Weekly #1: Documentation

GOAL: The goal for this week is to find the best setup for documenting woven material with the least amount of effort for the best quality. I will be using a linen bag to experiment with different lighting setups and camera techniques.

Supplies

A shot like this establishes the entire material being used. In this case, a photo of the entire bag is necessary to show what I will be documenting

Step 1: Findings

As you can probably see by now I'm using Instructables to post my weeklies. I have used it in the past and I enjoy how easy it is to post a complicated project in blog format. Also, its a good way to share my work with others without having a personal blog.

For the shot, I found that my iPhone camera can get fairly macro shots without the use of a lens. cropping was required, however.

Step 2: Findings Cont.

For this shot, I was experimenting with using the brightness of the computer screen to act as an area light for the photo. When shooting this small I found that it is crucial to have plenty of light in order to capture some of the fine details.

Step 3: Reflection

This week we explored the documentation process, specifically involving woven fabrics. What is the best way to document woven fabric to showcase its qualities? if the woven is a piece of clothing, maybe it should be documented on an individual. If it is hand woven, maybe it should be taken in macro to showcase its craftsmanship. A lot should be taken into consideration when documenting woven materials. For me, however, the most important thing is actually doing the documentation! I've had so many projects that I wish I had taken better documentation and now its too late. So getting the fastest, most easy to set up shot is the most important part. Pair this with Instructables I should have no excuse NOT to document my work.