Taking control of your photography.

Composition.

The trophy shot.

(I took this shot for FW, look how its framed, it’s imperative the cameraman is in control and instructs the captor on where the fish should be held positioned, after all he can’t see.)

Over the next twelve months, we will be taking you on a comprehensive journey toward simple to understand, no-nonsense photography. There is nothing worse than being disenchanted with the camera you use, or buying a photography magazine and not understanding a word they say. Our camera is a graphic extension of our thoughts and feelings as we capture the special moments of life over time. As memories fade, the pictures we take often become the only reminders we can refer to, so we owe it to ourselves to tame the machine!

 I am sure some of us have rushed out and bought a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) and then never used 99% of the settings. So, with that in mind we will look at both DSLR and compact cameras. For this first feature though, we are not going to look at the technical aspect of both cameras but more of the hand-held eye skills you need to take perfect pictures. 

I was asked recently for the best tip I could give when taking trophy shots. Well, for me that’s quite an easy question to answer; practice the art of composition! Composition is the key to all successful shots taken on modern cameras, and that doesn’t just relate to trophy shots Composition is a big part of every aspect of photography. Gone are the days when you had to be a semi-professional photographer to get the best out of your shots. Today’s point and shoot and DSLR cameras have given everyone an equal opportunity to take remarkable pictures.

Composition will crop up in pretty much every issue.  Unfortunately, you can’t buy composition it has to be learned. Imagine that you’re taking a picture of your friend at the water’s edge. It’s human nature to centralise the person within the picture. That is the simplest form of composition. The next element is what’s called the ‘third rule’. That’s two imaginary lines that break the viewfinder, or picture, into three. So rather than centering the shot, you take the picture of your friend on the extreme left or right; in essence it’s a more advanced way of composition. (see diagram) I could give you a few examples of advanced composition, but let’s keep it simple for now. We’ll tackle more advanced pictures in future issues.

The technical definition of composition is the action of combining parts or elements to form a whole picture, but to me that sounds complicated, so stick with the friend example above! Trophy shots are always relatively simple in terms of composition because they are what are known in the trade as ‘a square up’. In laymen’s terms that’s a shot that is taken with the person in the dead centre of the picture. Well, that’s always the starting point anyway, but it should never end there.

Before taking any trophy shot with the captor lofting the fish to the moon and back, please remember that fish safety is paramount. No excuses. Treat them like a newborn baby; that’s always my rule of thumb.

 When taking the picture for a trophy shot it’s very important that the frame is filled as much as possible. For instance, I always aim to have the fish’s lips and tail just millimetres from the left and right hand edge of the frame as you look through the view finder. I insist that the fish is slightly pushed out by the captor; this gives a better aspect to the trophy. It’s not solely intended to make the fish look bigger, although it will.

I always like to see the back on the fish somewhere around the top of the captor’s chest. The photographer’s position height in relation to the height that the fish is being held is very important. Once in the right position you will see that the elbows of the captor disappear. Next, I always like to see the captor pushing the head out slightly, with the tail a little lower than the head. We are talking tiny increments but, again, it makes a huge difference.

One of my big bugbears is when you see the captor’s fingers looking like he or she has the hands of giants. Always do a mental check that the fingers are as neat and tucked away as possible. In most cases, what we call the ‘head hand’ can be hidden under the pectoral fin. Try to make sure on the ‘anal hand’ (I know that doesn’t quite sound right!) that the fingers are as neat as possible.

(Jerry Hammond a real big fish master, what a perfect picture, awesome!)

The really important bit, of course, is taking the shot. In an ideal world, you would always lock off your shot (use a tripod) but in reality that’s never going to happen. You’ve got two living, breathing creatures going through a complex process in which one is held aloft, while the other battles to stay as still as possible. With the best will in the world the fish will still be battling and the captor struggling to hold it steady, so it’s imperative to know the shot before the fish is ever caught.

When taking a picture its absolutely essential that you hold the camera properly. Taking the perfect picture is like being a sniper. Let me explain. Once I have all the above elements in place, I slowly but surely start to exhale; this helps the camera stay so much steadier. As I come to the end of the exhaling cycle, I touch the auto depress button once, then I go still and then bang, I take the shot. It has so many similarities to firing a gun when you breathe and use the pressures on a trigger.

