I've had some success butt not great.I have a Canon Powershot A20 digital camera.I haven't sprung for the macro lens yet and was wondering if it is possible without it?The camera is 2.1 megapixels so it should be capable of taking a decent pic.What is the best way to do the lighting?I was thinking about buying a couple of 4' shoplights and put them above and on either side of the rod,running parallel to the rod,I'd take the pic from between the lights,is there a better way?This is my first nondisposable camera in 30 years so I'm fairly camera illiterate but this camera is very easy to use and I feel somewhat confident when using it.Thanks for your help...........Kyle

There was an article on this subject in RodMaker just a little over a year ago. Rods are hard animals to take photos of, both because of their shape and the close-ups required if you are to catch any detail.

At 2.1 megapixels, you could only take a photo that is roughly 1/4 the resolution of the worst film cameras. But, it will still be decent for prints and very much okay for publishing on the web where nearly anything goes and everything looks pretty good.

The key for you will be good depth of field and good focus. Get whatever lens you need to be able to focus at distances of only a couple feet or even closer. All the photos in RodMaker are taken with the help of set of simple close-up lenses that can be stacked to get the distance needed. Aperature setting is usually no less than 8, and usually 16 or 22. This is what determines how much of your field of view will be in focus. The higher the number, the greater the depth of field, but the longer the exposure time will need to be. Thus, a tripod may be in order to steady the camera for any times of more than about 1/60th second.

Your camera will like work like most, film or digital, but you will want some manual control of aperature setting (aperature priority vs exposure priority) to get the best results. You will certainly want to become familar with your camera's specific abilities and controls. I would assume the owner's manual might have some of this within.

There is so much more, but the article can tell it better than I can in a message board post. Go back and read it in the September/October 2000 issue of RodMaker.


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I take a lot of pictures of my rods with 2 digi cameras: a Nikon 990 Cooplix, and a Fuji Finepix 4700. Both take hi-resolution photos, 3.1 - 3.4 megapixels, and both have a macro feature which I sometimes, but not always use.

Lighting is very important - shop lights are great, as is sunlight. Once you figure out the lighting, do this - take one phot at as close a distance to teh wrap as possible, where teh camera will focus on its own. I can get about 3-4 inches from the rod. Then move 6 inches, then 12 inches.

Now you have 3 pictures - the close one will probably not have good lighting. The second and third pictures, will have good lighting, but the detail will probably not be there. At 3.1+ mega pixels, I take these photos and crop them and zoom in until I have what I want. The higher the megapixels, the better the zoom.
Since the pictures are free, keep on till you fins amethod that works,

Multiple photos are a great idea - never expect to get exactly what you want with any one photo. For every cover shot on RodMaker, there were 5 or 6 more than ended up in the trash. Always shoot a couple different exposure times.

By the way and just for reference, the worst film cameras typically shoot what would be considered a 6 or 7 megapixel image. Better film and lenses will push that number even higher. This is why they are referred to as "continuous tone images". Just a bit of trivia.

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Due to having the reflection from a finished wrap, I like to take shots before I put my epoxy finish on the wrap. Color preserver coated seems fine, but if you photo it before you coat with finish you can eliminate the harsh glare you'll get otherwise.

If you are just keeping a record for youself, pictures before the epoxy are fine. If you plan to use them for sales material, I shoot mine when done. I like one long, white, highlight on my finished wraps. A nice straight, unwavey highlight, to show how smooth my epoxy job is. That's just my thoughts.

Bill Doherty

I want these pics for my record and to show prospective clients what I can do,and have done.I also like to show my fishing buddies what's new with Fasttackle.Thanks again................Kyle

Since most rods have a glossy finish, a polarizing filter is a good idea. Spend a couple of extra bucks and get one that rotates. That way you can adjust for the light and reflections. Since it will slow the speed of the shot, a tripod and slower shutter speeds are a good idea. (It gives you better depth of field through the higher F/stop)

Bracket your shots an F/Stop or two above and below the meter reading and see how that changes the look.

Keep a record of the settings for each frame and use the one that gives the best results for a standard.

Color of background can affect the look also. Look for neutral, low sheen materials. Weathered boards work well.

Don't forget to take your camera fishing with your rods. Photograph them in natural settings, with fish, etc.
Creating a portfolio can be as creative as building a rod.

That's good advice Rick, and we covered that in the article as well.

The one thing you can be sure of, is that to get the exact photo you want, you'll have to take several. Experiment with lighting and F/Stops and backgrounds.

I know very little about photography but through some trial and error manange to get some decent shots for RodMaker. I know if I can do it - anyone can.

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