My co-author and photographer, Alisha Westerfeld, and I took thousands of photos prior to the release of The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut. At public appearances and lectures, I’m frequently asked, “How did you get such nice photos?” Well, it took trial and error, a lot of practice, a bit of luck, and help from our photographer mentors. If you own a vintage assiut shawl and want to take some documentary photos, here’s our top six photography tips.
1 – Use a Polarizing Filter – This will cut down on the glare and reflections so your stitches will show as stitches rather than shiny, glowing metal dots. More Info on Polarizing Filters
2 – Use Good Lighting – Nothing beats indirect sunlight, but if you need to take shots indoors on a table, try to use the best quality light! The shot above was taken with a Daylight Florescent Bulb in a standard desk lamp. I try to get bulbs with a color temperature between 5000-6000k to get the least amount of color cast, so your photos don’t turn out too yellow or blue. More info on Light Bulbs
3 – Shoot From Every Angle – You never know what combination of lighting and camera angle will work best, so try from a number of different angles. In the photo above, both the light and the camera were at an approximately 45 angle. Lower light angles can produce more texture and detail in the cloth. Top lighting will make the textile look flat and graphic. More info on Lighting Textiles
4 – Use Your Macro Setting – If you are trying to get a really detailed shot of the quality of the stitch, or the twist of the fibers in the groundcloth, switch your camera to its macro setting and to get the best quality image of the stitch. Tips for using Macro Setting
5 – Choose a Good Background – Because assiut cloth is mesh, the color beneath will show through and impact the final result. For darker brown to black assiut shawls, I like to use black velvet which produces a rich deep effect, and allows the threads to still show. For tan, cream or white vintage assiut, I like to use a creamy colored charmeuse or dupioni silk which shimmers up through the stitches. Silk Fabric Source
6 – Take Lots of Images – There is no need to be stingy when shooting digital. As you experiment with angle, lighting and using macro to zoom in, you will want to take as many photos as your memory will allow. This will give you more images to select from when you are choosing the best. Save the best – delete the rest! Table-Top Photo Tips
Love Assiut? Wanna see more photos of this magical cloth? Get your copy of Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut