Karla Respress Photographs Pinecone Quilts for Local Artist’s Book

Karla Respress, SFSC Art professor and professional photographer, provided photography for the book, “Learn to Make Your Own Heirloom Pinecone Quilts: Keeping Tradition Alive,” by Sebring, Fla. resident and artist, Betty Ford-Smith. The full-color book was published in late 2023.

Pinecone Quilts, also known as Pine Burr, are made with folded triangles sewn side-by-side onto a foundation in concentric circles. Ford-Smith’s book tells a personal story, a history of quilting as art, provides directions to construct pinecone quilt patterns, and lists suggested fabrics and materials for making pinecone quilts.

Ford-Smith began making pinecone quilts in 2004 under her Sebring mentor, Arlene Dennis, who was know as “Miss Sue.” Although Miss Sue has passed on, Ford-Smith continues to share this artwork and the history of the pinecone quilt through lectures, art gallery and museum exhibits, classes, and art shows. In fact, her artwork, along with Repress’ photographs, have recently been on exhibit at SFSC through the Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC).

When preparing her book for publisher, C&T Publishing, Ford-Smith was asked to send her quilts to C&T’s California offices to have them photographed. Hesitant to ship her quilts off to California for up to one year, Ford-Smith suggested that Repress take the photographs. C&T gave her the greenlight, and Respress worked closely with the publisher’s photography team and its creative director.

“Karla began taking photos of pinecone quilts in January 2017 for an article by Katell Renon that was published in a French magazine, ‘Les Nouvelles,’” said Ford-Smith. “The article and a subsequent book required high-definition pictures. When asked to assist with this matter, Karla graciously accepted. The article was a tremendous success because of her patience positioning the quilts, her skills with lighting, her knowledge of photography, the amazing close-ups, and the research she did on how to photograph quilts.”

The series of photographs that Respress took for Ford-Smith’s pinecone quilt book were large images of quilts created from composites of small shots of the quilts, details of the quilts, product photographs of the quilt projects, cover shots for the book, and portraits of Ford-Smith for the front and back cover flaps.

Many of the photographs required location shots. “I scouted and chose locations that provided natural light and an appropriate setting for the quilts,” Respress said. “Locations include the arcade at the Hotel Jacaranda in Avon Park and the Visitor Center at Paynes Creek Historic State Park in Bowling Green. Some of the detail shots were done in the graphic design studio in SFSC’s Art Department.”

Although Respress encountered roadblocks along the way, she persisted. Many of the quilts are large and she said that the most challenging shots involved trying to photograph quilts in their entirety without distortion. “Due to the layering technique used to create the pinecone pattern, the quilts are heavy,” she said. “Hanging even the smaller quilts on a wall was not an option, as they would sag under their own weight. Laying them on the ground and getting high enough directly over them was also problematic. So, I called Kenny Meza, one of my former SFSC photography students, who provides photography for real estate clients. He photographed the large quilts from above using his drone.”

“Karla is an outstanding, kind, generous, tireless, and talented person,” Ford-Smith said. “She never gives up and always completes the task. South Florida State College is fortunate to have such a community-minded and hardworking professional on its staff. She is a jewel and treasure.”

Ford-Smith’s book, “Learn to Make Your Own Heirloom Pinecone Quilts: Keeping Tradition Alive,” is available in paperback and e-book versions and can be purchased through C&T Publishing, Barnes & Noble, Thriftbooks, Walmart, Amazon.com, Blackwell’s, and ABEBooks.com.

Respress teaches Photography classes at SFSC during fall and spring terms.