Jeff,

If you don't have a tripod yet, get one quick. Also, get one of the clamp-on lamps with the silver globe from the lighting dept. of your local hardware store/shop. Clamp it to the tripod to shine on the vise.

Set your vise near the wall and tape the paper to the wall as your background, or tape the paper to an empty cereal box and set it behind the fly.

When you photograph close up you may have to move the clamp light to another location, but that shouldn't be difficult to manage. Also, make sure whether your digital camera has a "macro" setting and use it for really close photography.

Keep working at it and you'll only get better. Good luck.