Fall Product Photography Troubles

Fall hit a couple of weeks ago.  This time  of year is perfect for nature photography.  You have trees changing colors, leaves drifting to the ground, and nature putting on a stunning color show.  For those of us that take photos of products, it’s challenging to get the right light.  It feels like immediately after Fall started, the sun stopped cooperating for decent blog photos.  Sun, I have quilts and wonderful creations to photograph.  Can we find a compromise?

Trial and Error

That answer is yes, but it is not what I thought.  My original thought was just grab some poster board and shoot photos with items on there.  It didn’t turn out quite like I expected.  Picture taken around 5pm on my deck with the poster board underneath.

The photo above is edited to adjust and add more light.  Notice all of that gray?  Ugh!  I was okay with it.  During my run last night it was really bothering me.  I know my photos can be better.  Let’s try that again.  I had taken this photo and loved how it turned out instead of the one above.

Natural Background

The wood in the photo above absorbs some of the warmer light from the fall sunlight.  The colors seem more true to what they really are and don’t feel distorted.  After my run I grabbed my stack of potholders and shot the photos again.  This time with my deck as the background.

The color looks better and so does the overall effect.  This photo was taken around 6:45pm.  The sun had started setting and wasn’t breaking through the trees.

Bigger Projects

Not sure how I will adjust my quilt photography.  At the right time of the evening the front yard is delivering the perfect opportunity and lighting.  Photo below was taken in the front yard in the evening.

marmalade fabric, baby girl quilt, modern baby quilt, improv pieced quilt, twin quilt idea

Look at it below on the fence in my backyard.  It’s roughly the same time of day, but the trees in the back allow more sunlight to peek through.

The color looks off and it appears to be more night time.   Even with filters I can’t get this one to look right.  More photos coming tomorrow with it.

Conclusion

There are many great sources for improving your product photography online.  What I can’t find is truly adjusting to the fall light for outdoor photo shoots.

Tips for great outdoor photography, click here.

Using natural lighting, click here.

For quilts and projects over the next few weeks, I will probably use the deck or other natural surfaces to adjust for the fall sunlight.

Has anyone else had this issue or noticed it?  I would love feedback and ideas that others have tried.

Leave your ideas in the comments.