How best to immortalize your catch?

Bluefin tuna caught on Dzanga lure © Benjamin Le Provost

What could be better than keeping a nice photo of a beautiful fish caught? All passionate anglers undoubtedly have photos of their catch in their smartphone or on paper. Whether for private use or to be published on networks, taking a nice photo allows you to remember the moment and share it with friends. But there are a few tricks you can follow to make sure your shot is a success.

A presentation that changes everything

The way a poison is presented in a photo will not have the same effect.

To illustrate this, here are two photos of the same fish. In this case, a sea bass caught on one of our latest outings.

This first photo, taken without any attention to presentation :

Prise de vue sans aucune attention sur la présentation du poisson
Shooting without any attention to fish presentation

For the second photo, the presentation of the fish is more meticulous. Shot in portrait mode, with a little blur in the background for added emphasis.

Seconde photo du même bar que précédemment. La différence est flagrante.
Second photo of the same bar. The difference is obvious.

The result is obvious: the fish in the second image stands out much more, and yet it's the same sea bass.

Take care of your fish

Taking a photo of a fish can take a little time to set up the logistics. Getting the camera out, or a tripod if you're on your own, positioning yourself in relation to the sun, and so on.
During this time, do not let the fish dry out. That goes without saying.

On the boat, I place the fish in a tank and take them out at the last moment to take a photo before releasing them.

Placer les poisons au vivier permet de ne pas les relâcher sur la dérive et de prendre son temps pour réaliser de jolies photos.
Placing fish in the livewell means you don't have to release them on the drift, and you can take your time to take nice photos.

From the shore, I place the fish in a pond while I set up the tripod and grab the remote release if I'm on my own.

Of course, especially if you want to share your photos on the Internet, avoid photographing dead fish or fish with blood on them.

Tense arms... But not too much

The quest for the trophy fish leads some anglers to over-stretch their arms to make the fish look bigger than it is.
Avoid this, as it makes photos look out of proportion and is often rightly mocked.

Un exemple de ce qu'il faut éviter de faire !
An example of what not to do!

Put the fish in front, slightly offset from the angler's body. Look for depth by working on the blur in portrait mode. The result will be much better proportioned!

Un poisson bien mis en valeur sans exagération
A fish showcased without exaggeration

Portrait and landscape shots

There are two main choices for shooting: portrait or landscape.

When I opt for the portrait format, I prefer to hold the fish vertically, stretched out towards the lens. In this way, the fish is emphasized without taking into account the surrounding environment.

Un joli bar présenté en mode portrait
An attractive bar presented in portrait mode

This shooting mode tends to make the fish look a little bigger than it really is, while remaining reasonable. The lack of depth makes it impossible to get a true sense of the fish's real size.

The landscape version offers more possibilities. Depending on the focus selected, you can focus on the fish and the angler, or on the angler, fish and landscape as a whole.

By using background blur, you can focus on a particular detail. I use it, for example, to highlight the lure with which I hooked a fish.

Le flou met en avant un détail précis. Ici le Feed Popper qui nous aura permis de capturer ce thon rouge.
The blur highlights a precise detail. Here, the Feed Popper that enabled us to catch this bluefin tuna.

In portrait format, I like to use the wide-angle lens. This mode of shooting gives you a wide field of view which, once cropped in post-production, makes for a pretty picture.

L'utilisation du mode grand-angle, permet de réaliser de jolies photos mettant en valeur le poisson et le pêcheur.
Using the wide-angle mode, you can take beautiful photos that show off both the fish and the angler.

What you need

Let me reassure you right away: you don't need to be a renowned photographer to get a nice shot of a fish. Today, most smartphones are capable of doing just that. In fact, all my photos are taken with them.

You can, of course, use an SLR camera. However, its use is perhaps more complicated, requiring a certain mastery of the art of photography. And it's not as easy to set up as a smartphone that fits in your pocket.

Useful accessories such as a tripod and remote control allow you to take photos on your own.

En étant seul, une télécommande et un trépied sont des outils nécessaires pour la prise de photo. Utilisez le mode "retardateur" également pour avoir le temps de prendre la pose idéale.
If you're on your own, you'll need a remote control and a tripod. Use the "self-timer" mode too, to give yourself time to strike the perfect pose.

The case of bluefin tuna or large fish

Some fish, such as bluefin tuna, cannot be brought on board for photography. Given the size and weight of the fish, it is unthinkable to handle such a fish in the right conditions for on-board photography. You simply run the risk of killing it or even injuring yourself.

To take beautiful photos, I hold the fish along the edge with a pair of tweezers.

Un thon rouge comme celui-ci avoisinant les 100 kilos est impossible à manipuler à bord sans compromettre la relâche.
A bluefin tuna like this, weighing in at around 100 kilos, is impossible to handle on board without compromising the release.

Firstly, it allows the fish to oxygenate after an intense fight, and we anglers then have time to position ourselves ideally for the photo shots.

Vary the shots

Fishing isn't just about the fish. Above all, it's about sharing a common passion with friends. I like to immortalize moments of conviviality on board that illustrate the atmosphere on outings.

When you're taking photos, especially if they're going to be published on social networks, be careful about the background. It would be a shame to inadvertently reveal your best secret spot because of a detail visible in the background.

Un œil averti reconnaîtra sans mal Ouessant au pied du phare du Créac'h.
A trained eye will easily recognize Ouessant at the foot of the Créac'h lighthouse.

The purpose of highlighting a fish is not to cheat or make it bigger than it really is. Its sole purpose is to make the photo aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

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