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How do you manage your camera while wading.
I had 2 incredible days of Smallie fishing and decided to tote a camera along today and placed in a waterproof bag in my wader pouch.
Never took it out, I caught at least 100 fish, mostly Rock Bass and only a 5-6 small Smallies today...seems the camera is a repellent as well.
Nothing was photo worthy but really got me thinking, how can I get this out and ready, shoot a photo all the while a wild A#$ Smallie is a floppin' and a fighting me?
I keep my camera on a lanyard around my neck and tucked into my waders. It was never in a bag and thats why it was ruined the second time it got dunked in a river! OOPS! Since its on my neck I can turn it on and shoot one hand it when I get a fish worth shooting. I bought an Intova camera which comes with a waterproof case for $140. So now I don't worry about the camera going for a swim. I find my fishing partners and the river to be more photogenic than the fish, at least there around more than the fish. My memories are about the people and place, Enjoy!
I usually keep mine on a zinger or stuffed in a shirt pocket. When taking pictures i slip the strap over my wrist and take the photos. One caveat is that it is a waterproof camera so i have no concerns if it is dunked in the water.
Like Crotalus, ours is on a good stout zinger. getting it out of a pocket is easy. It, too, is waterproof so a dunking is no problem.
In my opinion, to get really good fish photos, you need someone to take them for you. Landing a fish and taking your own photos generally involves too many hands and some risk to the fish. Is it worth killing a fish to get its photo?
I am seldom satisfied with self-taken fish pics. They all end up as fish-beside-rod, and one in a hundred is worth showing someone, it seems.
Get the shot set up and the camera ready BEFORE the fish is landed. If you have a photographer, get the shot framed, the exposure right, and the camera focused, and THEN take the fish out of the water. I always figure it is a good shot if there is still water streaming off the fish *S*.
If you are taking your own shots, make sure you have a safe place to put the fish when you take the pic, somewhere it won't get hurt flopping around. Submerged grass is good, I have found. Fish-in-hand works for small fish, but after all these years, the fish big enough to be photo worthy are too big to be held out and photographed.
As for keeping and storing the camera, I generally have it in its case in the back of my vest, or in the pocket of the toon. I can get it out and set up with one hand if needed.
DG, totally agree...though, I wouldn't mind having a few shots for myself...I fish warm water so the beasts aren't quite so sensitive though care would be taken to the nth degree.
Waterproof camera...digitals???
I've got an Olympus Stylus 850SW - waterproof - on a furled lanyard hanging from my neck and resting either in a shirt pocket or the smaller compartment of my chestpack. It is set to the mode that I want to use if I catch a fish.
As soon as I get a fish on that I think I might want to photograph, I pull the camera out and hit the "on" button. The camera just dangles until I'm ready to take the picture. I probably photograph less than 10% of the fish I catch, but I am always ready just in case there is something about that particular fish that catches my eye.
I used to put a lot of fish on grass, sand, gravel, rocks, whatever was close at hand, in the "classic" fish and rod picture that Dennis mentioned. I didn't like doing that and stopped as soon as I figured out how to use the camera to take pictures quickly once the fish was in hand. I guess given a monster trout, I would do the fish and rod thing, but mostly I am just taking photos to show fish typical of the places I fish.
The waterproof feature is really nice - if a bit pricey. Takes all the worry out of in-stream photos, whether of fish, wildlife, scenery, etc. I can recommend the Olympus 850SW with no reservations AT ALL.
I keep my waterproof Pentax on a coil type zinger & keep the camera in a vest pocket readily accessible.
Mike
I find that I usually forget to BRING my camera so this becomes much less of a issue.
Mark
Because I usually like to fish solo or split up w/my partner, I usually end up with pics of my hand and fish. Wrinkled wet hands is a sign of a successful day! It would be nice to get me in the pic one of these days but a quick pic of fish-in-hand suffices. My camera is around my neck and tucked in my wader- thankfully I have yet to swim deep enough to wet the camera.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../080415147.jpg
BR, I shoot with a Panasonic DMC FZ18 these days, an FZ7 before that. I got the camera for the telephoto, since I take a lot of wildlife shots. It is a digital, but is NOT waterproof. The key to using a non-waterproof camera is to NOT DROP IT IN THE WATER. I keep it cased.
