Quote:
Originally Posted by stuartpengs
Still trying to get the hang of the arty flourish that Rob nails every time. For something so static and still-life as a fly it's proving a little tricky to compose the shot.  Rob, help. How do you go about composing the shot, or is it just a case of 'see what comes out'? Also, do you find dark flies against the blue background more difficult than lighter patterns? The olive/furnace pattern was much easier to get right. |
He he! Thanks for the kind words mate... but you haven't seen my recycle bin!
It's quite easy to compose using the blu-tac and clip m.o. A lot depends on the type of fly, the light, and as you say, the background. Some ties lend themselves more to a shot angled front to back (as yours above - fine shot by the way), and some the other way round. Just a case of getting a feel for it Stu... If you remember to always fire off a few arty shots after you've done the standard side-on shot, you'll soon increase yer success rate.
Predominantly dark (or white/very pale) flies always need a little more attention, usually in the way of + or - the odd stop (+ for black/dark, and - for white/pale). Changing your metering mode can help aswell... if yer getting close in, partial metering, or spot can both be worth a go.
The reason yer olive one was easy to get right is because it's fairly mid-toned, and a similar value to the blue background.
As always... diffused (overcast) light is the way forward. Direct sunlight is a real pain in the hoop.... but if you've got the time and patience, it can throw up some dramatic effects.
I nearly always shoot with the timer on 2 secs aswell Stu.. just gives you time to shade the fly a little with yer hand if yer getting any pesky strong highlights.
Hope that helps mate
Keeping it simple
Linear Mode
