photographing red
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Scroll down for more photos of my St. Albans Valentine Cable Scarf.
St. Albans Valentine Cable Scarf Chart download here
St. Albans Valentine Cable Scarf Row-by-Row Instructions here
I managed to take some photos of my latest cable scarf yesterday morning and was reminded of how much I hate photographing any red colored knitting. I have such a difficult time trying to get reds to show up well. The colors almost always gets screwed up or the camera can't quite focus. I tried to take a photo of the scarf on me. I don't think any of those shots came out well, regardless of whether I was pointing the camera at myself or pointing it towards my reflection in a mirror. I took some with the scarf against a black background, then decided to try a lighter white background. I think the scarf showed up better against the white. Out of about 50 photos, I only liked at most 15 photos. I went through these 15 and weeded out the ones I didn't like. It's somewhat like getting my eyes examined. Which looks better? A or B? 1 or 2? After a few, they all start to look the same!
Before I could get to the photos, I needed to punt some files off of my computer. This morning I discovered that I only had 300 MB free on my hard drive. Eeks! How did that happen? I've deleted some things (yay, 5 GB free now!) and am in the process of dumping files onto the external hard drive. How much data do you think I have?
Not much sleep happening Chez Smariek. I've been extra tired lately, waking up too early because Missy is waking up too early. She woke up at 4:15 AM on Tuesday, 5:30 AM yesterday, and 4:30 AM this morning. It's as though the one hour time change made no difference! 4:30 AM (current time) would have been 5:30 AM on the old time, so she is waking up even earlier than she used to.
Today Missy & I went to visit DH at work and have lunch. It's been quite a while since she last visited so everyone remarked on how much she has grown. Missy enjoyed fun kid food, thin crust pizza! I had a calzone. Unfortunately, since we didn't have one of our "normal" routine kind of days, it sorta screwed up my attempts at getting her to nap.
Thus I didn't get as much done in the afternoon as I had hoped to. Having started this post at 2:30 PM, then got side tracked with deleting files, backing up files, tweaking photos, raking leaves, cooking dinner, and then the whole get Missy to bed routine (which seems to get later and later as she gets older and older), I'm finally sitting down in front of the computer again with the intention of actually posting this TODAY.
This was my attempt to take a photo of the scarf around my neck. I think I made 20 attempts at this and only liked this one photo. And it is still not a very good one.
I wore my new scarf today. It might have been a little bit too warm for it. I didn't care. I wanted to wear it! I might not be able to wear it again for a little while. I hear there will be a mini heat wave coming. It's mid-November, what kind of heat wave can we there be? I think they meant high 70s. Not wool scarf weather.
Here's a close-up of the scarf.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I thought the XO cables would pair up well with the heart shaped center panel. After wearing the scarf today, and admiring it from various "mirror" surfaces, I am definitely happy with how this scarf came out. I still think this would make a nice valentine scarf.
And another close-up of the scarf. :-)
So remember when I said (above) that I thought the scarf looked better against the lighter background than the darker background? Well, now that I'm looking at the two side-by-side, I think the darker background works better. What do you think? It might be better to click on each to see a larger photo.
I guess what I disliked most about the dark background photos is how the scarf ended up in an unnatural red color.
BTW, Georgi is having a contest on her blog, go check it out.
I am tired now. It's time for bed. I'll try to put together the Row-by-Row Instructions for the scarf tomorrow. Hope Missy doesn't wake up before 6 AM tomorrow...
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The scarf is beautiful and I like the white photos of it.
I am beginning to hate day light savings time for the very reasons you are! our naps and eating schedule is all messed up but we are slowly getting back to normal.
Libby
My oh my this scarf is gorgeous! I want to make another one of your scarves and this may be the one. I may try for a dk weight as the weather here is so much warmer (our heat wave should have us in the 90's I think starting today! Yikes!!!) I need to start my two cool weather projects, but the temps are not helping that. You have so many beautiful scarves that I am in a dilema as to which one to choose next, but I think this may be the one, I would also make it in read. I just bought a new digital camera and will read thru the instructions this weekend as I am hoping to get better photos of my projects. (I love the photos on Pat's blog, if you don't have the link let me know and I'll email it to you).
Beautiful, beautiful scarf. I like the white background to get the right color, but the dark background to show the texture of the cables. I think the camera has to read the overall picture as balanced, so if there's a lot of white, you lose the contrasts on the texture. On the dark background, the red/red texture gets highlighted. Clear as mud? It's all a learning curve!
The dark background really shows off the pattern nicely. It's amazing what different backgrounds can do for your photo. Guess it's all a learning curve. Gorgeous scarf...that's all that matters :)
oooh, that's a work of art, regardless of the shade of red.
I find it's hopeless with my camera to get an accurate color pic inside my house. Lots of freezing my butt on the deck all winter trying to snap pics.
gorgeous scarf!
Our Anniversary is Valentines Day so I would love Row-by-Row Instructions for the scarf:) It is gorgeous.Hugs Darcy
That's a great scarf. Oranges are difficult to take picts of, too! They always come out weird! On the waking up early thing, try a clock, set the alarm for her for like 6:00 or something and she can't come out until it goes off. Then you might get some more sleep! She can play quietly in her room or read. Might help? Worked with mine! Take care!
The scarf is gorgeous! I can imagine how many compliments you will receive wearing it this winter.
There really should be some solution for photographing red, though I've not stumbled upon it, yet. I get the truest color when I take my pictures outdoors on a clear day, but even then, the red is never totally accurate.
I definitely think the black background looks better. You can see the stitch definition better and it does not look unnatural red on my monitor.
I love that scarf. It is so pretty. I love hearts and cables. What a perfect Valentine scarf (my fave holiday!)
Great job.
I really adore this pattern, and I'd love to make it, but it seems unbearably complicated for a novice knitter. I do have cabling experience, but it just seems ... daunting. I'll save the pattern for a time when I feel lucky! Thanks for posting it.
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