Not Exactly Knitting: Taking photos of stitch markers?

JennyLeah · 09-05-2007, 04:17 PM

I've had this sorely neglected Etsy shop for a while, and a huge collection of beads (from back when I thought making jewelry would be fun). A few weeks back, I figured I'd try my hand at making a couple sets of stitch markers for myself, and then I just kept making them.

Now, I have a whole bunch, and an Etsy shop, and so I figured I'd hop on the bandwagon and sell them there. But I can't seem to get a halfway decent photograph of any of them. Natural light, artificial light, indoors, outdoors, solid background, sans background... just about every photo ends up blurry. The only thing I haven't tried that I can think of is a tripod, because, well, I don't have one and can't afford one.

Help? I promise they're really pretty markers, totally worth photographing!

Jan in CA · 09-05-2007, 04:27 PM

What kind of camera are you using? One thing I think people tend to do is take photos too close. If you have a macro mode you can try that or you can also take it further away and then crop it smaller and closer.

If you are actually having a problem with camera shake so it blurs you could set it on something and use the timer if it has one. I realize that the angle wouldn't be right so I was thinking maybe pin the stitch markers or hang them on a ribbon on a piece of cloth/construction paper or whatever and angle it so the camera angle would be more correct. Again be sure not to get too close. Some cameras can focus very close, but many can't.

Hope that helps a bit.

Riss · 09-05-2007, 04:28 PM

Do you have a scanner? Thats how i've been doing mine. Just put them on a needle, lay them on the scanner bed, and lay a sheet of white paper over them. Then if you have photoshop/paintshop, you can go in and crop them. Its a great way to take one picture of many different kinds of markers. Thats my secret.

veronikaj · 09-05-2007, 04:37 PM

Nice trick, Riss! Also, Jan's right about the camera maybe being too close. That's what I had been doing wrong when I was taking pics.

I have an off the topic question about your stitch markers (sorry, don't mean to hijack your post), but I was curious what you are using for the ring part of your stitch holder? I wanna make some stitch markers for myself as well because I am a beader as well on the side, and couldn't find a ring that I thought would work at my bead store. Are there special stitch marker rings I can buy? -Ve

marykz · 09-05-2007, 05:28 PM

definitely check to see if your camera has a macro mode. (on my canon it is a graphic of a tulip)

I LOVE Riss' trick on the scanner. S-M-A-R-T!!

jeanius80 · 09-05-2007, 05:35 PM

i vote for hanging them and setting the camera on a book or table to take the pics.

ve- i make them two different ways. i use the round piece from a toggle closure set, or i use tiger tail wire and use a large (10.5) straight needle as my gauge tool

dakatzmeow · 09-05-2007, 08:58 PM

you can get mini tripods for digital cameras for not much money at all. i think that will probably fix your problem.

i like the ideas others had for hanging your items and photographing with the camera on a stack of books or something stationary. that might work pretty well.

SusanMarie1956 · 09-05-2007, 09:28 PM

Veron,

I use silver jump rings for my stitch markers.

Susan