How to take Quality Fishing Photos Afield

By Paula Elert

Who said photography is easy? Photography takes skill, patience, the right equipment and some luck. Over the years I have collected some not-so-amazing pictures of so-called "trophy fish" from clients in hopes of making it into our catalog/website. I’ve discovered that few people really know how to take a quality photo. After conversing with several professional photographers, and from experience, I have come up with some basic tips for taking quality pictures of your next catch:

• Position yourself correctly: it is important to think ahead about where you want to be positioned when your angling companion hooks into an exciting catch. Deciding this ahead of time will help assure that you do not interfere with the angler or anyone else nearby and will maximize all the factors that will help produce the best photo.
  
• Use natural light: make sure the sun is to your back and shining on the angler! This will decrease shadows and shed light on the front of the subject. Also, utilize the potential of your subject. Many fish have shiny scales so use the fish to reflect the light by tilting it slightly, showing the full body and color of the fish.
  
• Present the fish: have the angler hold the fish away from their body giving the fish a larger appearance and filling the frame. However, make sure the angler does not reach to the point where it is obvious they are straining to make the fish look like the new world record! When holding the fish under the belly, have the angler curl their fingers under the fish to keep it from being covered up – it is best to hold the fish by the gill and/or tail.
  
• Handle fish with care: be prepared to take the shot quickly, keeping the fish out of water less than 8 seconds. If you have to, put the fish back in the water, reinvigorate it, and lift it quickly for another shot (depending on its size of course, since not all fish give you this luxury). The less you keep the fish out of the water the less it will be stressed.
  
• Keep the background clean: when possible, make sure there is no clutter in the background. Natural scenery is the most appealing to look at (leave buckets, beer bottles, trucks, buildings, etc. out of the shot when possible). Also, be sure to rinse any excessive blood off the fish, boat deck, etc.
  
• Wardrobe: often people do not consider what they will be wearing in a photo, but it can make a difference. Primary colors seem to show up the best (red, yellow, blue), depending on where you are and what you are fishing for. Bright, tropical colors (deep pinks, aqua’s, and yellows) look good in warm saltwater, and natural colors (Loden green, tan, gray) look great when trying to blend the angler into the background of a northern stream or lake which can help make the fish stand out, not them.
  
• Don’t be afraid to take a lot of pictures: film is cheap, digital is free – shoot a ton of images! I recently took a trip to Alaska and shot 500 pictures. From those shots, I only got a handful of professional-grade pictures. Also, be sure to take shots from several different perspectives – some with the angler looking at the camera, some looking at the fish, some looking off in the distance. You never know which angle will turn out best!
  
• Shoot from different angles: most photographers shoot the angler while both they and the angler are standing. Get low, lay down, move closer or farther away and move off to the side. Different angles make the fish look different. Again, some photos will look better than others. You never know which one will be your favorite!
  
• Shoot different scenarios: shoot photos of individual anglers with their catch as well as groups together. If possible, get some from the boat and some from the shore (anglers in the water with their fish are my favorite).
  
• Fill the frame: this is very important and easily forgotten. Most photographers center the image getting the entire angler, the entire fish, yards of foreground, and miles of background. This is fine for one view, but also get closer (or zoom in) and crop out everything that is not important – highlight only the angler and the fish itself.
  
• Using film: In the age of digital I am still a fan of film. Film offers a crisp and colorful, less pixilated picture that I have yet to find with digital. Nothing beats a good 35mm camera and high-quality film. Film processing can become costly, but you can save your photos to a disc for preservation, and print only the photos of your choice.
  
• Using digital: digital offers us the ability to take a lot more pictures without having to carry around all those rolls of film! Plus, you can view your photo instantly and if don’t like what you see, just delete and start over! When shooting digital, make sure the camera is set on the highest resolution setting possible. While low resolution may be fine for online/web use, it is not fine for print publication and will limit its usefulness. A "high res" image can always be manipulated to make it lower for web use, but the reverse cannot be accomplished.
  
• Using flash: take some images using natural light and take others with a flash - even in bright daylight. The use of a flash will often remove shadows caused by direct sunlight, such as those from the bill of a hat.
  

These tips will help you see instant results in your photography. It’s amazing what difference a little tweaking of your photography skills can make. To further improve upon your photos, take a class, befriend a pro, and experiment. You’ll be amazed at what you produce. Happy shooting!