Fly Photography

Rolf Jacobsen · Post by **Rolf Jacobsen** » 03/26/09 16:12

Currently I'm using a Tamron 90mm 2.8 on an older Nikon. This is a remarkably sharp lens and at 2.8, is also very nice for portraits. Currently I've only been shooting with available light. I'd be interested in hearing how other folks do this.

Eric Peper · Post by **Eric Peper** » 03/27/09 05:18

I prefer using available light -- sunshine if wind etc. permit -- but I use a digital. If using household light, I have to adjust the white balance accordingly. I play alot with light positioning, so light is on both subject (as close as possible) and background and of course use a tripod and timed release for the shutter. Sample below.

My Panasonic digital has a very good Leica lens, but lately I've been sticking a (high quality) close-up lens in front of it just as a time saver. IOW, I ain't in Hans class yet -- or even in the same school.

Flash has worked in conjunction with a jury rigged stage for the fly, but it is a compromise and I only use it for quick and dirty shots to be emailed to show a particular technique or hook or . . .

EP

mvbrooks · Post by **mvbrooks** » 03/30/09 07:14

Banjo, Rolf! I really liked the photo's Banjo took of old tackle, especially the candle lighted one. Okay, my photo's are awful, but I'm learning! I have one of those new F2.8 105mm Nikon macro lenses, too. I am shooting a Nikon D300. When I shoot, I get zip-zilch-nadda-none-no! depth of field no matter what I do. And the flies look HUGE. I tied the Atherton series on size #14 hooks and they look perfect to the naked eye, but my photo's seem make them look like they were tied on #8 hooks and distort-create-enhance any dubbing fibers or hackle, making them look wayward. (The brown fibers in the tail are ringneck tail fibers and, blown up, they look like goose, and the colors all wrong.) I will post a couple but how do I here? I use photo bucket and here is an attempt using their IMG code....

Rolf Jacobsen · Post by **Rolf Jacobsen** » 03/30/09 08:23

Mike I'm probably the last guy in the world to give photography advice but your lens stops down to F32. Put the camera on a tripod, stop the lens down to F32 and let the camera select the exposure speed. This will give you the most depth of field that lens can offer. If you're still not getting enough depth of field, then move back about twice the distance you shot the first photo from. Try it there and crop if you have too. I typically use manual focus for macro shots. Good Luck!

Eric Peper · Post by **Eric Peper** » 03/30/09 11:01

I should have mentioned that . . . I use the aperture preferred mode for all the fly photos and stop it down as tight as it will go, letting the time exposure happen based on available light. I use the Picasa software to crop and sharpen and occasionally to adjust light and contrast.

FWIW, when I did use film, I used a bellows setup with a dedicated 50 mm bellows lens that stopped down really tight. Managing light was a real PITA without being able to "see" results sometimes for days.

EP

Rolf Jacobsen · Post by **Rolf Jacobsen** » 03/30/09 12:04

Eric Peper wrote:I should have mentioned that . . . I use the aperture preferred mode for all the fly photos and stop it down as tight as it will go, letting the time exposure happen based on available light. I use the Picasa software to crop and sharpen and occasionally to adjust light and contrast.

FWIW, when I did use film, I used a bellows setup with a dedicated 50 mm bellows lens that stopped down really tight. Managing light was a real PITA without being able to "see" results sometimes for days.

EP

Hey! I did that too! Guess we're both old.

Mataura mayfly · Post by **Mataura mayfly** » 01/09/12 04:02

I have four EOS film bodies and various lenses laying in a cupboard here, they have a value of about a memory card for a digital camera now!
I bought them when I was young and had money to splash around..... before I settled down to debt..... but that is a different story.

I am very basic now, an old Canon Powershot S5IS. I have struggled with "house" lighting and really prefer natural light out doors if I can, much the same as Mr Peper says. If I need to resize or alter I use the very simple Windows Photo and Scanner editing software that came with Windows office.
Could my photos be better, heck yes... but I never claimed to be expert and I am still learning.

Eric, great advise with using AP settings.

Eric Peper · Post by **Eric Peper** » 01/09/12 12:16

Mataura mayfly wrote:I have four EOS film bodies and various lenses laying in a cupboard here, they have a value of about a memory card for a digital camera now!
I bought them when I was young and had money to splash around..... before I settled down to debt..... but that is a different story.

