Thirteen Lucky Tips for Improving Your Fishing Photography

Thirteen Lucky Tips for Improving Your Fishing Photography

The question frequently comes at me, especially while giving slide shows, “What kind of camera do you use?” These Thirteen Lucky Tips for Improving Your Fishing Photography answers the question, and gives some tips on how to use the stuff besides.

I carry two Canon Rebel XTi bodies. One is fixed with a wide angle Canon 10-22 mm zoom lens, an awesome piece of equipment, used for things I can get close to.

The wide angle lens adds a new twist to the grip and grin!

The other carries a telephoto Canon 70-300 mm zoom lens, likewise simply awesome. Use this for things that are farther away.

The telephoto works well for wildlife…

…and also works well for informal portraits.

I also carry a Canon 18-55 mm zoom lens in my camera bag, mostly for close-up work.

My camera bag is a Simms Dry Creek backpack. It’s lined with pieces of an Ensolite sleeping pad cut to fit the pack. The cameras and lenses are wrapped in towels for protection. While walking or wade fishing the cameras can stay dry on my back, quickly available if an opportunity comes up. I’ve done this for four years now and the pack gives plenty of protection.

Here come the tips. Once you understand what’s happening inside those little black boxes feel free to break these rules.

1a. Set the ISO on the wide angle lens body to 100, and don’t shoot at a shutter speed less than 1/60th of a second.

1b. Set the ISO on the telephoto lens at 400, and don’t shoot slower than 1/300th second.

2. Keep the lenses and the camera sensors clean. A blower brush, a package of lens tissue, and a small bottle of lens cleaner are the minimum maintenance requirements.

3. Regardless of which lens you use, try to fill the frame with the subject.

Fill the frame with the subject. The wide angle lens was used for this shot.

4. Pay attention to the light- direction and quality. Fish and many other things photograph best when the sun is low in the sky. Human faces also photograph well when light is diffuse, such as with high overcast.

Late afternoon light gives beautiful color.

5. Take pictures of people fishing, not just grip and grins. Don’t forget release shots.

Take shots of people fishing.

Take shots of people NOT fishing.

Don’t forget release shots!

6. Take close-ups of tackle and lures, not just people.

Get shots of tackle and lures.

7. Take close-ups of caught fish. Don’t ignore parts that don’t have eyes.

Fish picture- no eyes!

But eyes are OK, too.

8. Focus on eyes of whatever it is you’re photographing if they’re in the frame.

9. Take LOTS of pictures when you get a good opportunity. Usually, one of 20 or 30 is clearly the best.

10. When taking grip and grins, have the gripper howl (or some other stupid thing). Sometimes the howling makes the photo. Sometimes the laughter that follows does.

I told Andrew to scream. When he finished he cracked up laughing.

11. Delete any photos that aren’t good. No one wants to go through 95 crappy shots to see the five good ones.

12. Fish can’t breathe when they’re not in the water. If you intend to release the fish do not beat it up!

13. Subjects wearing red or yellow will photograph better than any other color.

If you have other tips not mentioned here (and there are plenty), please feel free to share them with us!

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2010. All rights are reserved.