Wednesday, January 6, 2010

The Problem with Feathers

Feathers are awesome. They add instant flair and personality to any accessory. I love them.

However.

The biggest problem I can see with feathers is that once you make something with them, it's so fabulous that you really need a model to photograph it. People have to see it looking amazing and think, "If she can pull that off, then I can, too!"

Of course, this means that not only do you have to find a model, you have to find a model that can pull it off. So they have to be photogenic and confident in front of a camera.

Also, lighting is an issue. Most of what I photograph is small enough that I can put it on a piece of scrapbook paper and zoom in with natural light from my window and it looks great. People are way harder to light. They don't stay still, so the exposure needs to be shorter, which means the light needs to be brighter. On the other hand, harsh lighting (such as flash or a spotlight) will create deep dark shadows and they'll look creepy.

Maybe if I was still a tech in my high school theatre I could commandeer the stage lights and a dancer, and I could get it done. But I'm not anymore, and as it is, I have neither the training nor the resources to make it work.

So after - or as - I put up the tutorials I have planned - another on feather earrings and then at least two on fascinators - I will scour the interwebs for solutions to the problems I mentioned above and come up with a tried and tested how-to on how to fix them.

Has anyone who's reading this come up against these same problems, or have a solution to a few? Comment and let me know!

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