Our presenter, Felicia Lo, discussed photography for textiles. There are plenty of practical and artistic reasons why we take photos of our textiles. The photos may be for personal record-keeping purposes or for professional use. Felicia emphasized that we first need to understand our focus — what aspects of the fabric or fiber do we want to portray in the photo? Then she discussed the variables that make up a good photograph, including shutter speeds, aperture, film, and especially lighting. A diffused natural light is best and can be achieved with several different set-ups. Composition of the photo must also be considered. An object off-center may make a more interesting photo. Felicia then presented a number of examples of good and bad photos as well as references for further study. She summarized with a quick list that will help us improve our photos:

• Use natural light.
• Modify your light source.
• Use a tripod.
• Bracket your exposures.
• Consider your composition.
• Have fun!

A copy of the lecture handout is available in PDF format at the sweetgeorgia yarns blog here »

Syne Mitchell of the WeaveCast podcast has begun a new free online magazine dedicated to weaving! Called WeaveZine you can read the first issue at http://www.weavezine.com/

Think Knitty.com only for weavers and you’ll be close to what a great resource this is. This first issue includes lots of interesting articles and projects, complete with photos, drafts and how-tos. Because of the magic of the Internet, you can instantly download the weave drafts in WIF format. Plus there is less restriction on article length so there are extra-detailed instructions to help beginners. Back issues will be available in a searchable archive so you’ll always have access to the projects of interest.

Here’s wishing Syne and her contributors much success with this enterprise, ushering in the bright future of publishing for a special audience like ours.