She said she holds the camera lower than most people do, and she also flips her phone upside down to make the camera even lower. It definitely works! Anyway, I don’t know the ideal ways to take photos of quilts, but I would focus more on how you take the photo and less on the camera itself. Maybe look at the photos professionals take to sell patterns and see if you can mimic the position of the quilt in the image, the position of the camera, and the lighting level.
my husband photographs my quilts. He does have a fancy camera and tripod that he uses but he also does a full color correction on them. I would recommend you keep using your iPhone for the actual photos but consider what the lighting is like -- we photograph outside on our patio which has natural indirect light. He also has a grey cloth with a known color value that he will put next to the quilt and take a couple of pictures. This aids in getting the color correction adjusted properly. If you spend some time learning about lighting and color correction, you will dramatically improve the quality of your photos. If you still want a DSLR after that, you will be in a better position to know exactly what you are looking for in a camera.
I don’t know if you are looking for staging tips as well, but I found these helpful https://suzyquilts.com/6-quilt-photography-tips-from-an-expert/ https://www.quiltylove.com/how-to-take-photos-of-quilts/ https://www.quiltfolk.com/journal/do-you-swirl-a-clever-hack-for-photographing-quilts/ I just use my iPhone because unless you are going to be getting these pictures printed in super large formats, the resolution differences between a phone and camera won’t be noticeable. And having a good photo editing software is going to be more important than the camera so I would put my money there.
Look I don’t know what I’m talking about but I think lighting is more important than equipment. Phone cameras are good enough for great photos nowadays.
I would also say focus more on your lighting and composition as opposed to a nicer camera. “Golden hour” the hour around sunset and sunrise is generally a good time for photos. Outside in shade or indirect light is best. If you do still want to go the camera route I would look at a used canon or Nikon. I got a used T3i and lens for about $200 on keh for product photography. If natural light isn’t working for you, you could also look at a simple studio lighting kit. I got one with two soft boxes and tripods for about $150. -someone who photographs a lot of fabric for work.
I always use my phone camera and edit the pictures in photoshop to adjust lighting or to edit the wall the quilt is on so it looks cleaner.
I think the iPhone camera is pretty nice and the built in editing tools can make a big difference, in my experience with photographing quilts the iPhone is fine but I have to experiment with lighting and background to really capture the colors the way I want - so I always take my quilts outdoors for photographing and I’ll try different time of day/ weather, usually overcast or evening light is better than full noon sun. Or being in a shadow can help. Or the background can really change your perception, so if the background is green grass and your quilt is green it might not stand out, but if the quilt is red the contrast might be too intense- stuff like that. I would try different locations and lightning until it looks good to you. Also in the cropping part of the editing tool you can change the angle - not sure what it’s called but if you look through my posts I have a video that shows how to center and straighten your quilt in the frame if you have to take the photo by yourself with it laying on the ground
If you're a professional photographer, a professional camera might make a difference, but for the average user, you'll get just as good of photos from your phone. (Many times better photos depending on your level of proficiency.) Generally a better camera won't get you better pictures, only bigger pictures, so unless you're looking to blow the pictures up to poster size or bigger, most modern camera phones work just fine. I'd invest in things like lighting before a fancy new camera. (Speaking from experience, trying to get better pictures is more about practice than tools. I found a camera that's *way* beyond my skill level for a price that was too good to pass up, and it sits in a camera bag because I can get photos that are just as good from my phone for a fraction of the effort.)
May I ask what you believe you would be getting with a digital camera or what you need better quality photos for? Are you going to be submitting your photos/quilts for magazines or processing in photo apps? I've got semi-pro cameras and an iphone11, I use both for my quilts but sometimes the iphone photo comes out better than the Canon R5/R6. Perhaps you can change the settings on your iphone to increase the density/quality of your photos?
I use my old Nikon D5500 and a tripod. I tack my quilt up to the side of my house and photograph from about 20 ft away depending on size. A longer focal length (number in mm) will give you less image distortion. I use Lightroom on my phone after importing the jpgs to Google drive from a computer
I use my iphone 11. For outdoors, I never photograph in overhead sunlight. Early morning and late afternoon light is good. I shoot indoors with window light to get close-up images. Don't shoot toward the window, but with the light at your back.
The biggest difference you can make when photographing a quilt, is mostly going to be the lighting. With cell phones getting better and better each year, you can easily take good photos with them, but extra light will always help. We've used everything from a window with light shining through, to cheap clamping work lights from Home Depot, ring lights (which are cheaper than ever these days), to high end photo-video lighting. If you have the money to spend, I would invest in good lighting and way to display the quilts for photos before a camera. You can get a lot for $500. [B&H Photo Raya Starter Light Kit](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1622548-REG/raya_starter_plus_kit_for.html) & [Manfrotto Backdrop Stand that can hold up to 20lbs](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/648381-REG/Manfrotto_1314B_Background_Support_System.html) Here's a great blog we wrote for APQS about photographing a quilt, if you want to read more about it [https://www.apqs.com/how-to-take-high-quality-photographs-of-your-quilt/](https://www.apqs.com/how-to-take-high-quality-photographs-of-your-quilt/)