Background for fly pics

[Jeff Smith]

Hey folks,

I’m curious about how you choose your background colour when taking pics of flies or tying sequences. I’m looking for some new ideas. I tried using a weather beaten piece of wood for a background but my editor thinks there is too much silver colouration to reproduce well. Would reshooting the pic with a polarized filter on work? I’m going to try reshooting against a cork board as well. The pic is a selection of various fly choices.
I shoot my tying sequences against a med dark navy background mostly.

Thanks

[Gary Worrall]

Hi Jeff,
The options are endless,
1. produce a background with photoshop
2. choose different coloured paper or material, (some guys actually make up a dedicated “mini room” for doing all their macros and just change the background to suit
3. One elaborate method I have seen is to fill the frame of the subject with say, green grass, use manual focus and blur the image, take an image, print it up and use that as a background
4. You will see a lot of fly-fishing mags with flies taken stream side and set up on rocks, rod cork, sitting on reels

As you can see, endless!
Sure, some depends on software but you can “create” your Own backgrounds
A polarizing filter will help if you are getting glare of the water or a shiny object, just changing the angle will some times correct that
Regards,
Gary

[Jeff Smith]

Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll give them a try.
I ended up reshooting against a corkboard. Came out quite well. I haven’t had the chance to re-shoot on the barn boardwith a filter on yet. (Had to work night shift on my supposed real job)

I’m not sure exactly why he didn’t think it would repro well in the magazine as I have seen old barn board used in other shoots.
I shoot my tying sequences using either a grey or med navy blue background. This particular shot was my “family portrait” of diffrent life stage patterns.

I have used streamside shots in the past. I rather like them but for now winter rules.
Muchly appreciate the input!
Jeff

[Zach Matthews]

The main thing with backgrounds for me is to put enough distance between your subject and the background that you get a nice even blur.

[Mike Anderson]

I’ve been playing around with a few fly shots lately just using just black for the BG. It works pretty well except for the dark colored flies.

http://michaelanderson.smugmug.com/Other/Flies/20448208_XRPfTz#!i=1618476051&k=hbGmxPV

[Bob Riggins]

Nice shots Mike, but what is shot 27?

[Mike Anderson]

Thanks Bob!

I was just bored and started playing around with Fl material, some neon airbrush paint, and a black light (clear cure light).

[Jeff Smith]

Thanks guys. Great ideas I’m going to play around with. That black background is very interesting. Love the blacklight/neon effect.

Zach: When I shot against the barn board I was hoping to have the wood grain show as well as the flies so I had the flies sitting directly on board vs blurring the background. Even with differing lighting angles it still became too silvery I believe.

[Mike Anderson]

A couple more

Getting the reflection where I wanted it blew out the fly. I got cold and quit playing with it.

And this one that just caught my eye while walking out to my garage to shoot.

[Ronnie Moore]

Those are really cool Mike.

[Author]

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