Seasons of Wool Appliqué Folk Art: Through Many Lenses
Posted by Rebekah L. Smith on Jun 20th 2017
When I first began this journey into book writing, I knew that an integral part of the final publication would be the photographs; this is no small task, and requires close teamwork. While working on Seasons of Wool Applique Folk Art , I had to compile my list of atmosphere photos as well as the staged and flat shots that would be needed to complete the book. This would require photographers who are artists. Photography is an art, and one that requires the artist to have not only a good eye behind the lens, but also an excellent eye for composition in front of the lens.
Each chapter of the book has a small atmosphere shot to illustrate the opening text to each project. These photos were taken by a variety of family members, all of whom possess good photographic sense. The goal was to convey the emotion that goes into the source of my inspiration when designing a new project.
Rebekah and daughter Kelsey working on an atmosphere shot in the snow.
The staged photographs require special planning and days of preparation for a whole day’s worth of shooting. In order to expedite the process and avoid wasting time, my daughters Kelsey and Karly helped me stage each project around our home, take notes on the various shots, and photograph these for future reference.
Kelsey working as assistant to Laura, the style photographer.
The next step was to bring in the professional. Laura, our style photographer, is a brilliant artist with the camera and a joy to work with. She has an amazing eye for light, and each time we work together I see and learn something new. Her work sets the stage for how the reader sees the project. It is a long day of shooting, but the results are incredible and I get to see the very beginnings of the book will look.
Laura, style photographer, getting the shot.
A very important ingredient in a book of projects is the flat shots, close-ups, and the step-out photos. Without these the reader would have no real reference for completing the projects. Diane Pederson, the instructional photographer at C&T Publishing, along with her assistant Mai Yong Vang, took on this enormous task with great results. My pieces never looked so straight and flat. Their use of light is exceptional in order to bring the right amount of detail to print.
This is just a small glimpse into all that goes into photographing a book of projects. It takes many hands to get the job done. The reward is a beautiful book!
