How to Take Better Fishing Photos: Ten Tips

How to Take Better Fishing Photos: Ten Tips

Cameras have gotten faster, cheaper and a whole lot more powerful. Almost everyone owns a camera, or has one on their phone, and, therefore, everyone can be a photographer.

While “happy snaps” can do a fine job of documenting a trip, why not up your game and take better photographs? Creatively composed shots are not as complicated as you might think. By following and practicing these ten suggestions, you can tell the whole story of your trip, not just part of one.

1. Learn what camera buttons do: Sit down with your user manual and read. You don’t have to learn everything, but knowing the basics is important. Modern point-and-shoot cameras, as well as your phone, are powerful machines that combine a ton of features that are easy to use and can vastly improve your photos. Most people never take their camera off “auto,” which is a shame.

2. Check to make sure your camera’s working before you head out: Are the batteries fresh? Is everything working properly? Are your memory cards erased? Check to make sure the camera is not still switched to the “indoor light” settings from your little sister’s birthday party the night before. There have been numerous occasions where my first great shot of a trip is ruined because my settings were wrong for the occasion.

3. Have your camera accessible: I can’t tell you how many times I would’ve had a great shot if my camera wasn’t buried under pounds of fishing gear, lunch or my rain jacket. Have the camera at the top of your bag or dry box. If you’re worried about it getting wet, buy a small dry bag that can be slipped into a vest pocket. Dry bags have gotten slimmer and less expensive. They are easily worth the money for protecting your camera.

4. Be aware of condensation: Much like bringing a cold beverage out of the freezer, your camera will “sweat” and fog up if brought from an air-conditioned environment into a humid or hot environment. Some cameras will malfunction, even shut off, if the condensation becomes too much for the internal circuitry. The same goes for shooting in the winter–if it’s hot inside and you march right into the cold, the same thing will happen. Let your camera get accustomed to its environment for a full hour before first use.

5. Use your macro setting: Most point-and-shoots have amazing macro capabilities that are never utilized. On most cameras, the icon for this setting is a little flower. This will allow you to fill the frame of your picture with a fish’s eye, the fly you tied, or the streamer sticking out of the fish’s mouth.

6. Centered images can be boring: While this isn’t always the case, try and use the “rule of thirds”–divide your frame into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. Place the center of attention on one of those “third lines.”

7. Make the fish, or gorgeous wooden boat, image “pop”: Use the camera’s longest zoom setting (without using digital zoom). Without going into the technical details, this “stacks” the image compressing space. Typically, this will throw your background into a soft focus, drawing the viewer’s eyes to the subject.

8. Always look for distractions in the photo: This is harder to execute than you might think. It’s a practiced skill, but will vastly improve your images. For example, don’t let cousin Joe’s backpack, or your buddy’s fishing rod, hover into your shot from out of nowhere. Isolating your subject matter, without distractions, will improve the overall composition of the shot.

9. Be steady: Take a breath, and hold, while you shoot. The reason most wildlife shots don’t turn out is that the camera moved during the photo, producing a bit of blurring or fuzziness. Many people blame this on the camera, but it’s almost always the photographer. Be especially aware during low-light situations.

10. Be stealthy and slow down: This not only helps your fishing, but your photography. Putting your rod down and walking slowly will allow you to see some amazing things while out on the river, lake or ocean. Fish won’t dart away; birds won’t flush and spook everything in their path. Some of the hardest shots are fish eating flies, and a quiet approach can greatly increase your odds of blending in and capturing these moments.