Better Fishing Photos

[Snagly]

I'm sitting here thinking about "what might have been" in respect of fish photos, and here are a few reminders to myself (and my fishing partners!) before the camera comes out the next time:

1. Photograph the subject with the sun in their eyes (not behind them)

2. Don't wear sunglasses! Take them off or drop them down. A hat is OK if you're staring (squinting) into the sun, but unless you have an ugly head the photo will look better (sponsors be danged!) with a bare head.

3. FILL the frame with the fish! If it's a lengthwise shot, then the head is at one end and the tail at the other. (Save the panoramic views for when I don't have a big fish in my hands -- otherwise I have to blow it up to 8" x 10" to get a 'normal' shot.)

4. If you want to make the fish look bigger (who doesn't?), then extend your arms towards the camera. Another sneaky trick is to shift the fish's head laterally away from your body so the front third or half of the fish 'hangs out' beyond your body giving the illusion of greater length.

5. Check to see that the camera lens is clean. No fog/ condensation, no dirt allowed. Wipe it off!

6. The more important the catch, the more shots you should take to ensure at least one good one (subject to keeping the fish in good shape -- see below)

7. Carry a spare camera battery in a Ziploc bag, plus spare film

And while I'm on my soapbox, a few tips on fish handling:

1. Unhook the fish FIRST if you're going to release it. That way, if it squirts loose you save wear and tear on rod and reel as it heads for the deep. (If you want to pose the fish with the fly/ lure, then you can hang the fly/ lure from the hook point on the lower jaw -- it will fall out if the fish slips away.)

2. Hold the fish's head in the water and let it breath while your photographer is framing the shot. Then all you have to do is pick the fish up, smile and 'click' before putting it back in the water for another drink or release.

3. The more of the fish's body you leave in the water, the easier it is on the fish.

4. Get the camera ready BEFORE the fish hits the beach/ net -- out of the bag, turned on and ready to point-and-shoot.

I'm sure I've missed quite few points as well. What are your tips?

[ampersat]

just my .02

1. if you so choose, leave the hat on. as long as it doesn't obscure the angler's face, i don't see it as a problem. if the sun is high, the shadow will obscure the face, so take the hat off. i always wear a hat when fishing so i would feel odd looking at a picture of myself with a fish if i didn't have the hat on in the shot. that's just my style.

2. definitely take the shot with the sun into the face. it illuminates the angler as well as making that fish he's (or she's) holding sparkle. it doesn't have to be dead on; sometimes, the sun in at an angle is good too.

3. look at what is behind the subject in the shot. a great pic of an angler and fish might not be so great when you spot the person in the background jumping like an idiot or some other detractor in the background. same goes for the foreground. sometimes, moving the camera a foot left or right can put something in the background behind the angler or out of the frame.

4. why not get creative with angles? take the pic of your fry proudly holding their catch from down low, making them look bigger. get a side angle shot of your buddy with his fish. they don't all have to look like DMV pics.

[ 11-01-2001: Message edited by: ampersat ]</p>

[Jennie@ifish]

Many magazines will not allow fish pics with blood on the fish. It's a bit offensive.
Also, if you just angle the fish one way or the other, you will see that the sun picks up more of the shine of the fish.
I guess that was mentioned, but even a slight rotation of the fish can make a huge difference in the outcome.
Most photography experts say to have the angler holding the fish "doing" something with it. Anything but smiling into the camera.
Look at the fish, be unhooking it, reviving it, anything but the old standard of smiling about it.
I personally can't help smiling about them though!
Jen

[Captain and Marie]

I always like good photography ideas and comments.

I need all the help I can get.

Did I tell you I entered in a photography contest and am the semifinalist! Grand prize is 10,000
dollars! Its a Sturgeon Fish Picture! You can see it at my bait shop.

Thanks for all the tips on photography.

Sincerely,
Marie @ TBC :smile:

[Snagly]

Ahmen on the comment regarding the angle of the fish. How many times do you get the photo back only to see that what's in sight isn't the full side view of the fish -- the fish is angled towards or away from the camera. It's a picture-killer.

I agree, too, with the advice on hat shots. Most of the time there's going to be a shadow on the face so I yell at the subject to throw the hat on the beach. No complaints to date with the resulting hatless photos.

Another suggestion. Make certain that the camera is in the right mode to point and click. Most of the time that's full auto. I was in Australia last month and snapped away with my friends camera. I kept telling him something was wrong -- the view through the finder was fuzzy. He insisted his camera was OK. Only later we found it had been knocked and all the photos were in the 'panorama' setting. Fortunately, they were in focus, just a little loooonnnnng.

(I've become pretty **** over these things lately as I've been scanning a few hundred fishing shots into the home PC. I keep grimacing at all the blown shots -- just a couple of seconds to position the fish differently or clean the lens, etc, etc.)

[Evan0505]

Don't drop your camera in the water...

-evan-

[fishhead5]

Use the fill flash. That way you don't have to be facing into the sun, squinting. It also fills the shadow in under the bill of the hat. I like the look of a photo where the person has the fish next to their body, instead of holding it out at arms lengt as if it wasn't big enough to begin with.

Fishhead5

[Snagly]

I've dropped both still and video cameras into the drink (actually, the inflatable flooded but same diff), ruining both.

My solution was to buy a Minolta Weathermatic 35mm camera. It is waterproof to 10', takes excellent pictures and comes with a belt pouch. (I hang a holster w/ pliers and hook file off the same belt and clip it on over my waders. That way the camera is ALWAYS handy.)I think the camera was about $100 but it was 3 years ago so I may be all wet on that. The only disadvantage is that the battery must be taken out between trips, otherwise the power drains out (even when the camera is in the 'Off' mode). The flash also works automatically, helping eliminate shadows/ shading.

[Captain and Marie]

Does anyone know about pixels? What is the best setting for pixels? I tried 2000 pixels on one of my photos and it turned out great,,,then I tried it on another and it turned out pixelaited(sp).

Is there a formula? What is it?

Thanks in advance,
Marie