For most of my photography, I use a flash to some extent, but my flash is directional and I can control how much I throw at a subject. If you find, when using your compact camera, that it’s too dark without the flash, but the flash is burning out the subject (over exposure resulting in everything going white) then you can take a step back and zoom in the camera using one increment. Repeat this process until you have the perfect colour balance. Just remember that the more you zoom the more you will lose quality on the picture. 

When using a DSLR on Auto you can use the same principal as above. On a DSLR there will be a relatively powerful, built-in flash, or even maybe an external flash that fits into the hot shoe. If the flash is not directional and you are throwing too much light at the subject, try sliding a piece of tracing paper over the flash unit. This will soften the harsh light that is forced at the subject. I have even been known to slip my finger slightly over the flash unit. Let’s try not to over-complicate things at this stage. We will look at light in more depth in a future issue.

Some anglers always have their cameras part zoomed in to take their shots and that baffles me. This happened while I was presenting a new DVD a few weeks ago on the Swiss border in the South of France. A guy had caught a lovely fish and his angling partner was unable to deliver the right shot. It was no wonder really, the camera was half zoomed in and so losing all aspect of the shot. I asked respectfully to be allowed to take the picture. I whacked on the flash, lost the zoom, repositioned the guy from the reflection of the water, shuffled along until it was perfectly framed, like I mentioned above, then almost instantly got the money shot. The angler was overwhelmed. It wasn’t his friend’s fault at all.

 Now, what I haven’t mentioned yet is the backdrop, which also falls into the realms of composition. As soon as I get to a lake, I will pull my compass from out of my pocket because I like to know where that big ball of fire rises and falls. Light is probably the most complex part of photography and is something we will discuss in more detail in future issues, but for the all important trophy shot it’s your best friend. Learn to respect light and it will reward you with perfect results. Ignore the rules and it will leave you disappointed.

 From the minute I get to a lake, I know where I will take my trophy shot. I also always know where, roughly, I will take the shot depending on the time of day. I like to draw an imaginary circle in my swim and work out where three-quarters of the sun/light during the day will fall. I say three-quarters as it rises in the east and falls in the west so a quarter of the circle is not lit, so to speak.

I make myself a wish list. For instance, I would love to have a water backdrop shot if the sun is blasting into my face but the problem with this is that the camera tends to give you a sharp then soft edge as it struggles to focus on the rest of the frame.

The sides of the swim are pretty much always the banker shots. The camera has a solid forward object to focus on and a rear focal point in the form of reeds or foliage, although these often soften out slightly (go out of focus). Remember always to have the sun coming over your shoulder whenever possible.

If there is no sun, then some of the above is academic. Some as you will still struggle to throw enough light at a water shot with a compact camera; the results are generally disappointing, with dark and silver looking shots. So again, the reeds are always a good bet as you can trap enough light.

At the start, I said that the ‘square up’ was always the starting point. Once I am certain that I have a couple in the bag, I then like to go to phase two, which is the next set of pictures. I call the command ‘head out more’, the captor pushes the head out a few more degrees and then I get creative, covering the extreme left and right hand of the frame on an angle and I also throw a few uprights (portraits) in for good measure. (see inset) These, at times, are often the really beautiful trophy shots with a difference, but I can’t stress enough that you need a couple in the bag before you start this process.

 Now all the above happens in a heartbeat and the more you train yourself the quicker and more efficient you will become. If you fish with a partner, don’t be afraid to experiment holding a bag of bait, or anything for that matter. Just remember that if it’s a fish of a lifetime, the pressure will really be on and the captor will be relying on you. If you’re not happy, tell them. In fact, I was fishing with a pro angler in the summer and he was directing me while he was holding the fish. I respectfully told him that I was the one viewing the image, and he had to let me take control and trust me. He was in danger of freaking me out when he couldn’t even see what I was doing. If I had bowed to his pressure, the results would have been catastrophic. I held my ground and he was over the moon with the results.

Last but not least, always try and get a returner. Return shots can make some of the most pleasing shots imaginable. It’s worth that bit of extra effort. It’s very easy at the time to settle with what you have, but effort equals reward.

There are so many variables when taking the trophy shot but one thing’s for sure. If you have given it thought and consideration beforehand you will deal with the situation in a much calmer, rational, organised manner, and that can only improve the results. I have seen best friends fall out over trophy shots, and that’s the last thing you want.

 If we can help please drop us an email to the office. Also, if you feel we have helped you take a special picture through one of our features, please send it in. Nothing would give us a bigger thrill. Just remember we are all in it together.

Jon.aqua-dynamix@live.co.uk

 See you next time

Jon Banister