Solo snaps

[boneless]

Stan (others?), any photography advice for the lonely souls who fish alone? I mean besides "make some friends!". I'm not looking to invest in any camera gear, I just thought there might be some tricks. I've included some pix from recent trips to the lake and as you can see, there's no where to go but up.

[skunked]

the best thing to use to hold a camera is a bean bag. It can be configured any way you want it to hold the camera in the right position. Manually focusing your camera when using the self timer usually works better than auto focus. Use a small aperture like f11 for better depth of field so you have a greater margin of error in focusing. Using fill-flash, even in daylight hours usually improves my pictures.

[evbouret]

When I go hunting I set the camera up and set the self timer. The bean bag is a great idea. I just rest it on whatever is lying around. Tshirts, towel, socks etc... I also like photos that don't have a person in them. Lay the fish down next to your pole and reel and take a photo.

[boneless]

Thanks for the tips, guys. Right now I'm using a camera without a timer but maybe when we upgrade the family digital cam, I'll get the old one. I might be able to lie the fish in the bottom of the kayak for a quick pic before release, so I'll give that a try. Thanks again.

[Ken]

I was going to suggest a mount and the timer...but then I saw that you are in a kayak.

For a kayak, it is probably best to lay the fish on the bottom and take a pic.

Another option is to take the pic of the fish while it is still in the water (I guess if it is a big fish, that's your only practical option

[OahuDave]

What lures were you running that day if you dont mind me asking? I was going to run some rapala, kastmasters, whatever I have sitting around here. Probably drag a floater behind and rig a kastmaster for some whipping or something. Going with some 4# line too I think.

Thanks,
Dave

[Stan Wright]

With a digital camera you can see what you've got the instant you take the picture. So if it's out of focus or you got someonw closing their eyes, you can take another one right away.

The start up cost for a digital is greater than a film camera, but your savings in film alone is more than worth the price.
Not to mention the ease of downloading everything in your computer, deliting the memory card, and starting all over again. No film and developing costs. If you do want a print, just go to costco or wallmart.
Even with one hour photo processing, you can't beat a digital.

Chris has a water proof one and holds it under the water for great shots of the fish.

[Ken]

Hey boneless,

I forgot to say...in your pictures, the fish looks out of focus but the background is in focus. See if your camera has a macro function. Use the macro if you are taking picture of the fish at arm's length. Also, see if your auto focus metering has something called "spot metering". Just before you click down on the shutter button, a lot of cameras allow you to click halfway and the camera's auto focus will try to find a focus point in you picture. In most cases, the camera tries to focus on the closest object if the closest object is of considerable size (if you try to focus on a blade of grass...good luck...it can be done, but much more difficult).

With spot metering, you can point the center point of your viewfinder to the fish and the camera should focus on the fish if you are using the macro mode.

Before you go out taking pictures of more fish, you can practice at home just playing around with your camera. Good objects to practice on are mugs (the curvature of the mug allows you to try and focus at different depth and angle), pens photographed from the table surface angle (or other long objects for macro...it's more difficult and it will hone your skills) and if you are really keen, try grains of salt/sugar.

Have fun!

[Stan Wright]

Most "fixed focus" cameras won't focus closer than 2 1/2 or 3 feet.

By the way, I teaching Photography Merit Badge at Winter Camp in Jan up at Camp Pupukea.... We can always use more staff, and you can sit in on my classes for free.
LOL
Stan

[Ken]

By the way, I teaching Photography Merit Badge at Winter Camp in Jan up at Camp Pupukea.... We can always use more staff, and you can sit in on my classes for free.
LOL
Stan

I wish you were teaching in Toronto

[skunked]

Hey boneless,

I forgot to say...in your pictures, the fish looks out of focus but the background is in focus. See if your camera has a macro function. Use the macro if you are taking picture of the fish at arm's length. Also, see if your auto focus metering has something called "spot metering". Just before you click down on the shutter button, a lot of cameras allow you to click halfway and the camera's auto focus will try to find a focus point in you picture. In most cases, the camera tries to focus on the closest object if the closest object is of considerable size (if you try to focus on a blade of grass...good luck...it can be done, but much more difficult).

With spot metering, you can point the center point of your viewfinder to the fish and the camera should focus on the fish if you are using the macro mode.

Before you go out taking pictures of more fish, you can practice at home just playing around with your camera. Good objects to practice on are mugs (the curvature of the mug allows you to try and focus at different depth and angle), pens photographed from the table surface angle (or other long objects for macro...it's more difficult and it will hone your skills) and if you are really keen, try grains of salt/sugar.

Have fun!

Spot Metering has nothing to do with focus. It has to do with exposure, but I think Ken meant to say that on some cameras, you can change the focus mode from center to closest subject to dynamic to continuous and so on.

[Ken]

skunked is totally correct. Metering is a term used for exposure. I don't know my photography terms too well...I learned by playing around with my camera...not so much from reading about how to take pictures

Stan, I can use your course

[boneless]

Thanks again to all who posted photo advice. Fishing from a kayak means everything gets wet so I don't dare take the regular digital cam out. As for buying a u/w digital, that falls a ways down there on the "nice to have/need to have" scale. Gotta work on those need to haves like a new fly rod. Stan, I'll be the tall, dark, and goofy guy in the back of the class.

[Ken]

Icic...check your PM