Fibertography Lessons with Fiber for the People
A few months ago, I coined the term “fibertography” to describe what I do here. It basically arose from feeling the need for a single word to use as a category name for blog posts. I liked the phonetic consistency in altering “photography,” using the same sound for the initial consonant. (There’s probably a technical term here I’m missing, and I’m happy to learn it.)
To me, fibertography deals with issues surrounding photographing one’s chosen craft, with special emphasis on fiber arts. Ultimately, I’d love for my friends in all crafty genres to feel empowered to embrace the beauty of their work, using photography to help tell the stories around their creations. Sharing our craft is a pretty powerful way to connect, and I suspect that’s behind the amazing energy the fiber community has.
If you are into fibertography, you probably are already familiar with Tayler of Fiber for the People®, Small Batch Dyer Extraordinaire. Not only does her her yarn and branding have a bold and distinct style, but her photography skills totally stand out on Instagram. I am constantly inspired by her aesthetic and her intentional approach to creativity.
Tayler’s hands stretch out a beautiful blue tonal skein; Photo by Tayler Earl of Fiber for the People®
“...it doesn’t matter how “saturated” the market is. What matters is that you have some new perspective to offer. And the best way to establish that with your potential customers, is to show them your ideas. Give the crowd something new to chew on, you know, and make certain it comes from the heart and nowhere else. ”
I had a great conversation with Tayler last month on topics ranging from momming to her dyeing style, and from creative perseverance to business growth—I hope you’ll check it out if you haven’t already. The post is full of great lessons…and I didn’t even get to her photography! I found a lot to ponder in her photographic insights and decided to create a separate post. I hope the wait was worth it, because I’ve taken the time to put together another set of lessons, this time with photographs by Tayler instead of mine.
Fibertography Lesson #1 : It all starts with light.
No good discussion of photography ever omits the importance of light. (Ever. I’ve read them all.) I’ve most certainly dived into the topic a few times here on the blog, and will likely do so again. Yarn dyers especially are concerned with color accuracy in photos when so much of their business comes from online sales. Quality, consistent light = color accuracy that yarn buyers will appreciate.
Natural light will almost always be your best bet, assuming you don’t want to spend a ton of money on a studio lighting setup. Tayler has taken the time to find a spot in her home she can consistently use for reliable light…right on her dining room table.
“My shoots have always been pretty simple in setup. I usually put it all together on my dining table near a north facing window. Before noon and after 6 PM in the summer (4 PM in the winter) the light is dreamy and perfectly neutral in temperature. There have been times when I can’t shoot during those hours, which you can usually see in my feed when the photos have a much warmer cast to them, but generally, the light is quite perfect. Good, natural light makes all the difference and does so much of the grunt work for you...”
Two hanks of green & blue yarn sit side by side on a black background, one skeined and one unskeined; Photo by Tayler Earl of Fiber for the People®
Fibertography Lesson #2 : Accuracy isn’t just technical.
Consistent, neutral light does a lot for color accuracy, and that’s important, but yarn buyers don’t buy yarn because of accuracy. They buy because the yarn evokes a feeling and they literally want their hands on it.
While I have found Tayler’s photos to portray the product faithfully, by embracing a casual style and lots of contrast she also conveys an accurate mood. Directional light shows texture. Hands in the frame suggest softness. Flowing hanks invite creative possibility. This is what entices us to buy.
Tayler took a photographic leap forward when she switched from a white background to black, often showing the hanks unskeined and unlabeled:
“Mood is a big factor here… I wanted [the skeins] to breathe and move in the shots. I felt that this came across in a lovely way with the white background, but the backlighting created by this (and the lack of shadows) would occasionally belie the real mood of the yarn, almost limiting its visual impact. Once I tried the black paper background and saw the depth and dimension, not only in the colorway, but also in the shadows and texture created by the light, I knew that I had found my aesthetic. Why mess with a good thing?”
An unskeined hank of dark navy yarn with a section of speckled pink flows across a black background; Photo by Tayler Earl of Fiber for the People®
Fibertography Lesson #3 : Embrace Happy Accidents.
Creativity is a process and sometimes the best ideas happen when we least expect them.
“The first photo I took that included my hands was a mistake in my timing. I had set the shutter to release in two seconds as opposed to ten, so when it closed, my hands were in the frame, still arranging the yarn. I actually didn’t give the photo a second look until I had it on my computer for editing. It was then that I got the whole perspective and fell in love with the idea of sharing this even more real image: me working with the yarn to achieve the right shot, only to be surprised by the wiley shutter; the mishap being all that was needed to make the shot “just right”. It’s a cute irony actually, and one I love to play with time and time again...”
Hands-in-the-frame is a fabulous technique for Insta-worthy photography, and Tayler has elevated it from an oops into a feature. But you don’t have to wait for an accident; you can set yourself up for creative epiphanies by giving yourself freedom to explore. Deliberately practice your photography by changing up an aspect of the photo, switching to a new angle, changing the light direction, or playing with the styling and set up. Start with a vision, sure, then see where you can take it. You will regularly come up with great results you’d never expected before you started.
Tayler’s hands embrace four hanks of blue & purple yarn, one hank unskeined and flowing; Photo by Tayler Earl of Fiber for the People®
Fibertography Lesson #4 : Put Yourself in the Picture.
Tayler literally puts herself in her pictures whenever she includes her hands. But in a less obvious way, she includes her unique vision in her images as well. All the elements come together: the light, the composition, the styling, creating an overall feeling that expresses her artistry.
“After my youngest was born in March of 2018 I really took a deep dive into what drives my visual aesthetic as a yarn dyer. What is it that I want to convey with my photos, beyond the yarn? What’s the visual and emotional priority? Because honestly, I didn’t want my feed to be, or feel, like a marketplace. I didn’t want to establish that sense that what you saw was simply a product and I was some virtual shop owner stocking shelves and peddling my wares. I’m small batch to the core and I like it that way because it allows me to maintain the artistry and quality of my work. I want my photos to reflect that in every way. By creating candid moments with the yarn, it seems more like sharing art—and that’s what it is to me. ”
Going back to lesson #3, know that finding your distinctive voice takes a lot of experimentation. But it will feel so exciting once you start seeing it unfurl in your work…and this goes for lots of areas, not just photography. You have a way of seeing things that’s unique, and we want you to share it.
Four hanks of varying shades of pink yarn are stretched across Tayler’s arm; Photo by Tayler Earl of Fiber for the People®
Be sure to check out my other FIBERTOGRAPHY posts here on The Yarnscaping Blog for more thoughts on sharing your love of your craft through photography.
And, there’s a tiny bit of time left to Use the code YARNSCAPE for 15% your order at Fiber for the People® now through September 30, 2019.
How to find Tayler and Fiber for the People®
https://www.fiberforthepeopleyarn.com
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiber.for.the.people/
On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9VpEj8jMMps0841IniCJog/featured
And on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/people/woolneedleshands