Taking pictures of flies

[kschu 0]

Greetings,

 

I will admit that I'm fairly new to these forums. I have not really searched through all of the postings already available. I have taken pictures of a couple of my flies and I'm not very satisfied with the results so far. I've seen lots of good pictures posted here and I was wondering if someone can point me to an article, a previous discussion thread or some other resource where I can learn more about taking good pictures of the flies I have tied.

 

I might also like to take some step by step photos as I tie. I hate when I go to tie a fly and then find I can't remember how I did it last time. I do like to offer help and advice in discussions where I feel qualified. Teaching has always been something of a passion for me. I'm am still learning fly tying. Having just learned some new patterns, it would help me remember how to tie them and may be helpful to others who are still at this beginner level.

 

Many of the patterns I've found on the Internet seem to assume that given a list of ingredients, one can simply tie the fly. That may be true for some tiers and I may even get there some day, but at this point, I like to read (and post) more detailed instructions with a pattern.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

 

More later,

Ken S.

 

[Guest]

http://flyanglersonline.com/alcampbell/ac101402.html

[Guest]

Never in the course of humanity as one said so much, with so little.

[Guest]

Here is something that I wrote up not long ago: http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=2984

[kschu 0]

Thanks for the referances guys. I really appreciate it. I still need to read the manual on my son's camera so I can learn how this Macro Mode works. (My own digital camera has not worked so well since I slipped and fell into the Wind River in Wyoming last summer, with the camera in my shirt pocket ) The lighting was something I was having trouble with, and you guys hit that on the head.

 

If anyone else has stuff to add to this, I am one of those people who craves knowledge. I will read everything I can on a question like this.

 

You would think that as a guy who manages computers for one of the largest high energy physics laboratories in our country, I would be able to figure out macro mode on a digital camera without having to read a manual. Maybe if they put a keyboard and a 20" monitor on it, I would be able to figure it out quicker. I'd do all this with my Canon A-1, but I hate waiting until I finish a whole roll of film. And then I need to scan the photo anyway. ARGH.

 

More later,

Ken S.

[Guest]

kschu,

 

I use a Sony digital camera so if ours is the same this will help you. On the back of the camera there is a circular button on it with four directional arrows. On mine when you are in camera mode you would hit the arrow pointing right and is marked with a "flower". On your screen you should now see the "flower" which lets you know that you are in macro mode.

 

If you give me the model of you Sony I can look up where the macro feature is on your camera.

[PoPnBuG 0]

Here's another link that is very good!!

 

http://globalflyfisher.com/gallery/digitizing/index.html

[kschu 0]

QUOTE (SmallieHunter @ May 4 2004, 09:28 AM)

If you give me the model of you Sony I can look up where the macro feature is on your camera.

My camera (the one that got dunked and does not work any more ) was a Canon PowerShot S20. It was an awesome camera and I miss it terribly.

 

My son had experimented with mine and decided he liked the PowerShot. By the time he bought his, they were no longer making the S20, so he got an S60. My S20 did not have a macro mode, but his S60 does.

 

His has a similar button with the flower for macro mode. I am not sure if it will automatically focus on something that is say 16" away, or if I need to go into the manual focus mode. The first shot of a fly that I took was done using manual mode. My son Kyle set it all up on my tripod. I had to correct the focus since he had it off by a bit. I've not played with the camera much. I'm sure I can figure it out, but I've not made the time to do this yet.

 

I've just submitted a pattern to the Fly Pattern Database. It is called a "Wooly Worm" (If you search for it, I may have mis-spelled it as Woolly Worm). I included a photo (which I took) along with the materials and instructions. I'll try attaching the picture file to this posting as well. Constructive critisizm (of the picture, not my spelling) is gladly accepted.

 

I took this photo with the fly lying on a granite topped table in our living room. There was a good bit of natural light comming through the bay window. I also used the camera's flash, but turned down to half-power. I thought the background would go well with this fly and not be too overpowering. I may have been able to focus it better. This is the best of three photos that I took, and those were my first digital macro photos. I used to be really good with a Canon A-1 back in college.

 

More later,

Ken

[Guest]

yea that is a good photo!

 

Since your camera doesn't have a macro setting you will have a difficult time if you try to take pics of smaller flies. Some of the flies that I do I get 2 to 3 inches away where you would probably need a macro setting. Honestly that picture is more than adequate for posting on the web and is better than the majority that I have seen.

[jjn 0]

Here is a picture I took with my Olympus C-5050 using the Macro setting, aperture priority, manual focus and overhead lighting. The fly was about 2 inches from my lens.

[kschu 0]

QUOTE (jjn @ May 4 2004, 10:47 PM)

Here is a picture I took with my Olympus C-5050 using the Macro setting, aperture priority, manual focus and overhead lighting.  The fly was about 2 inches from my lens.

That is a great looking photo!

 

I like the look of the background. That is an awesome looking fly. The wing case looks like it was quite difficult. Mind you I just finished my beginner's class this spring.

 

One comment or maybe question. I've seen pictures of flies posted where the photographer put a coin (or even a ruler) next to the fly to give you a better idea of the size. Now for presentation, this photo is great. Having said that, I could not guess if this is tied on a size 10 or a size 14 hook. So, for use in a pattern database, do folks think it is better to include some item for size referance? Note that the photo I posted earlier does not include anything of that sort. Could you tell that it was tied on a size 14 3x long Nymph hook? Does that matter?

 

More later,

Ken S.

[Guest]

i'm gonna test out using a flatbed scanner to get a pic of a fly.... i seen it done with other relatively flat objects and they came out great, we'll see.......

 

steve

[woollywilma 0]

I just got a new digital camera as a gift. It's an olympus that has macro and super macro. It's got a really nice optical zoom, too. But, it won't zoom in when set on macro mode. It takes awesome, clear photos of tiny flies, but they're still tiny. I thought I'd be able to make a size 20 fly fill up the frame. I can do that on the computer afterward, but can't I do it while taking the photo?? I have no experience with cameras, let alone digital ones. I really want to start taking fly photos.

- Adam

[J Desjardins 0]

QUOTE (MSUICEMAN @ May 5 2004, 01:08 AM)

i'm gonna test out using a flatbed scanner to get a pic of a fly.... i seen it done with other relatively flat objects and they came out great, we'll see....... steve

Steve for streamers or relatively flat flys a scanner works great. For a dry fly they can mash the hackles making it look weird.

 

 

[vladimir 0]

Adam, what is maximum focusing distance on your camera in both macro modes?

Does it focus while you get to that distance? Let say some cameras have maximum focus distance of 3cm in macro mode, but if the object is not properly covered with light, camera won't focus at 3cm.