What's Your Fly Tying Photo Setup?

[jeffroey]

I'm always jealous of the flies posted in the "What Are You Tying Today?" threads for two reasons: (1) some of youz guys are really impressive tyers and (2) some of you are sharing really impressive photos of your work. Most recently, I'm talking to you, @H-o-M, @JLB, @JimNovo, and @mt_flyfisher.

If you're happy with your fly tying photo results, I'd appreciate it if you shared a few shots from a couple of steps back from your bench that shows your approach to photographing your work.

Specifically I'd be interested in the camera you're using (phone or D/SLR), lighting setup, backdrop, and any reflective techniques.

Here's two videos that I've been watching and re-watching as I consider investing a little time in an approach to this:

//Jeff

 

[hooker-of-men]

I'm always jealous of the flies posted in the "What Are You Tying Today?" threads for two reasons: (1) some of youz guys are really impressive tyers and (2) some of you are sharing really impressive photos of your work. Most recently, I'm talking to you, @H-o-M, @JLB, @JimNovo, and @mt_flyfisher.

If you're happy with your fly tying photo results, I'd appreciate it if you shared a few shots from a couple of steps back from your bench that shows your approach to photographing your work.

Specifically I'd be interested in the camera you're using (phone or D/SLR), lighting setup, backdrop, and any reflective techniques.

Here's two videos that I've been watching and re-watching as I consider investing a little time in an approach to this:

//Jeff

Wow, whatever I've done right is surely by accident! I appreciate even being mentioned with these other tyers.

Funny enough, I've just changed my setup today. The lights I use are just intuitively what help me tie, and that seems to photograph well. Previously, this was a normal lamp w/ shade and a clamp on desk lamp. My tying space is very small, though, so I've been wanting to replace the normal lamp. Yesterday, my wife and kids surprised and with this LED lamp so they didn't have to hear me talk about it anymore:

So far, I like it. I think I'm getting similar results, which largely relies on moving around the smaller clamp lamp:

The key for me has really been following what I naturally need for room lighting.

The phone I use costs too much, but it's nothing special: Google Pixel 6. It has a seemingly quality automatic zoom setting, but I will be the first to admit I don't know anything about cell phone / camera tech.

P.S. I'm usually drinking. That's probably the secret..

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Okay, you asked for it!

I generally take my pictures with my 6 year old iPhone 8+ while sitting at my desk In a room in the basement of my house where I do my tying. I have an Ott light over my desk that I turn on (although I’m not too keen on the quality of its light for taking pictures) and I also turn on the recessed LED ceiling lights in the room, which give better lighting.

I put the fly in my vise that’s on my tying desk, and then I put a piece of white paper in a clip board, and prop it up behind my vise so I have have a clear, uncluttered, background. Sometimes I think that using a different colored background behind my fly would look better than white, but I rarely do that. Sometimes I take pictures in my kitchen or dining room, which have windows, and my kitchen also has LED recessed ceiling lights.

I just hold my phone in my hand and take a couple pictures. Afterward, I edit the pictures on my iPhone (or on my iPad, which I usually transfer the pictures to) by changing the exposure or brightness, and I crop the pictures so that the fly (or flies) are the primary focus.

As you can tell, I’m anything but an accomplished photographer, and I don’t spend much time, effort, or expense in taking pictures. And, as you can see, I don’t spend much time in cleaning up my tying desk either! 😊

 

[Kyle]

im a simple man. i tie on a bench with a stool and a light. if its nice out ill grab some material and that fly tying station i built and go on my deck. my deck over looks a river so its fitting. good post by the way. cool to see others set ups.

 

[JLB]

Got a table top light box as a gift on the side of my desk that I put my vise into and just use my phone and transfer to my iPad to crop like @mt_flyfisher. You can find them on amazon for like 20 bucks. You can adjust the brightness of the LED light and mine came with different colored backgrounds that I haven’t used yet.

 

[poopdeck]

I’m not a photographer and I don't care to be one so my “system” seems to be like some of the others. I just use the light I tie with, I leave the fly in the vise, sometimes I hold a piece of white cardboard or foam behind the fly with one hand while taking the picture with my iPhone SE (cheapest one with only one camera) with the other hand. Sometimes I don’t have anything behind the fly. Sometimes I clip a blue piece of paper to A magnetic pickup tool with a hair clip. The blue paper is cut from a jewelry store bag. I crop the picture, airdrop it to my iPad and post the fly. Then I usually delete the pictures. Nothing fancy but it works for me while not costing me a dime.

 

[barrybarry]

I typically shoot them outside on my porch on white. Then I photoshop them. Crop and brighten. Pretty easy to brighten. Duplicate the layer. Choose screen for the top layer and adjust percentages.

 

[nfrechet]

i think i get good results

 

[jeffroey]

Thx to all that have posted details so far. It's interesting to see how you're all producing such good results with a lot of variation across the formality of your setups.

I have a few things on my Christmas list that'll provide me better lighting when I tie/photo as well as a few cheap (~$7-8) solutions for a solid, matte backdrop.

I rely on my Galaxy S22+ and collapsible tripod/remote trigger when I'm on the stream so I'm sure I'll just repurpose them for fly shoots.

I'll plan to post a pic or two over the weekend and try to keep up with you all. Thx again!

 

[jeffroey]

Thx again to everyone for sharing. Here's a couple of pix of my setup. Based on your approaches, I built up a backdrop using (2) 8 x 10 rigid painting canvasses, a spare rod builidng support, and some colord card stock. I grabbed the painting canvasses and card stock at Hobby Lobby - $4.99 for a 5 pack of canvasses and the colored card stock was $0.69 each - I grabbed a couple of different colors.

I glued two canvasses together (back to back) and left one long egde unglued so I can slip the rod building support between them. I Simply clipped a piece of colored card stock to the front of it and set up my travel tripod and phone at the edge of my tying desk.



From here I can add better lighting and clean my camera lens. Here's a few pix:

 

[JimNovo]

Sorry for being late to this thread…

My set up is simple. I use my iPhone and magnify a bit, then I shoot through the lighted magnifying glass that I tie with. Pick a flat color backdrop and that’s it!