Tips for Taking Better Fishing Pictures

Tips for Taking Better Fishing Pictures

Photos of a great fishing trip bring back the memories years later, so today we have a few tips for taking better fishing pictures to help you capture these special moments in a clear and beautiful way. Pictures are also a great way to prove to your buddies the lunker smallmouth bass you released did in fact end up in your hands!

Our first tip for taking better fishing pictures involves the camera. Cheap is NOT the way to go when selecting a camera. Sure, we all have iPhones and other smartphones capable of snapping decent pictures but for the highest resolution, color brightness, in low light conditions, and detail, a quality 35 millimeter digital SLR is the best option. For less than a thousand bucks you can buy a Cannon or Nikon, along with two or three extra lens and a tripod. It is an investment well worth the money for truly great pictures. I recently picked up a refurbished Nikon D3200 for less than $400 that was in perfect condition.

Framing the shot

Before snapping a picture, give your background setting a good look. Is there trash, vehicles, other boats, people other than the subject, and so on that will end up on the photo? If so, relocate or change the angle of the picture so only the image you want is going to end up in the picture.

Never shoot after dark unless you have the lighting to do so. During the day consider the time of day and light conditions. Is it bright and sunny or a gray overcast day? These conditions will dictate how you use the daylight as a background for the best picture possible.

Action Shots Can Be Priceless

If you are taking pictures of someone standing in a whitewater rapid wait for the moment when they are casting to take the picture. This adds action to the photo. Same for when they are netting a fish. It is vital to have the right shutter speed setting for these types of pictures. Normally this should be in the 1/60^th of a second or higher range.

Take Lots Of Shots

Take plenty of pictures. You are only limited by the size of your memory card. Shoot the picture from several different angles so you will get the best possible photo. The other ones can be edited out later.

The Proud Fisherman

Close-ups of the fish with the proud fisherman are probably the most popular fishing photos everyone goes for. Capture these so at least 2/3rds of the subjects fill the photo so as not to allow any other features to distract from the main focus of the photo.

With the right camera and a little practice you can be taking better fishing pictures in no time at all.

Do you have a favorite fishing picture? Please relate your stories to our readers in the space below.