And Action!

Lots going on here at I Have a Notion. Not really active action, unless you call being the ‘Set Director, Lighting Director, Set Dresser, Photographer, and lastly and Editor’ action.

Although this isn’t a movie, it is a major undertaking. Lots to learn. All those terms above refer to one person… Mou!

When I set up the new web site and store… I was in a hurry. A big hurry. In addition, the learning curve was daunting. Some of the issues with the old site were causing lots of difficulties. So in haste, some of the product pictures were either too small or over large or just plain bad. So of course, that had to be remedied.

Exciting stuff!

Furthermore, product photography is not as easy as one would like to think. Very different from nature photography, my first photographic love. Landscapes, flowers, animals, and bugs!! (https://www.flickr.com/photos/beth-near_chicago/albums).

The Difficulties…

It is picky and painstakingly slow. It starts with the lighting… Since much of the product packaging is in cellophane or plastic, there are reflections to deal with, and in some cases, the packaging had to be removed. Then, the equipment has to be evaluated, (lens length, filters, and positioning. In contrast, we are pretty good on the equipment front, yay. And then the staging or setting the item up for the shoot. Oh and the number of corrections. Some you see at the time and correct and the ones you find in editing that require a reshoot!!!

Playing with light

Another bit of luck is we have a relatively unused room with great indirect lighting, that has now become the photo studio. So goodbye to the dining room and the table! Of course, the next obstacle was the weather. Dark gray wet clouds do not produce great light. But they did offer a few lessons in lighting naturally. This was pretty quick as time goes.

It is the editing that is mind-numbing. One of the reasons I find that nature is a better subject. It is the imperfections that make nature so viewable. Not so much with product pictures!

The End Result…

Will be worth the investment. So while things have been quiet on the creative fiber front, the behind the scenes creativity needs have been blossoming.

Beth

MIA – Quiltcon, Quilters Day Out and Family

ROYGBIV threads

Yes I have been Missing in Action… seems to be all or nothing. Since the last post it has been Go Go Go!

Quiltcon

With it being just a couple of hours away, I had to fit it in. Filled up the car, both the gas tank and the seats with some quilty friends and left at 8:30 am… stopped for breakfast on the way and arrived just as it opened on Thursday morning. Since we change from EST to CST we gain an hour going down and lose an hour coming home.


This was our parking space at Quiltcon. So we didn’t have to remember I always take a picture… We saw some awe-inspiring quilts and some ‘huh’ quilts, but I think you see some of that at every show. Visited with some new vendors, very refreshing! Photos of some favorite quilts next post.

Parking space nunber at Quiltcon
Parking Space number

Closer to Home

Friday was setting up a booth at the Louisville, KY Gathering of the Guilds and Quilters Day Out. Louisville has lots of quilt guilds. I think more than any metro area I have ever lived in. Saturday was the DAY and from 9 am until 3 pm, it was fun! And then take it all down and home again.

Quilters Day Out booth space
The booth!

So Sunday was get it all back in place. Nuff said!

Monday on the road again

Monday was off to Indianapolis for a little family. This little one turned 1. Just abot a year ago, found me baby sitting her in a hospital room while mom recovered.

1 Year Old with a Smash Cake
Smash Cake!

At Home Again

And then the rest of the week was picking up all the things let go for the going and going and going! Guild meetings, vet visits, groceries, you know regular mundane things that go with living. I did manage to play with some threads, but can’t show much of that as it is still in the planning stages… but soon I hope.

ROYGBIV threads
ROYGBIV threads for a project

What has kept you busy?

Beth

Finally!

Close up of the Purple Flower

Finally, this little flower is done. Completed in mid-January. Although I have made 2 others, this is the first one made from quilting cotton fabrics. The other two were made with batiks. It is not very big, only 22.5 inches square. Commercial cotton fabrics, fused, raw edge applique, free-motion thread play with cotton, rayon and polyester threads. I call it…. The Purple Flower. Catchy, No?

complete Purple Flower quilt

A Detail of the flower

Close up of the Purple Flower

The beading is complete.

Detail of the Purple Flower beads

The binding is done and a lable attached.

I have another finish too… but I’ll share that … a little later. Still busy with the camera and edits… and rewrites. I see that taking months!

What keeps you busy every day?

More Later… Beth