FISHING PHOTO TIPS
FISHING PHOTO TIPS
HOW TO TAKE YOUR BEST FISHING PHOTOS
Photography is about capturing a whole story in one frame. You know the old, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” cliche? Here are some simple but very effective tips to elevate your fishing photography game.
WHAT TO SHOOT
If you get nothing else out of this article, please get this. Not every picture of fishing has to be an angler holding up the fish they just caught—the ol’ classic “grip-n-grin”. I’m not saying don’t take those, but don’t forget about everything else that happens during a day of fishing. Think about getting a shot of the angler fighting the fish with the rod double over, or (since this is the Church Tackle pro staff newsletter) as someone is un-clipping the board, or just as the fish goes into the net, or while they’re unhooking the fish, etc.
Think of it like you’re trying to explain what fishing is. But imagine the person you’re explaining to just landed on this planet yesterday and the only way to explain fishing is through your photos. If you just showed them a grip-n-grin they’d be pretty confused what was happening.
Here are a few examples of interesting fishing photos with nobody smiling and holding a fish to the camera.
Pro Tip: Most of your best shots will not require you saying, “Okay, ready? Smile!” or counting down, “3,2,1.” *click* If you see something cool happening while fishing, take a picture...no, take a bunch of pictures...and sort out the bad ones later.
HOW MUCH TO SHOOT
Since all of us are shooting digitally rather than on film in 2025, there’s no reason not to take a ton of shots. That’s right, kids. It used to require special film in a special camera to take a photo. And you had to pay extra and wait several days to see if you had taken a usable shot. Today there is no additional cost, no matter how many photos you take. So, while you’re fishing, just keep clicking off the shots. Then when you get home that night, delete everything but the best.
Pro Tip: Don’t publish a collection of 200 unedited photos on your Facebook. Shoot a lot, then get rid of everything but the best. I probably end up keeping five or so out of every 100 pics I take.
LIGHTING IS KEY
Always take a second to consider from which direction the light is coming. In most cases, unless you’re trying to create a silhouette, position the sun behind you, the photographer. If it’s a candid shot, just keep clicking and try your best to find a good angle for the light, but if you are posing the shot, you’ll want to light the subject’s face.
Also, take another second to note if there are any distracting shadows on the fish or the fisherman. If so, try moving around. Turn the boat. Have the photographer and angler trade places. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference a different light angle can make.
You’re probably aware that the best times for photos are early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is low, creating that soft, golden light that looks so good in a photo. But sometimes you’ll need to take a photo in the middle of the day. When the sun is high overhead, do your best to position the sun mostly behind the photographer for lighting that is as even as possible on the subject. And then double check for distracting shadows and adjust as needed.
Pro Tip: For that midday harsh light situation, with most cameras you can force your flash to fire, which can fill in that hard shadow under an anglers hat. The lighting looks a little unnatural, but it’s much more pleasing than a shadow that makes the subject’s face unrecognizable.
Double Pro Tip: If you are posing a “grip-n-grin” photo, ask the subject to take their sunglasses off. Any portrait is much more interesting and engaging if you can see the subject’s eyes.
You can see in the photo on the right, using flash for outdoor photography does create kind of an unnatural look, adding a lot of hard white highlights to the fish and creating a shadow from the fish onto the angler. But it’s still way better than a hard shadow on the subjects face, making them virtually unrecognizable, like the photo on the left.
COMPOSITION MATTERS
One of the easiest ways to improve your chances of taking an interesting and engaging photo is to use the rule of thirds to frame your shot. A lot of cameras, including cell phones, have an option to show the screen with a grid overlay, splitting the photo area into thirds. Position the most important part of the photo (usually the fish or the Church Tackle product) on one of the spots where the grid lines cross. This will create a pleasing, dynamic composition that will draw the eye right where you want it.
Of course, there are always exceptions. For example, you might shoot something that is strongly symmetrical and intentionally put the subject right in the middle. But either way, the composition—the way all of the elements balance in the frame and the part of the photo you want viewers to notice first—should be a conscious decision.
By positioning the one or two most important focal points at the intersection of the thirds grid lines, you create a balanced composition that is interesting and naturally pleasing.
Pro Tip: Make sure your surroundings and background are clutter-free, stain-free and generally in good condition. Get rid of trash and try to make your tackle look organized. A clean shot is just more visually appealing and makes you seem like more of a fishing authority.
HUGE PRO TIP!: Please make sure the horizon is horizontal! Take a look at the shoreline or the water's horizon line in the background of your photo. I understand that boats rock on waves making this tough for the photographer to hit every time. But every phone comes with photo editing capabilities that allow you to easily rotate the photo a couple degrees to correct this. Leaving a photo with the horizon rotated out of horizontal by a couple degrees gives the photo an overall uneasy feeling on a subconscious level. For the same reason most people can't walk by a crooked painting on the wall of their home without straightening it, your brain wants the horizon to be horizontal.
GET CREATIVE
Mix up the shots a little. Sometimes, get really close filling the whole frame with just the planer board, or just the fish (or maybe even just the fish’s eye). Sometimes, get farther back and include the surroundings—like a sunrise over the water or the boat—to provide context and atmosphere. Again, not every shot needs to be the angler holding the fish.
And whatever you do, don’t compose every shot with the subject’s face in the exact middle of the frame with tons of sky above their head. Get way closer unless you’re trying to tell a story about the surroundings. But then, remember those grid lines and consider getting that subject to hit on the thirds.
CONTINUOUSLY SET AND RE-SET FOCUS
Use your camera or phone’s focus-lock feature, usually by tapping the screen on the part you want in focus, to ensure the fish or the product or whatever you’re trying to feature is sharp and vibrant. Most cameras show a highlighted box over the part of the frame in sharp focus. But you need to keep an eye on that with every picture you take because it will usually reset after the shot or after some amount of time.
DOUBLE CHECK YOUR CAMERA
Make sure your lens is clean—phone or camera. Check it again and again, all day. You’ll get that cool close-up shot of the fish being scooped into the net, but not realize that he splashed a couple drops of water that landed on your lens and end up as two, out-of-focus, black U.F.O.s in every shot the rest of the day. Use a soft cloth to wipe away dirt, water drops or dried water spots. And make sure your batteries are fully charged at the beginning of your fishing day.
TREAT THE FISH RIGHT
We understand that fish are often harvested for food and that’s great. But it’s important that the fish are photographed respectfully in association with the Church Tackle brand. Rinse away excess blood. If a fish was accidentally dropped, make sure you’ve rinsed off any grass or dirt that may be stuck to it before you pose for a photo. Again, I totally get that a lot of the fish are going to end up in the fryer, but in the photos it’s important that we present a sense of appreciation and respect for the resource.
