Techniques and tips for taking a good picture of you and your big fish (continued)

Focus: Aside from lighting, poor focusing can ruin a picture. When taking your fish pictures, be sure to press down the shutter release button half way, let the camera auto focus and then press the button down fully to capture the photo. If you want to compose your subject to the side of the frame, be sure you’re not focusing on the background. Point the camera’s focus point at the subject first, press the shutter release button half way down and hold it, then set your composition, and finally snap.

Team TackleTour doesn't only leave home with the boat and tackle but also with our large array of digital cameras to fit the job

  
Another tip here is that it’s wonderful to capture the person’s full body plus fish along with the nice outdoor scene, but getting in close can be beneficial too. You’ll create an image that’ll be more focused on your subject and the details on the fish will show up better. This is especially stunning with fish that are greater in detail and color. But when getting close, make sure your focus is still good. Some cameras have a minimum focal distance in the standard auto focus mode. You might have to set the camera to macro or even super-macro mode depending on how close you are to your subject.

Taking close up shots and at different angles as the one above can give your photo a special feel

 
Action shots: Big fish photos are something to treasure but action shots also add to the bragging boards, photo galleries, and albums. Grabbing action shots while you are fighting a fish will take some quick fingers and thinking, and some skills from your fellow angler. In this case, you really don’t have much control over lighting but the important thing here is to make sure you’re focusing correctly. On a sunny day the point-and-shoot digital cameras should automatically select a larger aperture that’ll provide a greater depth of field, thus more things are on the focus plane. So the best way is focus or even pre-focus on the subject and snap. If the digital camera has a continuous shooting mode, this might assist you in capturing the action of say the fish leaping out of the water.

JIP snaps photos as Zander battles a striper that just surfaced

Fishing in the moonlight at Crowley Lake in the Eastern Sierras

 
Draw quickly! It’s tough for a fellow angler to drop his or her rod to help you take some action shots, and if so, he or she will still need to reel in before laying the rod down. Having the camera out on top of your tackle bag or the deck of the boat, on the console, or in one’s pocket will surely help get those shots quickly. That’s another reason why having a waterproof armored point-and-shoot like the Olympus Stylus 770SW is advantageous. The camera if left on deck should be durable enough to handle the environmental conditions, especially in saltwater.

The team prepares for a photo shoot. A tripod comes in handy when there aren't enough hands around

 
Tripods: For anglers who fish solo, you can still take good pictures but you will need the right camera accessories such as a tripod and a remote shutter release. Tripods that provide flexibility at the same time as stability will ensure a flawless capture. Here are some brands of tripods we recommend: Manfrotto 190X, Bogen, Gitzo, Giottos, and Slik.
For the people who are on the budget, some Velbon models aren’t too bad. One camera that we use that has a very handy, wireless remote shutter release is the Canon Powershot G6.

Big or small tripods can come in handy. When fishing alone, a tripod and a camera remote can help you photograph your catch of the day. Be sure to use a stable tripod on rough waters

  
Conclusion: Anyone can point and shoot, but not everyone can take a good fish picture even with today’s “dummy-proof” cameras. There are so many digital cameras on the market today and choosing one isn’t easy. But for anglers that want rugged and waterproof features, this limits your selection and actually makes picking a new digital camera easier, that’s until they start creating more cameras for the outdoor enthusiasts. There are a few conditions that can easily ruin a good picture, but the two most important ones are bad lighting and poor focus. Taking good pictures isn’t difficult and if you follow some of the guidelines we mentioned in this article, you’ll be well on your way. On a final note, if you practice CPR (Catch-Photograph-Release), be sure to do it quickly to ensure the fish’s survival rate after capturing that Kodak moment with your prized fish.