Taking Photos of Quilts: Summary

I decided to make one last post about photography. I used to be a teacher and we were taught to end a lesson with a summary so here it is in a list fashion. Now that I've written down all the settings that work for me on a piece of paper, I can pin a quilt on the design wall, set up the lights, set up the camera on the tripod, and start shooting and be done in about 25 minutes. I keep the lights screwed into the reflectors with the clamps and store them in a drawer so that they are ready to go. And I keep the 2x4-stands against the wall in my studio. But they could easily fit into a closet that isn't used often. So here is the list for taking photos of the whole quilt with my husband's digital Pentax K-7:
1.) F-stop 10
2.) iso 1600
3.) 12 second delay
4.) lens set between 47-55 mm
5.) set camera focus to auto
6.) set white balance (WB) It's a symbol that looks like a sun
7.) For regular quilts, I set the lights about 4.5 ft away. For quilts that are shiny, I set the lights about 7 ft away.
8.) For quilts that are about 24-36 inches large, I set the camera about 6-8 ft away. For small quilts, I set the camera as close as I could get it and still fit the quilt in the picture.
9.) Make sure the lens is pointed level to the quilt as Holly outlines in the link on my post below.

I promise, once you have done it a few times, it becomes easier and easier. I used to dread having to photograph my quilts. Now, I'm confident it will work. You just have to get past that initial set up stage.  I kept putting it off but finally made myself do it. I gave myself a reward of chocolate for having done it. :) Write down on paper what worked and what didn't and keep that list in a safe place so you don't have to do it all over again. Go for it and it will work!