Question about Jig photo's

I'm noticing most of you post photos that are TOP NOTCH! I'm posting pics that aren't too bad but usually I have to take 5 or 6 to get a good one. What's the secret? I know using a camera with a macro function really helps but I see so many pics that don't have shadows, the colors are so crisp, surly you guys don't have a photography studio in your back room, or do you? I guess I'm just "Photographically Challenged"!

Using a Nikon CoolPix P510 16megapixel (wife does not know borrowing!). Have it on lower setting of fine. Putting on scene. Colors for me work best outside.

Your doing it right Vern...Macro,and I do have to take several to find the one I like..Most of the better pics have gone through some cropping...
Irfanview.com for a great little free program.

Russ has some tricks for black/white recognition...I know he has the proper term for it..

use a tripod

Even with the Macro setting on it takes me a few until I'm happy with what I want to post. Photobucket takes forever now to upload photo's and they don't even have the entire thing rebuilt. May have to find another site that's quicker.

You can have a photo studio sitting on top your desk.
http://www.jigcraft.com/jigcraft/showthread.php?tid=132

My own version is even a little more compact.
http://www.jigcraft.com/jigcraft/showthread.php?tid=4447

Andylane posted his method a little while back...
http://www.jigcraft.com/jigcraft/showthread.php?tid=4810

I use a 4MP Kodak and think the pics come out great. For crisp/clear close-up photos, set it to macro... flash off... on a small tripod... use a three second timer if available to get your hands of to prevent you from bumping as the picture takes. Still takes a few pictures to get it to come into focus. If it does not want to focus, move the camera back an inch or side to side a few inches and try again. The auto focus can be squirrely some times.

Lighting and color can be tough with the point and shoot type of cameras that try to 'auto adjust' brightness, contrast and color for what is in the picture. Purple is nearly impossible to get the color to look correct on a computer monitor. Take pictures outside whenever you can, but have to adjust your angle to get as few shadows as possible and avoid glare. If you are indoors, the type of light in the room can affect the picture and turn it yellow. If you are taking photos on a white background, make sure you have an object that is solid black somewhere in the picture. It helps to get the brightness balance... then you can just crop it out if you don't want it in the final photo. Had a post on here about it somewhere, but can't find that one at the moment. Have found that fishing lake contour maps are excellent to use as a background - they usually have both black and white in several places on the map..... and it just makes an interesting background to look at.

All my pics go through PhotoShop Elements to crop and final color adjust with the PS auto adjustment features and color cast.

Blah blah blah - i'll stop now.

I use my iphone....... too lazy to go get the good camera .... I have adobe photoshop as well, but that takes effort.....

I'm not saying my pics are that good, but trial and error lead me to going outside in the bright sun, sun to my back and a background that is a contrasting color from the lure.

Here is my light box. Found a lamp at a yard sale with three globes, took it apart and used the pieces I needed.

StumpHunter said:

Here is my light box....

Click to expand...

Thank you - i knew you had one too and searched for a little while for it.

StumpHunter said:

Here is my light box. Found a lamp at a yard sale with three globes, took it apart and used the pieces I needed.

Click to expand...

StumpHunter, do you have a plan for that box? Material's for the top/side's/back?

I said to heck with my light box and tripod a long time ago. Space and set up issues. I shoot using a black vise platform surrounded by a sheet of newspaper that gives me my best pictures with my 5 MP camera. The pictures may not be great, but I feel that they are good enough.

Breathing carefully when I shoot helps lessen camera shakes.

Pepop said:

...usually I have to take 5 or 6 to get a good one...a macro function really helps...

Click to expand...

Those mentions are key in my opinion.

Nice light box!

Pepop said:

StumpHunter said:

Here is my light box. Found a lamp at a yard sale with three globes, took it apart and used the pieces I needed.

Click to expand...

StumpHunter, do you have a plan for that box? Material's for the top/side's/back?

Click to expand...

The box is a display plastic box that is 8"x8"x8". I coverd the box with white cloth to defuse the light then placed a piece of blue foam in the back.
The light that I bought had the color shades so I had to line them with silver duct tape to throw the light. You could build one with the work lights that the hardware stores sell. The frame is 1/2" conduit bent to shape.

Just an experiment, I took this outside this evening when the sun was getting pretty low. The blue background is my boat. They turned out real nice.

but, compared to the same shot where I've been taking my pics...

the indoor shot shows the Gold best, the Black is lost and the 2 attempts at mixing Aqua look to be more "True" to actual. The outdoor shot may have been better if I'd taken it at noon when the shadows would've been "under" the jigs. Hmmm?

Pics are great!!! You are on the right track now!

Looking good!!!

Pretty amazing how different a color looks simply by using a different background - true color light from the sun is always best, but sometimes i have better luck if i am out of direct sunlight and in a shadow area on a bright sunny day. There is no silver bullet.

I'm finding that out. Thanks for all the replies.

I'm low tech.

I use a cardboard box, then four sides, cut pieces out the size of the inside of a frame, then tape or laminate paper. The box slides onto a vice, and I use one of those small flexible tripods to hold the camera. Box is similar to stump's, but w/o the lights. I have flourecent lights everywhere around the box for infused light.

Something like this w/o the lights

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-an-Inexpensive-Photography-Lightbox

Or sometimes, just put up a piece of cardboard behind the jig & shoot.

A tripod is key to clarity & detail.