Christmas is early as BUG-BOND goes into the studio...

The shoot

It has been a good few years since I have shot photos in a studio... very much a previous life. Best thing to do if you fall off a horse is to get back into the saddle!

I do the majority of photos for the adverts and also the layouts myself... This gives me control over creativity. As most of my subjects 'max' out at a few inches in size the 'studio' is tabletop. Imagine my surprise when Phil at Veniard's thrust into my grubby paws two cases and said "are you able to photograph these for us?" Always nice to be asked. A few days after the Tackle & Guns show I received an email asking for the photos by Monday. I love a challenge!

A few phone calls and I had secured a couple of hours at Cetra's studio on the Wirral... great studio and with a warm welcome and a help in set up from Verity and her partner Richard I was shooting!

A proper studio again and with 5 automated flash guns on rigs I was cooking on gas... just me, the lens and the subject... back in the groove!

It was great to be able to pop upstairs and put the SD card into a Mac and check the shots... I was pretty chuffed. The final advert is in Trout & Salmon that will come out with the Christmas gift guide... so you are getting only a taster!

What of the products?

The Pinnacle kit is in a fab cooler sized organiser - loads of space to keep all your kit in (oh and it is fully loaded) you'll tie hundreds of different fly patterns with this kit... NO excuses for an untidy work area with this one! I really love the Paramount2 kit though - the case is a WOW! If you want a kit in a sturdy throw anywhere case then this is it... but open it up and it it throws a curve ball right at you! It has an ingenious two tier caddy that collapses down and fits in the case... add to this the vise and materials... simply magic!

And of course I get to photograph the BUG-BOND footswitch again... The feedback I am getting is fantastic... everyone who tries it loves the convenience and consistent curing and a it also means a Christmas without batteries!

Now if you really, really want to treat the new fly-tyer/love in your life this holiday season the above gives some great ideas!

Personally I'd go with the..... Sorry, I'm not telling... it's a surprise!