Channeling Rich, while photographing Rocky's Fly...

As I have previously mentioned, I enjoy "social networking", it has given me the opportunity to meet people I wouldn't have met otherwise, even if it is only virtually.  One such person, was a guy named Rich Schaaff, who like me is into fly fishing and photography, and was one of those people I really wished I could meet in person, unfortunately, I never got that chance, because Rich died suddenly last fall.  While I haven't really thought about him all that much since, it was on the occasion that I met one of my virtual friends who and also actually known Rich that I thought about him while we talked.
At the Wasatch Fly Fishing Expo, I met Rocky Maley, who has known Rich for several years, and has had Rich photograph a lot of his incredible flies for his website and more. After we initially talked and Rocky had a chance to look at my photography he came back with a couple of his flies, one of which I took and Brett Colvin, one of the other photographers I was displaying my photography with, took the other.
Before I photographed Rocky's fly, I took at look at Rich's "Art of the Fly" page, for some inspiration, many of the flies on this page are Rocky's.
As I was photographing Rocky's fly, I kept thinking of or perhaps "channeling" Rich, becasue I have struggled a little with doing these "macro" photographs with my Holga, so I think it helped, because I got it the first time.
Because these types of flies are bigger than the trout flies I am accustomed to I thought I would do something really different than just the usual square Holga photograph, so I did a "macro Holgarama".

I have talked to Rocky about it, while he gets what I was trying to do, he is a little confused by it, but he also said that the technique could grow on him.  I did a square version of the fly too, which Rocky really liked. 

 In talking to Rocky about it, and he said he would send a few more flies down.

I have posted this on a few photography and fly fishing forums and there no real consensus on which is the better photograph, so what do you think. Which is the better photograph and why?

Thanks for reading and hopefully taking the time to comment.
Brian

I am on Etsy now..

I thought I'd set up a shop on Etsy in an attempt to sell some of my photography.  I only have one listing at the moment, so please come and check it out..

Brian L. Schiele (mtbbrian)

Thanks!
Brian

Salmo Trutta...

I have known for a while that in order for this project to be successful I need to have some photographs of and with fish in them, but it's challenging sometimes to put my fly rod down and just be there as a photographer.
So on my last outing, I really made an effort to do that and was able to come away with a photograph of a nice MP brown trout that my buddy James had landed.

I have some macro photographs of some flies on this roll that I will post shortly. I hope you like this photograph there will be more photographs of and with fish to come.

Brian