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Blog EntriesPlaying Photographer for a Day
Posted on | May 31, 2010 | 5 Comments
This post is long overdue, but I’m finally getting around to writing about this gorgeous cardigan Melissa Wehrle released several months ago. Melissa’s husband and photographer was unavailable for several weeks so she asked me to photograph her modeling her Cohansie Cardigan (available on its own and as part of her first collection).
Because it was still winter in NYC, we decided to photograph her in the Metropolitan Museum of Arts. With Maurizio in tow, we quickly scouted locations in the huge museum and quickly settled on The Charles Engelhard Court, a garden court with architectural and sculpture pieces (and a fair bit of natural light), including several examples of Tiffany glass pictures.
I think I did a serviceable job of capturing a fraction of the beauty of Melissa’s cardigan, but I certainly gained a new-found appreciation for how difficult it is to take good photographs of handknits. The various concerns the photographer must juggle — compositon, light, showing the unique elements of a design — all while trying to take a good photograph from an artistic point of view…let’s just say that I made sure to take many many photos in the hopes that among them lurked a handful that Melissa could use.
It was a fun day and I think the Metropolitan Museum is a great venue for a handknit design photo session. Other places we considered were the Frick and the Whitney; but both museums seemed to prohibit photography on the premises, a fact that surprised me a bit. I know that generally museums don’t allow photography in their special exhibits, but I thought most permitted it in their permanent collection; especially if no flash is used.
On a personal note, I was excited for Melissa to release this pattern. It’s an in-one-piece raglan with the button bands knit at the same time and the sleeves worked in one piece. Plus, Melissa invented a cool stitch pattern that bands the sweater throughout. It’s one of the most interesting handknit sweaters I’ve seen and yet as always with Melissa’s designs, it’s very wearable.
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5 Responses to “Playing Photographer for a Day”
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May 31st, 2010 @ 4:09 pm
I queued this pattern as soon as I saw it, and I’m just trying to decide what yarn to use. I can’t believe that more people haven’t knit it yet; I can’t wait.
May 31st, 2010 @ 10:15 pm
I agree with Larissa. I can’t believe that it has not been knit by many knitters yet. It’s in my queue too! Beautiful pictures (mission accomplished)!
June 1st, 2010 @ 6:32 am
I loved it as soon as I saw it but I can’t think of a single UK yarn that would knit to the right tension. Maybe one day I’ll find just the right match.
June 1st, 2010 @ 11:03 am
Of course you did a great job on the shoot Connie. I was more than pleased
June 1st, 2010 @ 6:14 pm
Yes, the Frick has strange rules — but they are private, and thus can do what they want. Years ago, when I was in graduate school, to use their wonderful, unique reference library, women had to wear a skirt and not have heels on (noise) and men had to wear a jacket and tie. If you arrived inappropriately dressed, they would provide you with the proper (?) clothes.
Miss Frick died, and the rules changed. Last time I was there people had jeans on!
But the museum is one of the City’s jewels! and I love going there … Vermeer, Ingres, Gainsborough ….