Jeff Currier's Fly Fishing Lectures
Improve Your Fly Fishing Photography
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Microsoft
PowerPoint Based Presentation |
 “Improve Your Fly Fishing Photography” – Why is it that our big
fish and beautiful scenery photo’s often don’t develop the way we would
like? Watch as Jeff Currier shares some simple tips that are guaranteed to help
you improve your fishing photos.
Jeff doesn't consider himself a photographer, however if your lucky
enough to catch one of his shows you wouldn't believe it. His
presentations are
full of fantastic photos and he tells great stories to go with. In
"Improve Your Fishing Photography", Jeff tells you what cameras he uses
and gives advice on how to take better "hero shots", "fish portraits",
"landscapes" and "action shots". He also has great advice on how to
build your own show from that recent fishing trip. All his tips are
simple and will help anyone take a better fishing photo!
Look your subject in the eye
Direct eye contact can be as engaging in a picture as it is in real
life. When taking a picture of someone, hold the camera at the person's
eye level to unleash the power of those magnetic gazes and mesmerizing
smiles. For children, that means stooping to their level. And your
subject need not always stare at the camera. All by itself that eye
level angle will create a personal and inviting feeling that pulls you
into the picture.
Use a plain background
A plain background shows off the subject you are photographing. When you
look through the camera viewfinder, force yourself to study the area
surrounding your subject. Make sure no poles grow from the head of your
favorite niece and that no cars seem to dangle from her ears.
Use flash outdoors
 Bright sun can create unattractive deep facial shadows. Eliminate the
shadows by using your flash to lighten the face. When taking people
pictures on sunny days, turn your flash on. You may have a choice of
fill-flash mode or full-flash mode. If the person is within five feet,
use the fill-flash mode; beyond five feet, the full-power mode may be
required. With a digital camera, use the picture display panel to review
the results. On cloudy days, use the camera's fill-flash mode if it has
one. The flash will brighten up people's faces and make them stand out.
Also take a picture without the flash, because the soft light of
overcast days sometimes gives quite pleasing results by itself.
Move in close
If your subject is smaller than a car, take a step or two closer before
taking the picture and zoom in on your subject. Your goal is to fill the
picture area with the subject you are photographing. Up close you can
reveal telling details, like a sprinkle of freckles or an arched
eyebrow.
But don't get too close or your pictures will be blurry. The closest
focusing distance for most cameras is about three feet, or about one
step away from your camera. If you get closer than the closest focusing
distance of your camera (see your manual to be sure), your pictures will
be blurry.
Move it from the middle
Center-stage is a great place for a performer to be. However, the middle
of your picture is not the best place for your subject. Bring your
picture to life by simply moving your subject away from the middle of
your picture. Start by playing tick-tack-toe with subject position.
Imagine a tick-tack-toe grid in your viewfinder. Now place your
important subject at one of the intersections of lines. You'll need to
lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of them
focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder.
Lock the focus
If your subject is not in the center of the picture, you need to lock
the focus to create a sharp picture. Most auto-focus cameras focus on
whatever is in the center of the picture. But to improve pictures, you
will often want to move the subject away from the center of the picture.
If you don't want a blurred picture, you'll need to first lock the focus
with the subject in the middle and then recompose the picture so the
subject is away from the middle. Usually you can lock the focus in three
steps. First, center the subject and press and hold the shutter button
halfway down. Second, reposition your camera (while still holding the
shutter button) so the subject is away from the center. And third,
finish by pressing the shutter button all the way down to take the
picture.
Know your flash's range
The number one flash mistake is taking pictures beyond the flash's
range. Why is this a mistake? Because pictures taken beyond the maximum
flash range will be too dark. For many cameras, the maximum flash range
is less than fifteen feet—about five steps away. What is your camera's
flash range? Look it up in your camera manual. Can't find it? Then don't
take a chance. Position yourself so subjects are no farther than ten
feet away.
Watch the light
Next to the subject, the most important part of every picture is the
light. It affects the appearance of everything you photograph. On a
great-grandmother, bright sunlight from the side can enhance wrinkles.
But the soft light of a cloudy day can subdue those same wrinkles.
Don't like the light on your subject? Then move yourself or your
subject. For landscapes, try to take pictures early or late in the day
when the light is orangish and rakes across the land.
Take some vertical pictures
Is your camera vertically challenged? It is if you never turn it
sideways to take a vertical picture. All sorts of things look better in
a vertical picture. From a lighthouse near a cliff to the Eiffel Tower
to your four-year-old niece jumping in a puddle. So next time out, make
a conscious effort to turn your camera sideways and take some vertical
pictures.
Be a picture director
Take control of your picture-taking and watch your pictures dramatically
improve. Become a picture director, not just a passive picture-taker. A
picture director takes charge. A picture director picks the location:
"Everybody go outside to the backyard." A picture director adds props:
"Guys, put on your " I just caught a big fish smile." A picture director
arranges people: "Now move in close, and lean toward the camera." Most
pictures won't be that involved, but you get the idea: Take charge of
your pictures and win your own best picture awards.
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