That's one shawl for magazine publication finished and sent into the world. I wish I could show you, but you'll have to wait until November :) What I can show you is what I got up to this afternoon.

I needed to get a head-shot done for various reasons (not least because my face'll be in a magazine soonish - good grief!). Luckily my Other Half is a talented photographer with a knack for making me relax in front of the camera - this is no mean feat as I hate having my photo taken and I usually pull all sorts of unnatural faces. It took Dave quite a few attempts to get some good shots and I thought I'd share some of his tips for successful photography:

1) Unless you have a really fancy kit, natural light is best. In the photos above I am standing right by a window.

2) Indirect light is a lot better than direct light. Direct light tends to either flatten your features or cast harsh shadows where you least want them.

3) Work with a neutral background. We have neutral coloured walls which work well in this context but brickwork, painted doors and foliage can also work. Remember, you don't want anything to compete for attention, so move that table lamp!

4) Take lots and lots and lots of photos. Dave routinely shoots between thirty and seventy photos whenever we work together on something. Having a lot of photos to choose between makes it  easier to find that "hero photo". For this headshot we actually shot in excess of 90 photos(!) because I just couldn't stop pulling faces.

5) .. and relaxing in front of the camera is something I find really difficult. I keep trying to pose or doing model-like faces - none of which work because I'm a 5'6" lumpy thirty-something woman, not a 14-year-old super-skinny genetic freak. How does Dave make me relax? He makes me focus on something else than that infernal camera pointing at me. He also ensures I feel comfortable - unsurprisingly I won't look relaxed if I'm wearing uncomfortable clothes or in an awkward setting.

I am not saying I look particularly relaxed here but that shawl looks absolutely stunning (especially in the original size photo). Apparently my Other Half is now so well-trained that he automatically starts homing in on knitwear. This bodes well for future Finished Object shoots..

.. which reminds me: come late August/early Sseptember I might be looking for a Goth/steampunk/burlesque type model for some knitwear photos. Sadly I cannot promise much in the way of financial recompense bar coffee & cake at Glasgow's finest retro cake shop, but it is a good chance for any budding model wanting something for her portfolio. Glasgow-based, por favor. And, of course, absolutely no nudity involved (oh please, it is knitwear!).