Experiments in Photography

On days like this, when it's snowing and blowing outside, I look for interesting ways to spend my time. What better than photographing unique and vintage fishing lures?

Pictured here are a variety of lures photographed using a wide array of experimental techniques. From the top left, the lure is hanging vertically while water is poured over a piece of glass in the background.  A blue cloth backdrop some distance in the background provide the blue color in the flowing water.

In the second image, the lure, a Herter's vintage spoonplug, is swinging from the line while water is dribbled past during the capture.  Once again, the background is pleated up blue cloth with highly angled lighting to provide the deep contrasts.

The orange and brown Lazy Ike look-a-like in the next image is a was staged in a tray of water with a piece of black glass on the bottom.  The tray is tipped to and fro during the capture to give the water some life. Strobes and white reflectors give the ripples some texture.

The next image is of a Millsite Rattle Bug in black and red. The conditions for this capture are like the previous image of the spoon-plug, except there's a plant added to the background to give just a hint of something other than blue.

The next image of a weedless spoon is one of the simplest setups, but some of the most challenging lighting.  The lure is simply hanging over a piece of black glass, but lots of reflectors and strobes are used to give just the right effect.  It's hard to give brass a true brass color under strobes without the use of some colored reflectors.

The final image (Cisco Kid, upper right) is the simplest of all.  The lure is hanging above a bunched up blue cloth, lighting does the rest.