Grip & Grin: The Art of Taking Great Fish Photos

So, you caught a trophy that’s been on your bucket list for eons, and now there it is on the deck. You stare at it in disbelief, all those hours wetting a line, waiting for this monster. And now that you’ve landed this once-in-a-lifetime fish, there’s just one thing left to do — get the picture!

There is no denying that fish photos are a huge part of every fishing trip, whether it’s catch and release, or what’s for dinner. Before it goes in the box, getting a great photo is priority one. And it must be done quickly because in most cases it’s rarely more than a minute or two before the colors fade and the opportunity for social media gold is lost forever.

While no one will venture so far as to call these photos “art,” the truth is there is a method to the madness when it comes to how these photos are taken, and it can make the difference between the photo of a lifetime and something mediocre.

So, what’s the trick? First, let’s be clear, there’s more to a great fish pic than simply “grip and grin.” Truth be told, there are several subtle differences between an average catch photo and the kind of photo you’ve seen on the cover of this magazine. To bag the image that truly does justice to your hard-earned catch, you must think about the goal beforehand. And that is to create a photograph that captures for posterity the size of the catch, the beautiful colors of this fish and, most of all, the drama of the moment. The key is knowing the tricks and being ready to execute them when that moment finally arises.

So, let’s talk the various details that make a great fish pic by breaking it down into smaller bites and learning the importance of each. Then it becomes much easier to pull off a great photo in the few seconds you have.

Be timely: When you catch a fish and bring it on the boat or the shore, especially if you’re planning to harvest the catch for the table, time is truly of the essence. For many fish, you will literally have less than 60 seconds to capture the dramatic coloration before it fades away. A couple prime examples are mahi and wahoo.

Mahi look incredible both in and out of the water — their coloration is like nothing else on Earth. If you have caught one of these very special fish, one of the first things you notice is how the colors change. You can see it when it’s in the water. These fish tend to jump and it’s not uncommon for the color to be different each time it comes out of the water. But once you boat that mahi, the clock is ticking.

We’ve all seen that photo of a mahi where the fish has two different color schemes that are split halfway down the body. These fish basically died mid-color switch, and the color switch was not allowed to finish. To get the mahi in all its colorful glory, the image must be captured in the first 60 seconds; that’s not an exaggeration. You have literally one minute or less to get the shot if you want all those beautiful colors. Once they’re gone, it’s over and the opportunity is missed.

It’s the same story with wahoo. When you bring a wahoo on the boat, they tend to be highly agitated and are showing their trademark zebra stripes. But once the fish hits the deck, these beautiful stripes basically disappear in seconds. If you want to really get the shot of that glorious skinny, you need to be ready to bag the shot literally as it’s coming over the rail. Best bet, have the camera out and the team fully informed on the mission. Within 60 seconds, you will see those stripes begin to fade and eventually all you get is a bar of chrome. Sure, still cool, but nowhere near as awesome as the way it looked when it was landed. 

Perspective: OK, we’ve all heard about and likely seen the “big hands” technique. This is where someone holds up a fish and sticks it way out in front of them to make the fish look bigger. Now, unless you’re Andre the Giant, odds are your hands are not bigger than your head. So, it stands to reason that while it might look cool when you’re shooting it, odds are people are going to notice and call you out. Why, because your hands look huge! Bottom line, it doesn’t pay to try and fake it. In addition, by doing things this way, you’re missing out on the opportunity to capture the fish’s full coloration. Again, timing is everything, so don’t waste it trying to fake the image.

THE GRIP:

This is the thing that will make or break your image; get it right and you’re on your way to viral internet fame. Hold it wrong and no amount of “big-handing” is going to get you on the FSF Insty page. Each fish is different but there are a few basic points to keep in mind if you want a great shot.

• The head is always more photogenic than the tail. While this point is open to interpretation, the head of the fish is going to be far more interesting. So, it stands to reason that focusing on the front end of the fish is generally the best approach.

• Horizontal vs. vertical? Holding fish by the gills and letting it hang straight up and down is probably the most common way fish are held for photos; it’s also the least appealing way to hold a fish for a great shot. That said, there are steps you can take to improve the perspective of a fish held this way, one being for the photographer to get down low and shoot up instead of vice versa. If the camera is held around the head of the fish, it’s going to make the fish look short. By getting lower and shooting upward, you can capture the full length of the fish. 

• Hold the fish horizontally because, nine times out of 10, this is going to be your winning grip. And there are some easy steps to do it right every time.
  • With the fish on the deck, grab it just in front of and behind the tail.
  • As you’re lifting the tail, slide the other hand along the underside of the fish until it stops on the pelvic fin (these are the fins on the underside just behind the gills). When your hand stops on the fins, lift the fish up and hold it up horizontally for the camera.
  • This is where the photographer must apply the previous points. Focus on the head of the fish as your primary point of interest and click away. It’s important the angler blocks as little of the fish as possible with their hand; so, if possible, make sure the person holding it keeps most of their back hand behind the fish. Doing this will allow most of the fish to be visible in the image.

At the end of day, getting a great fish pic is not rocket science. The key is to have a plan prior to shooting, then thinking it through for proper execution. It doesn’t hurt to rinse the fish off, too, prior to shooting. After a few tries, these steps will all become natural to you. Practice makes perfect and if you apply a few of the simple steps outlined here, it won’t take long before you’re putting your own touch on it. Next thing you know, boom, the magazine is calling: “Hey, we’d love to see more of your pictures!”

Give it a shot and be sure to let us see your results! Tight lines.

Source: https://floridasportfishing.com/grip-grin-the-art-of-taking-great-fish-photos/