Tips for taking better pictures

 We all have heard the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” they just didn't say which thousand words you will be saying after you see the end result. With the launching a new section of our web site dedicated to customer pictures I thought it would be a good idea to go over a few tips for taking better fish photographs. Whether you are on a trip of a lifetime or on your local farm pond catching Bluegills quality pictures will last a lifetime. In our “digital” world of today, web sites, forums, and blogs are full of fish pictures. Some of them are great so of them not. Hopefully these tips will put your photos in the former and not the latter category. I am not a professional photographer, far from it, so we scoured the internet. With information found there and through personal experience we have compiled a list of 20 items that should help ensure quality photos.

1. Be prepared. Have a camera, film, flash and batteries with you at all times.
2. Make sure that your fishing buddy knows how to use the camera, too. Practice on shore before you land the big one!
3. Always use a flash to eliminate shadows and intensify color and contrast. Some cameras have a fill flash setting. Find out if that includes your camera.
4. Shoot with the sun at your back, turning the boat if necessary.
5. Zoom in as close as possible on a few shots, eliminating most background.
6. Take photos with both horizontal and vertical orientations. This makes for a better choice in how you use the pictures including in scrapbooks.
7. Remove / exclude distracting items – e.g. beverage cans, sunglasses, etc.
8. Keep the “horizon” level and include some background other than water.
9. Photograph special catches and the fishing action as it plays out.   
10. Avoid stringer shots and photos of dead fish. Practice catch and release as much as possible.
11. Avoid bloody and distasteful shots.
12.  For a cool effect leave the fly in the fish’s mouth.
13. Take “live release” photos at boat side or river side.
14. Consider getting an inexpensive digital camera, just in case it ends up in the water.
15. Using a digital camera? Make sure it is 3 megapixels or better.
16. If you are going on a multi-day trip remember to take extra batteries. If you are using a digital camera it is a good idea to have two or more memory cards.
17. Swap memory cards at the end of each day so that at least one card is on dry land at all times. This ensures you always have some pictures of your trip regardless of what happens to the camera out on the water.
18. Record the length / weight / date / and lake on the back of the photo. Some digital cameras have a video or audio option. You can use this to record this information and transcribe it later.
19. Kids fishing or doing shore lunch? Take lots of photos.
20. Smile. Tons of great shots aren’t so great if you don’t look like you are having fun.

 Remember to always handle the fish carefully and treat them with respect. Without the fish our sport kind of looses its luster. Lets all practice catch and release and do our best to take care of the fly fisherman’s most prized resource. Photos will help you tell the story of your fishing trip. With that in mind remember to take pictures before and after you start fishing. These pictures can be used to bookend your awesome action shots. 


  Hopefully these tips will help you take better pictures this season while out on the water. We would love to see the end result...for more information on our new picture sharing page click here. Lets get those pictures coming in.


                                                                                                                    Tight lines...