Photography is like fishing
OK, I was going to name the blog, "Mangrove 'Snap'per" but my wife didn't know that a Mangrove Snapper was a kind of fish and you may not know what a mangrove is if you're not from around here. So, I thought I would reflect on how photography is like fishing.
First, you have to know your gear. It's no good to have a nice camera, lenses, strobes, whatever and not know how to use light, composition, framing, leading lines, aperture and shutter speed. And, what good is it to have a bunch of lures and a nice rod and reel if you don't know where the fish are, when to go, how to fish the lure and what to do when you get a bite.
Second, you can shoot or fish anytime you want but usually the light and fishing are better at sunrise and sunset. Again, it depends and there are ways to control and change things - like strobes, diffusers, nets and dynamite. =-)
Third, if you want a good shot or fish you have to take a risk. Jumping on rocks, wading through streams, crouching down low, varying your retrieve/shutter speed/aperture are all part of it. The greater the risk, usually the more interesting the shot and more fun when your rod bends.
Fourth, getting bit is part of it. Sun and bugs are out during these times and they will bite. If you want to be a fisherman or photographer you better learn to deal! You must perservere! Of course sunscreen and repellent don't hurt. And, I guess you can shoot in a studio!
We don't pose too much when we shoot, and I don't like to use live bait. I like to try and trick the fish into believing that it (the lure) really is what they're looking for. I try to trick the subject into feeling comfortable and at ease because I know the final prints will be better. If a shot doesn't work well, just cast out again.
Last, a good fisherman can catch fish in difficult circumstances and a good photographer can use what he has around him to make a good photograph. Creativity, experimentation and thinking outside the box are all encouraged!
And, when you wade the stream for an hour, jump from rock to rock, get your pants wet, lose a box of lures and have to re-string your line, it will all be worth it to see the trout rise or the line bend in half. The mystery of whether or not it's big and what type of fish it is dangle as you reel it in. When it gets there it's so beautiful, twice as amazing as you could have imagined. Whoever said there wasn't any "chimping" before digital photography never knew the joy of fishing.
May God make me a fisher of men,
Sam
Here are some pictures of Josh who inspired Sam's fishing analogy. Sam and Josh went out to Lover's Key State Park last week, where Josh works, to take his senior pictures. Check out that giant mangrove tree! It looks like I missed out on this one, but someone had to stay home and snuggle with Isabella.
First, you have to know your gear. It's no good to have a nice camera, lenses, strobes, whatever and not know how to use light, composition, framing, leading lines, aperture and shutter speed. And, what good is it to have a bunch of lures and a nice rod and reel if you don't know where the fish are, when to go, how to fish the lure and what to do when you get a bite.
Second, you can shoot or fish anytime you want but usually the light and fishing are better at sunrise and sunset. Again, it depends and there are ways to control and change things - like strobes, diffusers, nets and dynamite. =-)
Third, if you want a good shot or fish you have to take a risk. Jumping on rocks, wading through streams, crouching down low, varying your retrieve/shutter speed/aperture are all part of it. The greater the risk, usually the more interesting the shot and more fun when your rod bends.
Fourth, getting bit is part of it. Sun and bugs are out during these times and they will bite. If you want to be a fisherman or photographer you better learn to deal! You must perservere! Of course sunscreen and repellent don't hurt. And, I guess you can shoot in a studio!
We don't pose too much when we shoot, and I don't like to use live bait. I like to try and trick the fish into believing that it (the lure) really is what they're looking for. I try to trick the subject into feeling comfortable and at ease because I know the final prints will be better. If a shot doesn't work well, just cast out again.
Last, a good fisherman can catch fish in difficult circumstances and a good photographer can use what he has around him to make a good photograph. Creativity, experimentation and thinking outside the box are all encouraged!
And, when you wade the stream for an hour, jump from rock to rock, get your pants wet, lose a box of lures and have to re-string your line, it will all be worth it to see the trout rise or the line bend in half. The mystery of whether or not it's big and what type of fish it is dangle as you reel it in. When it gets there it's so beautiful, twice as amazing as you could have imagined. Whoever said there wasn't any "chimping" before digital photography never knew the joy of fishing.
May God make me a fisher of men,
Sam
Here are some pictures of Josh who inspired Sam's fishing analogy. Sam and Josh went out to Lover's Key State Park last week, where Josh works, to take his senior pictures. Check out that giant mangrove tree! It looks like I missed out on this one, but someone had to stay home and snuggle with Isabella.
posted by Paradise Productions at 1:54 PM
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