By: Katie Demuth
Photographing a fly is more than just pointing and shooting. In my experience, I have learned the best photos are the ones that really capture the talent and artistic capabilities of the tier.
Every tier has their own unique style.
It can often be a challenge to create a photo that mirrors an individual style of tying. The best place to start is with your camera settings. If your settings are what they need to be, your photos will be a perfect representation of the fly. I have found this is the best order for setting my camera when using Av mode.
1. SET YOUR ISO
For the photo, I placed the fly in a light box. The lighting was excellent, so I chose an ISO of 100. Generally, the more light you have, the lower you can go. Lower ISO means less grain.
2. SET YOUR APERTURE
I typically choose a small aperture (big F number) for flies. This is because I want a big depth of field to capture detail. If I want to have a more blurry background, I would choose a large aperture (small F number).
3. SEE WHAT SHUTTER SPEED YOU GET
If the shutter speed is too slow, you may get a blur in your photo. Go back to step one and raise your ISO, or adjust your aperture, repeating the steps until you get a faster shutter speed.
Once you get the shutter speed you want, you are ready to start taking photos. Remember the order. ISO, aperture, shutter speed. With practice, you will get better at finding the perfect combination for your photos.