OK, this is NOT a technical piece on the intricacies of lighting, F-stops, and exposure.

As the native steelhead season goes into full swing, I just wanted to highlight some pointers on taking C&R fish pics that will keep would-be posters from getting into flame wars if they decide to share with the rest of the board. I will try to include examples of good technique, and purposely avoid re-posting bad examples because the guys that originally posted them typically got a thorough flaming the first time around.


1) Keep that camera handy (worn by a neckstrap, tucked in shirt/jacket pocket) where it's EASILY accessible, especially for all you young bucks that like to fish your zippers alone. That way you won't be fumbling for an eternity while your freshly landed nate is gasping from fatigue. Besides, a camera that is too securely tucked away stands little chance of on-the-water use.

2) Ask yourself, "Is it worth taking the pic?" If conditions pose either a danger to you or the fish in order to get that hero shot.... PASS! It's just not worth it... especially when you are fishing alone. It's very tempting to drag a fish high into the shallows (or heaven forbid, right up onto the gravel) so that it doesn't swim off while you struggle to get the shot composed. Don't worry, in due time a better opportunity will come to get that perfect shot.

3) If you must drag a fish into the shallows, don't slide it any higher up the bank than there is water to support the fish. If at all possible, choose an area with some clean flow, not a muddy bank. The fish is stressed, and it needs clean well-oxygenated water.... not a trip to a mud pit. Besides, muddy water in the background detracts from the natural beauty of the fish and makes for a less than stellar photo.


4) Keep that fish in the water! Not sure about Oregon, but here in WA you can't legally lift a fish completely out of the water (no Sparkey flames, please). I know many of you will do it anyway, based on your "better" judgment, and that's fine... just be prepared to deal with the consequences if you get popped afield or post a pic on the board.




5) If you feel compelled to lift a fish, just keep a few things in mind. Don't heft it by the gills for obvious reasons. Similarly, don't "tail" it and heft it out of the water by the "wrist" in the vanquished-vertical-hang-down pose like all the Atlantic salmon dudes are so prone to do. You will cause serious damage to nerves and blood vessels along the spine as all the vertebrae go pop-pop-pop.

Think about where you are lifting the fish and what might happen if you inadvertently drop it. Over water versus over rocks/boat deck makes a HUGE difference in how hard the landing will be, as does dropping from a few inches versus 4-5 feet high. Capiche?




The fish is stressed and needs oxygen.... that means minimizing "air-time" to no more than a few seconds at a time. The average guy is notorious for under-estimating how long a fish has been held out of water, especially while they pose there waiting for their buddy to figure out how the hell to work the camera, then cluelessly smiling between shots while waiting for the flash to re-charge. Remember the fish is suffocating the entire time.... and that's immediately after it's just run the equivalent of a 3 minute mile!

Keep the fish's head in the water until the very instant the photographer is ready to snap the pic. (And yes, this applies to the fish-in-the-water shot as well). Then it's just a simple matter of lift and click. If the flash needs time to re-charge or you need to re-compose the shot, simply drop the fish's head back into the water while you are waiting so it has a little time to "re-charge" it's oxygen supply too.



In the end the picture tells all!

If the fish has "drip-dried" and lost the mirror-like sheen of it's slime-coat, you've held it out of the water WAY too long. You've all seen this kind of pic.... broken, irregular reflections off the slime-coat, revealing the countour of every last scale on the fish..... not a single drip falling from the fin tips. It's the typical dead-on-the-meat-hook shot.

You know you're in the ballpark for acceptable "air-time" when water is still dripping/flowing from it's head/belly/fins or from your hands.... the more the better.


Dripping:


Flowing:


Now get out there with that digi-cam, and bring it on home.

Looking forward to an awesome pic parade over the next couple months!