dunster

I have one, a Vu-Pro that I purchased on Amazon from Owen's Originals. They don't seem to have it on Amazon anymore. I paid about $80 but that was years ago. I have used it to photograph quilts indoors and out. It's easy and relatively quick to set it up, but the legs need to be on something hard and level, and it tips easily with a quilt on it if there's any wind. (Ask me how I know.) I bought curtain clips so I can clip the quilt to it without having to thread the pole through a sleeve. I used mine for the picture in this post. Grandmother's Dream

Daffy Daphne

JENN, this is the one I have used for years.
https://owens-originals.com/vu-pro-9...upport-system/

Daffy

dunster

That's the same one I have. These are the clips I use - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Murphy224

Dont know if this will work for your purposes or not but do a google search of quilt racks, frames, design walls made out of PVC pipe. I can attest that the 1 inch PVC pipe works great for a design wall that can be taken apart and put up quickly and easily. I made one as I don't have a free wall in my home that would hold a design wall.
I couldn't get the link to work.

Daffy Daphne

Dunster, thank you for that link. No more basting temporary sleeves on the back of my quilts!

Daffy

bkay

Think of another direction: https://hollyknott.com/stq/shooting.htm

Shooting your quilt indoors gives you much more control. Your best outdoor light is about sunset. Earlier than that washes out your colors. With indoor light, you can shoot anytime. The cost of the setup is similar. I used to photograph plants as a hobby and food as part of my business, so have some amateur experience. The quality of the photo is in the quality of the light, as most any camera will work well these days. The cost of the bulbs has decreased so that they are affordable. The last bulbs I bought were day light, full spectrum, compact fluorescent. That was about three or four years ago, so do your research on what is current. I bought the bulbs from 1000bulbs.com (I still have two, unused, in the box, so the label was still still there.) I think they were about $5.00 each and you will need several.

One other note - the bulbs wouldn't fit the older light fixtures that I already had (clip on aluminum lights used in the garage). The base of the bulbs is too big. I had to buy new ones, but they were available at Home Depot. That's just to say don't buy the fixtures before the bulbs arrive if going this way appeals to you.

bkay

Peckish

I agree 100% with bkay's info. Shooting outdoors is such a crap shoot, if you shoot in full sunlight, the quilt gets washed out and you get shadows. If you shoot in shade or cloudy conditions, you end up with bluish tones. I've found the best conditions are bright overcast clouds, but I still get bluish tones. I've found sunset is a good time, but I still get shadows, and the light is more gold. If you have Photoshop or a similar photo editor, you can compensate for this, but a lot of people don't.

I've used Holly Knott's setup (link in bkay's post above) several times with success. It's a very affordable option.

Onebyone

I was told by a judge's aid at Paducah that 99% of quilts entered in national shows always use a professional photographer when sending in the picture. A close up shot is usually required too.

dunster

The problem with shooting indoors is finding a ceiling tall enough for big quilts. I have that where I live now, but didn't at my previous house.

Mkotch

I have a Polaroid one that is fairly easy to set up and take down. I have some big clips to hold the quilt. It works fine indoors although lighting is important to get a clear picture. You might want to invest in some lights, too. I tried it outside and it is really too light to set up on grass. I thought I had it all set, with nice pine trees in the background, when a very light wind blew it over. I just couldn't get it to stay upright. I haven't tried our paved driveway yet. I still find two well trained (they don't let it sag on top) men to be the best holders for photos. My latest alternative has been my neighbor's porch railing.