I am very basic now, an old Canon Powershot S5IS. I have struggled with "house" lighting and really prefer natural light out doors if I can, much the same as Mr Peper says. If I need to resize or alter I use the very simple Windows Photo and Scanner editing software that came with Windows office.
Could my photos be better, heck yes... but I never claimed to be expert and I am still learning.

Eric, great advise with using AP settings.

Funny that I just decided to take a peek in this forum today!! I, too, am still learning the digital game as it relates to close-up work. As we speak I am waiting for the UPS truck to arrive with a new camera today. I do a lot of wildlife shooting because we summer near Yellowstone, and while I would like to have a digital SLR, I would simply be frustrated by it because I cannot afford the number and kinds of lenses that would make me happy. The camera I am awaiting is a Nikon CoolPix P500 with a 36X zoom (an effective 23 mm to 810 mm lens in 35 mm equivalents). All the reviews I've read say it is as adept at macro work as it is at the long distance stuff.

Suspect I'll have several weeks of enjoyable experimentation.

Eric

Eric Peper · Post by **Eric Peper** » 01/17/12 15:22

Well, here are the first close-up shots from the new camera (Nikon CoolPix P500). Each of these took about 10 seconds to set up, using the "Close Up" option from "Scene" mode, autofocus and timed release shutter. No light beyond standard room illumination, which blew my mind. This allowed focus as close as 4 mm. I haven't done any processing to any of these -- they are as they came from the camera.

Eric

Flykuni3 · Post by **Flykuni3** » 01/18/12 18:41

E, pretty amazing shots, actually reeely amazing.

leadwingcoachman · Post by **leadwingcoachman** » 01/18/12 20:21

I shoot my flies with my Pentax Optio W90, it has a very nice super macro function and three small LEDs around the lens. I also use a table swing arm lamp for added light and a overhead fluorescent with a day light uv buld, no flash. I wish I knew more about photography and I keep telling myself to get the tripod out of the closet... I tweak the levels, colors and framing in Photoshop

I mostly shoot flies to keep a record of patterns I tie and how I tied them

Isonychia · Post by **Isonychia** » 01/19/12 14:23

Nice pics, Eric! Gotta love that Isonychia nymph!

John

Kenneth · Post by **Kenneth** » 01/19/12 16:04

I used a Pentax Optio W60 and the 1 cm macro function to take the photos below. Lighting is from a single 20W halogen lamp that I also use for fly-tying.

3 versions of the Adams (Klinkhamer, Parachute and Classic (which, BTW, is the smallest fly I tie,a #22)), a Royal Wulff I'm quite proud of, and my take of a fly that Pittendrigh introduced here on the forum.

tinker · Post by **tinker** » 12/06/12 20:15

i have ap500and happily read these posts. learned alot thanks tinker

Flykuni3 · Post by **Flykuni3** » 12/07/12 17:12

Oly man here, on my fourth Stylus Tough, model TG-610, super mac func. I shot at my desk with mirror below and one overhead light and hope for best. I shoot lots and delete most. Feel pretty lucky to get what I can.

Credit, Steve Fernandez of LA, Cal., beautiful badger quill.

gt05254 · Post by **gt05254** » 01/24/13 16:13

I just have on older Kodak EasyShare DX4530 point and shoot digital. The thing I like best about it is that it still has the through-the-lens viewfinder thingy. Anyway, I just set it on the little flower dealy on the setting thing, set it on the work bench, available light in the shop, hit the timer, and am lucky enough to get shots like this, that are good enough for my blog and the forums:

Gary

quashnet · Post by **quashnet** » 01/27/13 13:03

Long gone are the days of the Nikon Micro-Nikkor lenses. These are just good-enough, quick set-up shots in available light with a Canon PowerShot ELPH 300HS.

hdrmd · Post by **hdrmd** » 02/22/13 15:45

Just reading Quashnet's post about the old Micro-Nikkors, inspired me to dig out my old lens and use it on a digital Nikon N700. It takes some doing, but the old macro lens is still sharp.. Focus is at f3.5 at about 10.5 inches.

onepixel · Post by **onepixel** » 07/11/13 01:58

Wow... beautiful flies and photography!

jbird · Post by **jbird** » 07/30/13 11:21

Some very nice photos of beautiful flies!

Something you may consider that can give spectacular results is to build your own light box. Its very easy and the photography results are dynamite!

http://digital-photography-school.com/h ... light-tent

The Classic Fly Rod Forum

Fly Photography

Fly Photography

Fly Photography

Fly Photography

Fly Photography

Fly Photography

Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography

Re: Fly Photography