It was an ordinary day at work—except this time, I was asked to shoot the cover project for the magazine.

The catch—we needed it “yesterday”.  To deal with the stress of a deadline, I put myself in a mental bubble—operating as if I had all the time in the world.

I’ve never photographed anything for the cover of the magazine – nor did I ever imagine I’d have the privilege, honor, responsibility… and stress.

Fortunately, I quickly took control of my thought process to ensure success by channeling my mother.  I’ve often asked my mother if she can bake this—or cook that—or sew this—or paint that—or even fix a toilet.  Her reply is always a calm, “yes.”  And she always delivers good results.

With that, I calmly approached my task.  I knew I could do it—I’ve photographed similar samples like this before.  Plus, I’ve taken photography classes and I have practiced, practiced, practiced.

Here are some ‘reject’ shots…

Yes, the letter ‘e’ is facing the wrong direction.  But I liked how the quilt was flowing.  Sometimes I just have to get unusual shots out of my system.

Here’s another shot.

Last, but not least, here’s the cover shot!

The magazine content, including the cover, is laid out by our Creative Director, Sam Solomon.  The close-up photo of the project is a quilt designed by Sarah Vedeler.  Here’s a look at the complete quilt, featured in the Designs in Machine Embroidery.

Notes:
Camera:  Big Bertha (Canon EOS 5D Mark II)
Lens:  My beloved 100 mm macro lens (Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L macro IS)
Additional equipment:  Tripod
Tips:  Practice the skills you love and invest in the right equipment.