Fly Fishing

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

One of the great things about the internet, has been its ability to give us access to virtually unlimited amounts pictures and videos. Gone are the days of waiting for the 1 or 2 fly fishing magazines to come in the mail, in order to see some great pics. To demonstrate my point - let's look at some interesting statistics

1. A search on youtube for "Fly Fishing " results in 47,600 videos. Imagine, where that number will be in 10 years
2. A search on google for "Fly Fishing" results in 14,100,000 results. Imagine, where that number will be in 20 years
3. A search on google images for "Fly Fishing" results in 6,710,000.

So, you get the point. There are virtually unlimited amounts of fly fishing content on the web. Its only natural, through time, after the novelty of merely being able to publish or consume content with the click of a mouse ... to seek out quality content as opposed to just any content. I don't know about others, but these days, I find myself mostly interested in consuming and (to the best of my ability) producing quality content, as opposed to just lot's of content. As an example, if I go fishing for a day with a bunch of friends .. I strive for 1 or 2 quality pictures or video clips rather than 100 or 200 mediocre pictures or video clips. And, when looking for content to consume (whether it be written word, pictures, videos, animations etc..) .. I find myself, more and more, trying to seek out quality video content and quality photography content .. With that said, regardless of whether you are a fly fisherman that has a super high end still camera and video or a cheap point and shoot still and video camera - what are some tips or things you have learned about taking photos and/or videos that might help us all take better quality content? I'm no pro - just someone who has always enjoyed consuming and taking pictures and video .. long before digital technology and the internet. Here's a couple things I have learned that may help others.

1. Light - as the old saying goes "light is everything" I always try to be cognoscente of where the light is, in relation to what I am capturing.
2. Angles - there are millions of possible angles, try to find new and interesting ones
3. With Fish - get hands out of the way as much as possible
4. Easy Access - some of the best shots are gone before you can get them, keep your camera(s) as easily accessible as possible
5. Video - Limit shaking, don't walk and shoot at the same time - stabilize the camera on a tree branch or something of that nature if you don't have a tri-pod

Looking forward to what others have for tips or things they have learned along the way.

joey · Location: Colorado

If you are taking video one of the most difficult things (for me) is to stay stable. Especially if you do not have a tripod. Zooming also makes it 2x-10x more difficult to stay stable. As soon as you zoom the camera picks up every little move you make, especially at full zoom. My best advice for this would be get closer or use a tripod if you have to film at full zoom for a prolonged period. I try (key) to pick a shot and leave the camera on it for 5 or so seconds. Count out loud. I have found the more shots I try to fit in one segment the worst it is. For example if you are framing the reel spinning and the fish jumps and you try to get the fish jumping. A. you usually miss the fish jumping and B. your frame of the spinning reel becomes too short or shaky. Sometimes it is best to pick one or the other. If you are fishing FISH if you are camera man be the camera man. Can be tough/ is tough but worth it in the end. But also have fun if you start to get too serious it becomes work and nobody likes to work. Jeremy made very good points about light and different angles and I like to play around with both. Be creative. Hope to see some more videos from the members on this site. You can learn a lot from looking through other people's "eye." I hope my few tips help I am not a pro but I have fun trying. Happy Thanksgiving.

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

Great tips and advise Joey! FYI, Joey is good friends and does a lot of video/photography work with RA Beattie .. To see some real quality video content, some good angles, good use of light etc.. Check out this most recent project/video "Montana Hoppers" - that RA and Joey shot, edited and just realease .. Really nice stuff, and certainly a type of quality to "shoot for." Thanks Joey!

72Twenty · Location: Wyoming

One of my good friends is a pro photographer, specializing in fly fishing and skiing photography. He is over in Utah and actually does a seminar for the 'recreational' photographer while fly fishing. He does it through a fly shop where you have an evening 'class' and a slide show viewing where he explains techniques and how you can accomplish great images even with a simple point-n-click camera, then the next day you go out fishing all day with him and he shows you more techniques. It sounds really interesting; I need to get out there and take his class one of these days.