Tips for selecting photos

The quality of your chart, and therefore of your stitched piece, depends mostly on the quality of your photograph.

Use the unique feature offered by Amelieparis to view a « stitched rendering » of your chart, in other words, what your stitching would look like using this specific photo-to-chart conversion.

It’s free too! You can use it over and over to simulate the rendering your final stitched piece – until you’re perfectly happy with the result.

Basic tips

• Pictures with people 
  Faces are always delicate to convert into stitching. Always view the “stitched rendering” to make sure you’re happy with the result.
  Avoid photos of groups of people from afar. Use close-ups for faces.
  Avoid strongly contrasted light on faces, with part of the face in the shade. The whole face must be well lit.
  
  
  • Look for sharp focus and detail. Use the macro position if needed.
  • Pick photos where the background is a contrasting color and makes the subject stand out.
  • Focus as closely as possible on your main subject.
  
  Avoid
  • blurred pictures
  • very dark or very pale pictures
  • strongs constrasts with heavily shaded parts that will turn into large areas of dark color when stitched
  • Undefined, “busy” backgrounds (heavy vegetation, cluttered rooms), shaded areas, reflections and elements that make the subject difficult to identify.
  Alternatively you can simply decide not to stitch the background.

Lighting :

The best pictures are shot in natural light. Avoid pictures shot indoors, using a flash, if the light is not perfect.

Are you really happy with your colors ?

Carefully analyze the real colors of the pictures, not the “memory” you retained of the original colors. Colors might have lost their brightnessin the photograph because of the lighting or unfortunate shades. A white wall could turn out grey or beige on the picture and that will also be the color it will be stitched in.

Please note :

The colors in the photo-to-chart conversions by Amelieparis will be exactly those on the original picture. Make sure you are happy with the picture first.

Focusing on the subject:

Pick a photo where the main subject occupies most of the space of the picture and stands out against the background (wall, sky, beach…)

A portrait:

Select photos where the face occupies at least one third of the picture.
Don’t hesitate to crop to focus closer on the face. For a good rendering of a face, there should be at least 40 stitches wide across the face, ideally there should be 100.
The more stitches there are defining the face, the more it will restitute the persons’ features.

You will get good results when stitching on Aida 14ct. If you are experimented however, do opt for 16ct or 18ct.
The finer the fabric, the more look-alike the portrait, as stitches of different colors will better blend visually together.

Avoid shaded areas and strongly contrasted light in faces. Shaded skin is usually not appealing. Pick pictures where the face is well and evenly lit.

TIP :

You don’t have to stitch the background of a portrait. Save time and stitch a striking portrait by skipping the background entirely.

Group portraits :
The same rules apply to group portraits : to restitute features, you need to focus on faces and have enough stitches across each face to provide sufficient definition. Avoid photos taken from afar. Focus closely on faces. Only feature up to 3 people in the picture.

Animals and Pets :

If you opt to stitch the background, always use a neutral background, in a color contrasted to that of your pet.
Avoid photos taken from too far away if you want to recognize your pet. Focus on the pet’s head, especially for pictures where the pet is close to a person.
If you are shooting a picture of the whole animal, have it partly facing you.
If you pet has dark fur, use excellent lighting.

Objects:

Always favour neutral backgrounds and focus closely on your subject (a vase, a flower).
Use simple compositions, preferably with a single object.

Illustrations

Many pictures other than photos can turn into beautiful stitched pieces. With Amelieparis you can convert any type of image: children’s drawings, old advertisements, vintage fabrics, and any piece of art for which you hold the rights.

You will just need to either scan them or shoot a picture, using excellent lighting.