Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
The 2016 fishing season seems to be off to a good start, and just like most anglers, I’m very optimistic that this is going to be a great year for fishing! For some folks, it might even end up being their best ever. But before we get too far into it, this might also be a good time to think about last season and what you have to show for it.
I’m guessing that by now most of our freezers don’t have much from last year’s harvest, so as far as physical evidence of what we caught, there’s probably not much left to go on. This pretty much leaves anglers with only their own memories and whatever photographs or videos were taken throughout the season. But memories will fade over time, leaving our photographs as the only lasting and accurate account of our special times on the water, so never underestimate the importance of recording your fishing adventures!
With the popularity of social media and the fact that these days almost everyone carries in their purse or pocket some kind of device that’s capable of taking high quality photos and videos, now - more than ever, a batch of good fishing photos at the end of the day that anglers can share online with friends, family and the world have become just as important as a cooler full of fish. Long after the fillets have been eaten-up and memories have clouded over, fishing photos and videos will continue to allow anglers to relive the fun and excitement of their adventures on the water.
But taking quality “on-the-water” fishing photos isn’t easy. It takes advance planning, the right equipment, cooperation by everyone on the boat and certainly a fish that’s willing to hold still long enough to put everything and everyone together in the same frame long enough for a few clicks of the camera. Even if you plan on taking photos at the dock, getting shots out on the water can allow for incredible images of the catch still alive and wearing its natural colors with a backdrop that shows the environment where it was caught.
It can be helpful to assign one person in the crew the responsibility of recording the day with the understanding that they will share the photos with other anglers when the trip is over. Challenges of getting good photos can vary depending upon the layout of the boat, sea conditions, attitude of the fish, agility of the photographer and other variables. Anglers and crew should recognize and acknowledge the importance of having good photos of the catch and other fishing activities and be accommodating to the person with the camera rather than getting upset when they try to move in close to the action during times of frantic activity.
When possible, the photographer should first try to get the angler and the fish in the photo while the fish is still in the water. Because it’s not uncommon to lose a fish at the boat, photos should be taken as soon as possible and a good photo might be the only evidence that the fish was ever on the line.
Jumping fish are the subjects of some of the most exciting fishing photos, but they can also be tough to shoot without good timing and the proper equipment. The camera in my phone has a 2-second delay from the time I press the button until it actually takes the picture making it totally useless for capturing a fish in the air. All I get is a splash. For those type of photos I switch to a real camera with an adjustable shutter speed. Timing is everything and knowing when and where the fish is going to jump can be a challenging task for a photographer.
When trying to get airborne shots, anglers should expect the majority of fish to do most of their jumping soon after it’s hooked and later whenever it finishes a fast run. So when the reel starts singing – get ready to shoot! Also when possible, try to be in a position behind the angler so that when the fish breaks the surface you can get a shot that includes the person on the rod which can prove to be a much more telling photo than just a jumping fish out in the open water.
Unless the camera has a good optical zoom lens, try not to use the camera zoom at all or it could blur the final image. Instead of the zoom, try to move the camera closer to the subject.
It’s good to take a lot of photos and videos because those that don’t turn out can simply be deleted. But be mindful about battery life, particularly when taking videos, which will drain batteries more quickly than photos. Also, if using your smart phone camera remember that cell service rarely extends more than about ten miles offshore. Beyond that your phone will be searching for service all day which quickly drains the battery unless they are put in “airplane mode” to preserve the power. It’s always a good idea to have a way to charge your phone on the boat either by using a car charger or a battery pack type charger. They even have ones now that are solar powered.
I’ve found that, unless you’re really good at editing, taking a lot of videos is better than taking one long one. Let’s say you’re trying to video a half hour fight with a fish. On the boat, at the time, it’s all going to seem exciting and fun, but later when you or anyone else sits down to watch the video, if 20-minutes of it is just someone cranking on a reel, there is going to be a lot of fast forwarding going on to get to the good part when the fish is finally at the boat. It’s fine if you want to film the entire fight so you don’t miss anything, but making ten short clips by simply stopping and restarting the camera will give you the ability later to more easily locate and delete long sections of dead-time. Some of those sections can even be deleted on the boat if disk storage space becomes an issue.
During the fight, the person on the camera should be prepared to constantly move around the boat so they’re always in the best position to get a shot of the fish and angler at the angle you’re looking for. When the fish is to the boat, the angler can often maneuver it with the rod to a place that will facilitate the best photo. Other times this might require the captain to turn the boat to a position that helps put the fish where it needs to be for the best photo.
Sometimes you just have to face the fact that some people have the talent for taking good photos and some don’t. If you have the choice, leave the photography duties to someone aboard who has a bit of a creative-eye and is eager to go the distance to get that all important and ever popular on-the-water fishing photo.
Capt. Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
