Tips on taking good photos

[chris coates]

Here's a question for the camera guru's I have recently gotten myself a good DSLR camera and just want a few tips on taking photos of GT's Eg like good photos to estimate size's things like that.
Cheers

[David Noble]

Just learn your way around it to get off auto settings and onto manual mode.
Good glass helps, as does a polarising filter but you can get plenty out of kit lenses. For me photography isn't about estimating weights & sizes etc, more for capturing the location, moods and cool moments when away fishing.

Cheers Dave

[Christoffer Hansen]

You can't estimate sizes of fish from photos. Concentrate on making them look big

[Mark Harris]

Chris, if you really want  realistic record shots which can be used for estimating weight/size, then photograph the fish straight on with no angle and 100% do not use any type of distorting wide angle lens.

Like David, I like mood and action shots as well - different thing though.

[chris coates]

Hey cheers guys yeh I was thinking of getting a polarizing filter I wouldn't go fishibg without my sunnys so I'm gessing it would work wonders on fish and ocean shots used correctly. Thanks again for the help guys

[Mark Harris]

So all the weird pictures of emaciated looking "stretched" fish and lures where the proportions are clearly all wrong to anyone who knows them, are not being distorted only by wide angle lenses? Do regular lenses cause that effect as well?

I am asking those questions as I honestly don't know and would appreciate being corrected if I am wrong.

[John Cahill]

re stretched shots, the wider the angle, the more stretched the fish will appear - period.
I do a fair bit of fish photography and dont considder size estimation in my shots, I just like to take interesting appealing shots that tell a story.  I do favor a slight inclination of the fishes head towards the camera, get fingers out of the shot as much as possible and focus on the eye of the fish and fill the frame of the camera without cutting things off as key 'basic' elements.  Start shooting in auto mode and concentrate on composure 

[John Cahill]

sorry cut myself off there.....
concentrate on composing the shot!  I know some like very square on shots that give a better picture of the size of the fish (accurately) and some go for the super close wide angle with angler leaning back to make a GT look like the size of a truck - im not a big fan of either personally.... get some originality and mood in your shots!

[John Cahill]

Keep the sun at your back (photographer) or at least quartering, use a fill flash if its bright and over time learn to use your camera in manual modes - have fun and remember its not a mine is bigger than yours pissing comp!

[Mark Harris]

Thanks for clarifying that point John.

Chris you have some very good advice there from a man who I can say from personal experience is an excellent fish photographer.

[chris coates]

Thanks guys this is exactly the sort of info I was hopping for I've no been the photographer in the past but since my last trip I realy enjoy looking back and the memories that go along with the photo I have are grate.  my next fishing trip isn't Untill May but ill be using the time to get to know my camera and using the advice you'v given me hopefully I can capture the moments.

Thanks again Mark, John, Amr, Chris and David.

[John Cahill]

Thanks guys this is exactly the sort of info I was hopping for I've no been the photographer in the past but since my last trip I realy enjoy looking back and the memories that go along with the photo I have are grate.  my next fishing trip isn't Untill May but ill be using the time to get to know my camera and using the advice you'v given me hopefully I can capture the moments.

Thanks again Mark, John, Amr, Chris and David.

good luck Chris, it can be as addictive and rewarding a sthe fishing, well..... almost anyway!

[Luke Wyrsta]

A good shot involves not cutting off the tail, the bottom fins, the head and the angler's head.
A good shot also involves holding a GT so it is not slumped or angled too far back - they make for flat and uninspiring shots.

The fish is the focal point, so make it look good! How you achieve this, who cares. The wave of people heralding flat, front-on shots do no favors to the fish or the photo, they are plain uninspiring.

[Travis Heaps]

Keep the sun at your back (photographer) or at least quartering, use a fill flash if its bright and over time learn to use your camera in manual modes - have fun and remember its not a mine is bigger than yours pissing comp!

This is good advice. 

Also have your subject take their hat and sunnies off if possible (ee my profile pic for example of bad shaddows caused by a hat).  Polarising filter is essential on the water - realise you'll have to rotate it to get it's full effect.  Try and capture the moment rather than always having posed shots - if you have a few people on the boat there's always good opportunities when the angler and the person helping them land the fish are first interacting ie they'll share a laugh and look at each other when they get the fish onboard safely/see how big it is/share a joke when in the middle of posing.  I think these are the good photos.

Get normal side on shots that show how big the fish really is for your own records - later on you'll want to compare fish you catch and you need this record.  Also then take some with the fish at different angles, using it as the focus.  Personal preference but i detest the trend of taking photos to make gt's look as big as possible with no real scale (ie angle towards lense, put fish on knees and lean you head away from fish, hold fish on angle and get no background etc...I actually refuse to read reports that show only photos like this but that's my issue not yours )

[Mark Harris]

Good point about hat and sunnies Travis.

Frankly,  I am usually so knackered after landing a GT that I will never remember all this stuff!