Best way to take pics of fish

[bass109]

What is your best way to take a picture of a fish? In the water? with something, ect?

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

ALL OF E ABOVE!!!

Mix it up. we are always looking for new angles, new shots etc for the videos. We have some releasing, some fighting, some being held, the trick is to use a different pose or angle for each new fish, otherwise a video or slideshow of your success will all look the same.

so, experiment, mix it up!

[jdw174]

What is your best way to take a picture of a fish? In the water? with something, ect?

If you're taking snapshots of fish and fisherman...........

a:  Get rid of the sunglasses.

b:  Get the sun at your back

c:  At least tilt the hat back to get the shadow off of the fisherman's face

d:  Don't hold the fish out towards the camera (a la Roland) so it looks 3 times bigger than it is

[Guest the_muddy_man]

I just upgraded to a camera cell phone so I can now proudly post every dink I catch

[RottManK9]

Someone has to say it..........WITH A CAMERA! ;D ;D ;D

[camofish]

What is your best way to take a picture of a fish? In the water? with something, ect?

If you're taking snapshots of fish and fisherman...........

a: Get rid of the sunglasses.

b: Get the sun at your back

c: At least tilt the hat back to get the shadow off of the fisherman's face

d: Don't hold the fish out towards the camera (a la Roland) so it looks 3 times bigger than it is

Now I always put the sun to the front so that your body and fish aren't all shadowed in.

Person with the fish needs to be facing the sun.  8-) Sunglasses my be required.

[RoLo]

I agree with camofish.

To capture the full color and detail, the fish needs to be front-lighted.

Backlighting makes a nice effect with scenery as do long shadows, but have no place in fish photography.

As for the angler, nobody cares about him or her, anyway most anglers look better with a pair of shades 8-)

Roger

[VABasser]

I always take atleast one holding the fish vertically and then one horizontally and see which one I like best.  If it was a PB then I would take more.  I'm with bass109 on this one, holding it out to try and make it look bigger is like cheating.  I will usually just hold it a few inches out in front of me.  

[Clayton]

Yeah they got it.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Avid?   ;D

[RoLo]

Avid?

Yah, I should've added...The lenses should not be larger than a pie-plate 8-)

[Fish Chris]

for starters, if you 'do' hold the fish out towards the camera, you will always have those that say, "Yea, but your holding it out towards the camera to try to make it look bigger than it really did".....

But then if you 'do not' hold it out towards the camera, you yourself will be completely bummed out / deflated later, when you see the pictures and say to yourself, and others, "But I swear it looked much bigger in real life ! Honestly ! It really did. I don't know what happened" !

I say, hold it out towards the camera, but in a relaxed, comfortable position with your elbows somewhat bent.... In other words, a happy medium.

Anyway, what I always tell people is, "No, I'm not holding it out to make it look bigger than it did, I'm holding it out to make it look as big as it really did". Ever hold a 15lb bass ? Believe me, they look pretty darn big :-)

Yes, have the light shining directly at the angler holding the fish (behind the camera) "if possible", but still try to take at least a few of your shots using fill in flash. This will eliminate any shadows, and help to light the anglers face under the bill of his fishing cap.

{if you have a camera which allows for totally manual shots, try purposely setting the exposure too low, then using flash. Talk about great colors, and blue skies !}

Multiple photos are great, but don't keep the fish out of the water for more than a couple at a time. Using a digital camera can be a huge plus, as it allows you to view the photos before you actually release the fish.... this way if they are too bright or dark, chopped tail, out of focus, etc, these things can be corrected in the next couple shots before the fish is released.

Finally, don't forget the tripod, and the self-timing camera if you ever fish by yourself. Since I almost always fish alone, I don't have any choice.

Here's a few of my best photos of 06', which some of you might remember;

12.4 lbs

22.0 California Halibut (tasted great ! ;-)

Took this one of myself, holding this beautiful 23.8 lb Striper, while fishing by myself.

Just remember, when it comes to the C/R of big fish, photos are worth "more than" a thousand words :-)

Peace,

Fish

[JiggaMan512]

wow FC, that self-photo with the Striper is amazing. Do you have something on your boat that is fixed (i.e.. your seat) that you know you can place the camera on and sit in a certain spot that will result in a good photo every time?