The latest one-handed, no-place-to-set-it brown trout photo:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...wn07292008.jpg
Since I have a penchant for swiming and my camera is not waterproof, I store it in a Zip-Lock freezer bag, which are a little heavier duty than the sandwich bags that I have used in the past. While we have several 35 mm's and 5 digital cameras in the house including a digital SLR, I bought a fishing specific small camera. One of the Nikon pocket cameras. The price was right and if it gets wet one day, I will complain and kick myself in the rear, but the risk is worth it.
Rick
Great info everyone.
Yeah, I was packing my Cam in a waterproof bag, looks like a wp Cam is more in order.
This bag folds and velcros shut, takes a bit to open.
ALWAYS "TOOK CHANCES" until I recently dunked my Cell Phone, took 2 days to dry it out...luckily it works.
I have a very NOT waterproof camera which has a neck strap. IF I take my camera on the water I just sling it around my neck and one shoulder so it stays tucked back on the left side of my back. When I need to photograph something, I swith the rod to the left hand and pull the camera around with my right. I almost always shoot in full auto mode, so I make sure I have the white balance and ISO set before hand. That way, I can just adjust the aperture and shutter speed with one hand while holding the camera.
Most of the time though, my camera stays home because I'm not prepared to face my wife (or myself) if I took a dip and dunked the camera.
Most of my shots end up like these because I always fish solo.
http://inlinethumb33.webshots.com/43...600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb23.webshots.com/43...600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/43...600x600Q85.jpg
I agree that a water proof camera is definitely in order!
This should help if your carrying a non waterproof camera..Be sure to be home when it arrives!..I had ordered one of these a few years back while living in Syracuse NY..and It got stolen off our apartment stairs...Never have reordered....
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/about/aquapac/index.php
We got to change that one of these days, Ryan.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wild One
I think you're pretty limited to fish in hand or lying next to rod pictures if you're by yourself (besides a variety of scenic or widlife pics you can take as well, been loving the rod/reel in foreground with wildflowers/river in the background shot lately, stolen from Trout Underground).
I've been thinking lately of bringing this weird little camera stand i have, that let's you attach it to a treebranch or something and getting it setup in advance for sure thing hotspots, and having it set on timer mode
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsalkas
lately i have been trying to hold the fish with the net bag to obscure my hand and make it look a bit more "artistic" Once i get that down i am going to try and balance my rod on the net frame to get it in the picture. Basically the same pose as the fish on the ground but with the net bag and water as a background rather than mud and leaves.
The other thing you can play with is the extreme close up shots, of some nice scales or tail. Those turn out pretty good as well.
I have a waterproof camera (Olympus 1030 SW) in a pocket of my vest. I usually keep it preset to the macro mode for close-up shots. If I catch something I want to photograph, I either keep the fish in the net in the water until the camera is turned on, or I keep it on the hook an photograph it as below:
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i.../P7190044C.jpg
try some net shots like this: http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=772079
I personally want a WP for those under water shots that I have seen.
Normand, those are good examples of photos using a net.
There is a gentleman in Utah who takes some very original pics of fish while fishing solo. You can see some of his work here:
http://utahwildlife.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8436
I believe he also has a website, but I cannot remember the address. If I find it I'll be sure to post it.
Pentax WaterProof Digi is a small, compact camera that is a great way to go for fly fisher. Several fishbuds bought them after I got one.
I agree with DG it is much better if a fishbud takes your pics. That is what we do, so I end up with fishbuds pics and they have mine. Then we just swap.
To all without waterproof cameras.
The Aquapacs which I believe is a sponser. Is a great bag for not only your cameras but they also have models for your cel and other models for your car keys etc... . The bags for the cameras and cels allow you to use the item without removing it from the bag a big plus. So you can take underwater photos with your current camera. The camera bags come in different sizes so make sure your camera fits the bag with the lens fully extended. Now if I could only program my older camera not to automaticaly shut itself down I'd be in heaven. Missed alot of nature shots because of the boot up time. If you don't think you need to protect your car key get it wet or lose it. A replacement key for some vechicles can go $450.00.
Tom