Self take fish photos - my way

This will definitely be an idiot's guide however, I'm the only idiot inferred, it's not an attempt to slur the intellect of my blog visitors too whom I remain forever grateful. The requirement for this technique is directly a consequence of retirement as I now spend the majority of my angling time alone. Unlike the entomological crowd who still hanker after Victorian values, modern angling doesn't require cased specimens but, instead, trophy shots allow the catch and release of our quarry, thus subsequent enjoyment by others. Obviously it's my choice but, because of these solo sessions, the requirement for recording these images has fallen upon me and the technology I have at my disposal. It might be prudent to re-phrase that last statement? Technology that I'm confident using. My phone contains computer technology which is far superior to that available to NASA when they made the first moon landings, plus a camera facility which is absolutely amazing, yet completely beyond my grasp. I'm happy to stick with the trusty Canon digital SLR's and remain within my comfort zone. The transition from film to digital was more than enough for my little brain to cope with. Cameras, tri-pods and remote shutter release mechanisms - that'll do nicely. 

Some time in the late 1980's this photo of a, seven pound plus, Wilstone Res.Tench
 is typical of the self-take efforts I produced using slide film. 

So where to start? At the very beginning is always a good option. My Kodak links remain a fundamental part of how I perceive the images to appear when attempting to record any angling successes. A trophy shot is just that, a record of the fish which happened to grace the landing net. Quite what is required to make a good photo is almost certainly within the eye of the beholder. What some will consider okay, others will have very different opinions, so it's very much the individual's perspective. For me, being of that era, an image must portray my capture in a manner which doesn't deliberately attempt to distort proportion. Holding a fish at arms length, so as to present it as a monster, was always considered cheating during the Kodak years and nothing has happened during the intervening period to change my opinion. I want a photo to portray my prize in such a manner as to retain proportion to my physique directly behind it. Modern Carp anglers, using i-phones to record their prizes, will be completely blown away by this concept. A portrait of a fish is one thing, a trophy shot is something completely different. I'm more than happy to get a mat photo if required for id purposes. The more detail captured will allow enhanced chance of studying the nuances of individual scale patternation, but this is not why require an image of any fish I deem worthy of presenting to the lens. My desire is to simply capture the memory of that moment. I want an image which will have the ability to transport me back in time when viewed at a later date. That the same image, in 2023, is also something I'm able to place into cyberspace, via the blog, just furthers my desire to get a decent result.

The Benbo tripod is an absolute genius piece of engineering design. I can't think of a single angling
situation, within my experience, where it wouldn't be useable? The intervalometer is lying
 on the grass, in front of the tripod, connected to my camera via that obvious wire.

My kit of choice is very basic but, now, given a completely new lease of life by the inclusion of the intervalometer gizmo. My camera is a very old, battle scarred, Canon EOS 400D complete with the standard 18 - 55 mm Canon lens. I have had it since new and it has never let me down. I've fallen down Turkish mountain tracks, got soaked in torrential downpours and the camera gets knocks and bumps as part of my general angling experiences. Bomb proof is how I describe it and with just 10 million pixels as basic as they come. I love it. Remember that I'm only seeking to capture memories of my angling adventure and require photos suited to blogging and not magazine work. To get my images the camera is mounted on a Benbo Trekker tripod system. This superb device allows me to get the camera very close to the ground, in comparison to someone else holding the kit and pointing it in my direction. This single factor is very useful in keeping reflected glare, from the flanks of a wet fish, to a minimum. 

Preparation, prior to the actual photography, is key. Fish welfare is, and always must be, paramount in any catch and release angling situation. Therefore it is crucial to have everything ready to go before lifting the fish from the water. The above image was taken to help illustrate this post and not before an actually photo shoot. The two outer banksticks mark the edge of my camera shot whilst that one, in the middle, with my hat on it is where my face will be. What is missing is the water container which is used to wet down the unhooking mat and wash the fish prior to presenting it to the camera.

This Chinese made gizmo is a real game changer for me.
£14.99 from Amazon

The intervalometer is a brilliant piece of kit allowing limitless experiment with the camera set-up. Personally I have it set to rattle off 30 shots at two second intervals, thus a minute's worth of photos. My desire is to return the fish to the water within four minutes of getting it on the bank for the photos. Obviously, it will have already been out after being landed, simply to be unhooked. My own preference is to then get it into a recovery sling/Pike tube/sack and back in the water as soon as is possible after the netting. What this means is that when it is next lifted from the water, it is fully recovered, but needs weighing as well as my photos. Four minutes doesn't allow for any faffing about because you've forgotten to get something prepped. Not surprisingly, the more you practice the easier it becomes. The reality of the whole process is that I would like to get a single image which captures the memory of my angling success. Rattling off a series of thirty shots allows for plenty of "not quite what I wanted" type photos being placed on the memory card. Now that it doesn't require chemical processing and a lengthy delay in seeing the results of my efforts, the digital self-take experience can produce some very amusing results which certainly wouldn't have been captured during the Kodak years.

I'm sure that there are loads of anglers out there who wonder what all the fuss is about. They whistle at their i-phone and it takes photos. Sadly, technology way beyond me is involved and I'll happily remain in the stone-age where capturing trophy shots is involved.