My New Compound Bow Upgrade. Any Setup Ideas?

[zkogut]

Just bought an NAP 8" Apache Stabilizer for my Hoyt Charger bow (jagged stick coming off of front). Took a bunch of pictures and this one came out best. I'm thinking I need to find a white sheet or something to get a good bow photo. I've never been good at product photography so any ideas are more than welcome!

PS- This is just something I'm using to learn how to take good photos of objects. Since I like hunting and weapons I chose the bow. I'm looking for ideas on where to aim my flash, how to set the bow up, backgrounds etc.

-Zak

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Zak,

The biggest problem with the shot is the background ....

Could you hang it by fishing line somewhere outdoors, so the background could be out of focus (green) trees?

Lighting would be predicated by the situation there, may need flash and reflector.

Cheers, Dave

[Mike Buckley]

An ideal background would be a man with an apple on his head.

[Loose Canon]

That is one beautiful bow Zak!

I think I would go elaborate with this. It would be some trouble but a bow like this deserves deluxe treatment!

I was thinking the same thing as Dave, sorta. I would suspend the bow. Once suspended I would secure the bow itself at a slightly upward angle and to something that was secure enough for the next stage.

The next stage being to draw the bow string and secure that such that the bow is now posed in a drawn position.

I would go with a black background. I would shoot at a slightly lower-than-level camera angle for a "Hero" look! At this point I would build the lighting set-up getting what I think would look good emphasized and I would shoot it. I'd probably start with three lights. A rim light for good separation from the BG, and two additional wearing strip boxes in a vertical position. A good starting point would be at 45* angles on either side of the camera, adjust position and power as needed, and making sure all the parts of the bow are nicely lit and nothing is too deep in shadow.

Then, I would take an arrow, armed with a hunting arrowhead and sporting perfect fletching, light and shoot it separately suspended against a black BG at approx. the same angle as the bow. Making sure the notch is the same angle as needed to fit the bowstring.

I would then take both shots into post and composite them together such that the arrow is now notched in the drawn bow string and on the arrow rest ready to loose.

I would then let everyone wonder how I did it!

[Saorsa]

An ideal background would be a man with an apple on his head.

That should be a foreground.

[zkogut]

That is one beautiful bow Zak!

I think I would go elaborate with this. It would be some trouble but a bow like this deserves deluxe treatment!

I was thinking the same thing as Dave, sorta. I would suspend the bow. Once suspended I would secure the bow itself at a slightly upward angle and to something that was secure enough for the next stage.

The next stage being to draw the bow string and secure that such that the bow is now posed in a drawn position.

I would go with a black background. I would shoot at a slightly lower-than-level camera angle for a "Hero" look! At this point I would build the lighting set-up getting what I think would look good emphasized and I would shoot it. I'd probably start with three lights. A rim light for good separation from the BG, and two additional wearing strip boxes in a vertical position. A good starting point would be at 45* angles on either side of the camera, adjust position and power as needed, and making sure all the parts of the bow are nicely lit and nothing is too deep in shadow.

Then, I would take an arrow, armed with a hunting arrowhead and sporting perfect fletching, light and shoot it separately suspended against a black BG at approx. the same angle as the bow. Making sure the notch is the same angle as needed to fit the bowstring.

I would then take both shots into post and composite them together such that the arrow is now notched in the drawn bow string and on the arrow rest ready to loose.

I would then let everyone wonder how I did it!

I love this idea. The only part that would be totally unsafe is the drawn bow part. I'd probably have to photoshop the string being drawn out since it's a 70 lb draw and I wouldn't want to accidentally dry fire it and ruin the whole bow. That would be the hardest part for me to figure out. Maybe I'll have my dad draw the bow out and I'll photograph it then I'll take a photo of the bow by itself at the same angle and photoshop my dads hand out of the way along with his arm etc. You might be onto something here.

-Zak

[rpcrowe]

Ideas? Some good, some mediocre and some downright awful

https://www.google.com/search?q=hoyt...Hd6fC0QQsAQIKQ

[Loose Canon]

That would work Zak.

I’d say if you shot from the bow string hand side you might only have to have one other static shot of the bow grip area to replace your Dad’s hand on the grip. Especially if you use a release to keep fingers away from the string.

Sounds like you’re all over this! Run with it!

[IzzieK]

This is more advanced bow than what we have here in the house...yours is beautiful. 70 lb pull is too much for my short arm. I think I prefer a rifle...

[Shadowman]

Well there's only one dynamic viewpoint, actually two; but the first idea would be very dangerous so perhaps a first person perspective shot.

[Mike Buckley]

The more I have thought about it, the more I would go for a view that I don't know is possible much less practical. I'm thinking of the arrow loaded and with the bow being pulled, showing the pulling hand and the other arm but no other part of the shooter. Brightly lit against a black background.