Fishing photography - making the most of your fishing photos

Taking photographs is an integral part of the fishing experience for me; many places and techniques I have used are recorded and recalled when reviewing pictures, especially over the cooler winter months. Also, the pictures keep the special memories alive and allow me to share with, and motivate, other anglers. So here are 10 tips for taking better photographs while out fishing this summer.

1. Take photos as soon as the fish is caught, as that’s when their colours are at their most vibrant. Many fish rapidly lose their colours and sheen soon after being caught or upon contacting various surfaces. Also, try to hold up the fins and have your hands behind the fish so as much of the fish as possible is seen. Wipe away any blood or distracting elements such as sand, bits of grass or slime. By holding the fish out a little and taking the photograph on a low angle, you will increase the drama of your shot. There is no shame in maximising the size of the fish!

2. Consider including the natural background so your photos tell a story of the sense of place. Perhaps include the tackle used to catch the fish or maybe a friend in the photo. Have the boat, kayak or 4WD in the photograph as well to help tell the story.

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3. Always take multiple photographs, as you shouldn’t be shy about capturing the fishing experience, the people, places, fish and wildlife. It’s a good way to recall the day’s experiences and remember some of the details that could make you a better fisher person. A lot can happen in a day’s fishing and by taking photographs you can recall many of the activities. Also, there is nothing worse than taking a shot of the fish of a lifetime, and finding the person holding the fish has their eyes closed or was wearing a quirky facial expression. I always take a minimum of three photographs, because one will always be slightly better than the others. Even better though, I suggest taking maybe 5-10 photos, some in portrait/vertical format and some landscape/horizontal.

4. Lighting is an important consideration when taking photographs. Place your subject(s) so they face the light source and are naturally illuminated. Try to avoid contrasts of light and dark; it usually pays to use a fill flash to reduce the shadows and enhance the brightness of the colours. Be aware though, that very bright, shiny fish can ‘flare out’ when a flash is added to bright sunlight. Consider wearing clothes that are quite neutrally coloured, as this can help with the look of images. A light-brown buff-coloured shirt is good for trout fishing shots, while marine or boat fishing suits a light-blue shirt. Avoid black or white because they often throw out the camera’s automatic exposure settings, causing the photos to be overexposed or underexposed.

5. Really look at the image you’re taking through the camera lens. Make sure your shadow isn’t falling on the subject(s) or objects such as fishing rods aren’t sticking out their head behind them. Also, it’s best to take off any sunglasses, as seeing people’s eyes increases a photograph’s appeal (unless the sun forces them to squint), and lose any hats if they’re casting a shadow over the subject’s face.

6. Try to include some diagonal lines in your photograph, as they help draw the viewer’s eye into the picture. Horizontal lines often give a feeling of harmony to a photograph, while the use of vertical compositions adds drama. Consider having photographs in both landscape and portrait compositions. Often you want to give a feeling of action and movement in photographs, and zoom blurs work well for this.

7. Zoom in close on the subject when shooting angler and fish portraits, to provide more impact. Try to frame them against a relatively neutral or clean background so clutter doesn’t detract from the main subject.

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8. Pre-set your camera. While the automatic mode is okay for quick, spontaneous photographs, it pays to familiarize yourself with your camera’s priority settings. Shutter priority is important when you want to capture the action; a shutter speed of at least 1/1000 second is required to capture a fish jumping or a bird in flight. The shutter speed in automatic settings will often not go up this high. The other priority setting is aperture priority, which relates to the depth of field and determines how much of the photograph is in focus.

9. Look at investing in an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera with a wide-angle and a telephoto lens. Wide-angle lens are fantastic on boats where the space is confined, allowing you to fit the fish and angler and/or the fishing environment in the photograph. Wide-angle lens (in the 10 to 25mm range) also have a big depth of field, enabling you to get many of the photograph’s elements in focus. A telephoto lens is great for photographing subjects in the distance. An SLR system allows you to shoot large file sizes which you can tightly crop to highlight certain details in the photograph.

10. Give some consideration to how you use and share your photographs. You can create a digital diary on your computer in which you can add notes to photographs to remember the details and record tackle systems. Also, look at putting together a set of six to eight photographs showing a diversity of experiences during the day’s fishing and load up a mini photo essay on Facebook. It is a fantastic way to share photographs and also inspire and motivate other anglers. So why not submit your better photographs to an image library, fishing magazine, photo competition or get the photograph framed?

Finally, as the action can often happen spontaneously when fishing, make sure you have your camera on you at all times to capture the action. You should be ready to go at a moment’s notice. I always like to have a waterproof compact camera in my top pocket, but to capture the day’s fishing and do it full justice, a good SLR system is hard to 

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