Macro Photography "Studio"

[ted4887]

I've been looking for an easy way to photograph some of my larger flies with a clean looking background. I had an idea of what I wanted, but finally found something that I think I'll try out. My question is, have any of you ever used something like this to increase the quality of your fly shots?

I came across this DIY box on a photography blog. It's just a cardboard box, a couple pieces of poster board, and some white tissue paper. All together, under $5 in materials. For anyone that wants the link to this blog post just send me a pm.

 

[tetonshaggy]

Great idea. That has always been a challenge. Smart.

 

[buddhist_palm]

ive been thinking about making one of those, what material is the light screen?

 

[ted4887]

Tissue paper

 

[buddhist_palm]

Tissue paper

thanks :thumbsupu

 

[kglissmeyer1]

That's what I do.

Here are some recent shots. I set up a holder at the back of the light box to hold different colors of paper for use as backgrounds, but most of what I do works well with blue.





Simple, fairly inexpensive and works great.

Kelly.

 

[ted4887]

My thought on backround colors was that I could take pieces of fabric and put them into the box using velcro. At least that way you can change colors quickly and the fabric will take up little to no room.



Kelly - What are you using as a light source?

 

[flytire]

i had a "studio in a box" and it doesnt improve photo quality (at least for me it didnt)

i just photograph the fly in the vise, blue background paper taped to a bookend, camera on a tripod, 2 full spectrum lights above and one below.

shoot the fly using manual focus or sometimes macro, post process using photo filtre and upload to photobucket.

i'm simple that way!

 

[ted4887]

It's not quite that easy when you're trying to photograph 12" flies.

 

[flytire]

i would then photograph them on an appropriate colored foam craft board using a tripod, 2 full sprectrum lights above, manual focus, post process using photo filtre etc

 

[jbird]

I have a light box to photograph my products that is made very similarly to the one in the original post. I use lamps to illuminate the box rather than the remote flash pictured there. Really easy to make an the results are great!

The Velcro with colored fabric is a great idea. Also, for photographing flies you can poke a hole in the back wall of the box and rig up a micro clip that extends just inside to hold flies with. Tho this could be a challenge if you have the Velcro/interchangeable fabric method. If you are only doing flies and macro work, the fabric could be small squares and easy to change out.

Heres a picture of one of my flyboxes on black fabric in the light box

 

[stillwading]

I've been looking for an easy way to photograph some of my larger flies with a clean looking background. I had an idea of what I wanted, but finally found something that I think I'll try out. My question is, have any of you ever used something like this to increase the quality of your fly shots?

Funny... I had designed something pretty much exactly like this last fall, but my goal was to help out with takin macro shots of size 18-20 trout flies, not them 12" double articulated optic sex dungeon beaufords or whatever you crazy kids are callin em these days. Never built it though, got distracted...

My plan was to use some small cloth/sheets as the light filter, but I like the idea of tracing paper, I'll probably give that a shot first.

For the background I had intended on adding a few of those big paper binder clip things to the back so I could switch out different colored paper/cloth/foam as needed.

Light source was going to be small desk lamps or small strobes, basically whatever I could find cheap.


Thanks for posting this Ted, I'll probably get movin on this idea again.

Helpful tips too from others on the tripod+manual focus deal. I definitely don't use MF enough.

 

[ted4887]

I took KG's advise and got a blue background. I like it, and think I'll add a black and white as well. Walmart was out of white posterboard though, and I didn't have a lot of time to run around looking for it at other stores, so I just grabbed the light blue and took off. Had a few minutes to fix this thing up and I like it. Sure is nice when you're deer hair fly pictures don't also include a desk filled with deer hair trimmings.

 

[guest64]

Another material that works nice for a background are the sheets of fly tying foam. You can buy an assortment of colored sheets for pretty cheap at a craft store (or probably Walmart). Then you have a whole palette of backgrounds to choose from to accent your different flies.

Nice looking diver and photo.

 

[kglissmeyer1]

My thought on backround colors was that I could take pieces of fabric and put them into the box using velcro. At least that way you can change colors quickly and the fabric will take up little to no room.



Kelly - What are you using as a light source?

Here is what I use from the front of the box - I usually position one above the camera at an angle looking down and the other from underneath the camera also at an angle:


For the two sides and the top light I use Ott fluorescent lights such as this:


I try not to use a flash because it tends to wash things out even after manipulating the lens.

I went to the "-"bay site and found me an old Nikon Nikkor Micro lens for fairly cheap. I also purchased an extension ring to give me a true 1:1 ratio and finished it all off with a focusing rail setup in order to get the focus as precise as possible.

There are other methods, but this works for me.

Kelly.

 

[jbird]

I also purchased an extension ring to give me a true 1:1 ratio

Which lens did you get? Most generations of true Nikkor Micro's are 1:1

 

[cavdvr]

Use 2 flashes and dial in the light. One flash on each side

 

[myfly]

It's not quite that easy when you're trying to photograph 12" flies.

I have to buy the appropriate rod first...