[KU_Bassmaster.]

for starters, if you 'do' hold the fish out towards the camera, you will always have those that say, "Yea, but your holding it out towards the camera to try to make it look bigger than it really did".....

But then if you 'do not' hold it out towards the camera, you yourself will be completely bummed out / deflated later, when you see the pictures and say to yourself, and others, "But I swear it looked much bigger in real life ! Honestly ! It really did. I don't know what happened" !

I say, hold it out towards the camera, but in a relaxed, comfortable position with your elbows somewhat bent.... In other words, a happy medium.

Anyway, what I always tell people is, "No, I'm not holding it out to make it look bigger than it did, I'm holding it out to make it look as big as it really did". Ever hold a 15lb bass ? Believe me, they look pretty darn big :-)

I couldn't agree more.  Hold the fish in a NATURAL posistion.  Like if you were going to show it off to somebody.  You wouldn't pick it up and hold your arm straight out and you wouldn't hold it up right next to your body.  IMO both of these pictures look stupid and very un-natural.

[Fish Chris]

Good question..... I used to have a permanent camera stand on my old boat, which swiveled up from the front side of my front bench. That setup had the benefit of putting the camera in the same spot, every time, which did make self-photos somewhat easier. But the downside was, when trying to take photos of much bigger / longer fish (catfish, Stripers, Sturgeon, etc) it put the camera too close.

With my new boat, I just carry a tripod in my side compartment. Then, with the fish patiently waiting in a net beside the boat (for bigger species), or in my livewell (for Largemouths), I set up the tripod to the aproximate height and distance, then take a quick test shot (without the fish in my hands).... not only to get the camera in the right position, but also to check the focus, and exposure of the camera. I can almost always get everything dialed in with two test shots, and within 3 to 5 minutes.

Then a couple of "real" fish shots. Then I get the fish back in the net or livewell. A quick viewing to make sure the shots look good, no tail chop, etc.... and then sometimes a shot or two more, before a quick release. The whole thing should take 10 minutes or less, but even more importantly, the fish should never be out of the water for much more than 1 minute at a time.

Like anything, it gets easy with practice.

Peace,

Fish

[JiggaMan512]

true FC, the safety of the fish has to be number one priority. Once again, great shot and thanks for sharing your knowledge and spreading the advice.

[SoDak_Bassman]

this is a neat idea that i have not seen much with bass, but have done before with carp while bowfishing.  but hold the fish a little away from the body and turn it so that the mouth and head are facing the camera.  it doesn't really show off how big the fish is, but it is a pretty cool picture.  took a few of carp this last spring with that pose and they are pretty neat.  it kinda has the fisherman out of focus and in the background, but has the fish right in the middle and in focus.  again, it doesn't show the size of the fish very well, but is different than all the rest and is a pretty cool shot.  try it

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

. it kinda has the fisherman out of focus and in the background, but has the fish right in the middle and in focus. again, it doesn't show the size of the fish very well, but is different than all the rest and is a pretty cool shot. try it

Same pic can be taken with both the angler and  fish in focus also.  Play with your aperature settings.  If digital, use "self focus" instead of "center focus" setting.

[senile1]

Good question..... I used to have a permanent camera stand on my old boat, which swiveled up from the front side of my front bench. That setup had the benefit of putting the camera in the same spot, every time, which did make self-photos somewhat easier. But the downside was, when trying to take photos of much bigger / longer fish (catfish, Stripers, Sturgeon, etc) it put the camera too close.

With my new boat, I just carry a tripod in my side compartment. Then, with the fish patiently waiting in a net beside the boat (for bigger species), or in my livewell (for Largemouths), I set up the tripod to the aproximate height and distance, then take a quick test shot (without the fish in my hands).... not only to get the camera in the right position, but also to check the focus, and exposure of the camera. I can almost always get everything dialed in with two test shots, and within 3 to 5 minutes.

Then a couple of "real" fish shots. Then I get the fish back in the net or livewell. A quick viewing to make sure the shots look good, no tail chop, etc.... and then sometimes a shot or two more, before a quick release. The whole thing should take 10 minutes or less, but even more importantly, the fish should never be out of the water for much more than 1 minute at a time.

Like anything, it gets easy with practice.

Peace,

Fish

Thanks, Fish Chris.  Other than using my cell phone to take a snapshot of a fish, I was curious about taking shots, with a camera and tripod, when I am by myself as well.