How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????
Grunt Lures
Posted 9/16/2006 9:17 AM (#209499)
Subject: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????





Posts: 786


Location: Minnesota
Quote from AWH:
Just received a shipment of Grunts here at Musky Tackle Online. Wow, very impressed. The pictures don't do these baits justice!
Aaron
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The best prices on the internet for musky tackle!
http://www.muskytackleonline.com
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Thanks Aaron! You bring up a good point that many have told me. Once they get their Grunt lure they have told me it looks 10x better than my pictures made them look on the website.

ANY pointers on how to take good pictures of baits for online sales? I do have a 6mp camera that takes great pics of family and frineds but not sure what to do about the lure pictures??? Tried different lighting etc but can't get it right.

Here is what I have so far fro my layout of pictures:
http://www.gruntmuskielures.com/muskytrollinglures.html
http://www.gruntmuskielures.com/northernpikelures.html
I think the MRG lures look the best but, they have a different coating on them.
http://www.gruntmuskielures.com/mrgmuskielures.html

TIA guys!
James
Pikopath
Posted 9/16/2006 4:08 PM (#209532 - in reply to #209499)
Subject: RE: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????




Posts: 501


Location: Norway
Using some kind of external light source, would be the way to go. And soften that light, so you dont get that sharp flash look. Tips on how to do, make your own home studio, can easily be googled.

Another tip is to use a flatbedscanner, and scan them.

Michael
Grunt Lures
Posted 9/16/2006 5:30 PM (#209535 - in reply to #209532)
Subject: RE: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????





Posts: 786


Location: Minnesota
Michael,

Thanks for the scanner idea. To bad my scanner is only 14 inches diag. and my baits ar 16 inches. We do have a monster scanner at my work though. As for external lights, I have had from 1 to 5 (various watt lights) on the baits when I take pics, with and without the flash on the camera on. Have yet to take some real powerful lights and use a white sheet covering them though. I know this is how they get some good pics in magazines. Will try that and see what I can get.

Thanks,
James
kevin
Posted 9/16/2006 6:32 PM (#209539 - in reply to #209499)
Subject: RE: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????





Posts: 1335


Location: Chicago, Beverly
James, sent you a PM
Beaver
Posted 9/16/2006 11:24 PM (#209572 - in reply to #209499)
Subject: RE: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????





Posts: 4266


Scanners will do a good job, but I get my best pictures outside/no flash/natural light/macro lens setting/multiple pictures from different angles. And you still cannot do the lures justice. So many guys that I know will not buy lures unless they have a chance to see them in person, just for that reason.
Jio
Posted 9/17/2006 1:23 AM (#209577 - in reply to #209572)
Subject: RE: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????





Posts: 61


Location: Hyvinkää, Finland, Europe
Cloudy days are best for photographing in outside.
Grunt Lures
Posted 9/17/2006 9:25 AM (#209592 - in reply to #209572)
Subject: RE: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????





Posts: 786


Location: Minnesota
Thanks for the outside hints. I will try that today as it is cloudy here in MN. I noticed some eBayers take a lot of pictures outside and those lures generally look very nice.

As for baits being seen in person, I agree. I need to get mine in a few more stores. Right now I have them in one bait shop and am trying to get Rollie interested. If any bait shop owners read this, send me an email and we can talk

Thanks again,
James
[email protected]
Paul
Posted 9/17/2006 5:34 PM (#209654 - in reply to #209499)
Subject: RE: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????


Try using a white styrofoam cooler as a backdrop. (I see at least one besidse the road on every trip. Recycle!!!) Cut out the top, so you are getting natural light. The lures seem suspended, if shadows are elimnated. A flash can be used as a fill light outside to helpprevent this problem.

Paul
DEMolishedyou2
Posted 9/17/2006 6:16 PM (#209664 - in reply to #209499)
Subject: RE: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????





Posts: 434


Location: Omaha, Nebraska
I like to use wood floor as a background and set the hooks against the lure. I set my camera to the highest setting. I like to open my window and let the light in and take about five pics of each lure. Then I import them and pick out the best pic. it works great when the sun is bright.
noboxguy
Posted 11/20/2006 1:04 PM (#221774 - in reply to #209499)
Subject: RE: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????


Lay them out on white board or paper, ( this will allow you or someone elase to extract them easily with photoshop). and yes cloudy days are the best. Get above them and shoot, sometimes with a ruler for reference.
Blair from no box
noboxlures.com
mm12463
Posted 11/20/2006 11:21 PM (#221867 - in reply to #209499)
Subject: RE: How Do You Take GREAT Pictures Of Lures???????????





Posts: 207


Location: Mpls, MN
Get some sort of white background.
Set your digital cam (if you use that) to manual.
Adjust the color balance with the white background with the lighting inside the house that will be on when you take the photos. Check your manual for that.
Set the flash to off.
Place it on a tripod and take a pic at 1 stop down. or exposure down
Take one 1/2 stop down
Take one at 0 stop
Then 1/2 up
Then 1 up.

Basically bracket the exposure. With the manual process, no flash and bracketing the photos it will open the lens, take the pic. It might be open for what seems a longer then normal because you over exposing by going up 1/2 and 1 stop. Or seem faster then normal going 1/2, 1 down. But it will get the proper light that way, not using a flash will make sure there is no glare. Then you can see what works and what doesn't. And different lures will be different because of the color, coating, etc.

Otherwise the outside option is great. Great for taking photos of photos (like old stuff) if you do not have a scanner but that is pretty much moot now a days.