splashhopper Posted July 31, 2009 Report Posted July 31, 2009 (edited) I have noticed on the few pics that I take when I am fishing solo that the pics don't do the fish justice in terms of its size and gerth.. But when someone is with me and snaps the fish of me holding it... the fish looks like it does in real life? example >>> This fish is my PB and it was huuuge.... but the pic just doesn't do it justice by any means. Does anyone know? Thanks Splashhopper Edited July 31, 2009 by splashhopper
Mattones Posted July 31, 2009 Report Posted July 31, 2009 Nice bass my friend! I agree pictures show no justice unless you have a camera that broke your bank.
Greencoachdog Posted July 31, 2009 Report Posted July 31, 2009 Read your instruction manual for the camera and learn to use the self-timer feature for your camera!!!... It makes life a helluva lot easier and you can actually get some awesome pics too!!! Such as the "Guitar Carp" pic!!!:
splashhopper Posted July 31, 2009 Author Report Posted July 31, 2009 i will need to find a good tree to set the camera up on then
Fishnwire Posted July 31, 2009 Report Posted July 31, 2009 We tend to remember fish a little bigger than they really were. Pictures don't lie or exagerate the way our "photographic" memories do. I have another picture of me holding the same pike as in my current avator that looks like I'm holding a hammer-handle by comparison. Unless there is measuring tape in the background, a picture is not much better than a fish tale.
splashhopper Posted July 31, 2009 Author Report Posted July 31, 2009 i have re-posted this to the photograph section...on the extra resources section. i think it has to do with the background I take the pics on,.. ie flat surface i try to put my rod in the pic for length verification for the "fish tale lawyers" in the crowd ! lol
Greencoachdog Posted July 31, 2009 Report Posted July 31, 2009 We tend to remember fish a little bigger than they really were. Pictures don't lie or exagerate the way our "photographic" memories do. I have another picture of me holding the same pike as in my current avator that looks like I'm holding a hammer-handle by comparison. Unless there is measuring tape in the background, a picture is not much better than a fish tale. A pic is worth a thousand words eh!!!... if a fish doesn't look that big in a pic, guess what???... it wasn't that dang' big eh!!! If you want an accurate fish pic... hold the fish close to your body and SMILE big-time!!! ... or you can put 100 lbs. of lead in your shorts so you can hold a 3 lber. waaaaay out there to look like a 6 lber...... to a 6 yr. old!!! Sorry to say, but the adults on the internet are wise to the old camera angle/arms extended to the fullest camera tricks!!! I know that fish looked huge when it was "coming in"... but trust me, it's still a dinker!!!
splashhopper Posted July 31, 2009 Author Report Posted July 31, 2009 A pic is worth a thousand words eh!!!... if a fish doesn't look that big in a pic, guess what???... it wasn't that dang' big eh!!! If you want an accurate fish pic... hold the fish close to your body and SMILE big-time!!! ... or you can put 100 lbs. of lead in your shorts so you can hold a 3 lber. waaaaay out there to look like a 6 lber...... to a 6 yr. old!!! Sorry to say, but the adults on the internet are wise to the old camera angle/arms extended to the fullest camera tricks!!! I know that fish looked huge when it was "coming in"... but trust me, it's still a dinker!!! still doesn't answer my original question though....lol why don't they look like the actual size when i am holding it.. vs.. when it is laying on the ground?
splashhopper Posted July 31, 2009 Author Report Posted July 31, 2009 A pic is worth a thousand words eh!!!... if a fish doesn't look that big in a pic, guess what???... it wasn't that dang' big eh!!! If you want an accurate fish pic... hold the fish close to your body and SMILE big-time!!! ... or you can put 100 lbs. of lead in your shorts so you can hold a 3 lber. waaaaay out there to look like a 6 lber...... to a 6 yr. old!!! Sorry to say, but the adults on the internet are wise to the old camera angle/arms extended to the fullest camera tricks!!! I know that fish looked huge when it was "coming in"... but trust me, it's still a dinker!!! still doesn't answer my original question though....lol why don't they look like the actual size when i am holding it.. vs.. when it is laying on the ground? I think it is the lack of girth not being seen when it's laying on the ground..
Burning Babies Posted July 31, 2009 Report Posted July 31, 2009 I think mostly because laying a fish on the ground doesn't put it in a natural context. Outside of when you are actually photographing a fish like that, how often do you see a fish just lying next to a rod? Now, if a guy is holding a fish in a natural position, you get a nice sense of proportion, and the background tells a story as well.
craigdritchie Posted July 31, 2009 Report Posted July 31, 2009 still doesn't answer my original question though....lol why don't they look like the actual size when i am holding it.. vs.. when it is laying on the ground? The camera doesn't lie. The fish laying on the ground IS actual size. That's why fish are always photographed that way for scientific purposes.
The Urban Fisherman Posted July 31, 2009 Report Posted July 31, 2009 (edited) I videotape fish for a living and I can tell you that a 3 pound bass looks like a 1.5 pounder on TV. It's near impossible to make a fish look it's actual size on film....and I consider myself to be a good videographer! lol As for shooting it on a flat surface...... If you don't have anything to reference the subjects size to in the shot you'll never be able to distinguish how big it is. I could shoot a 2 inch senko on a white background by itself, then shoot a 5 inch senko by itself and if it was shot right you'd think they were the same size bait. Best bet is to take the photo with the fish in your hand using the camera's "timer" like GCD said. Dollarama has pocket sized tripods that fit perfect in your tackle box. And who cares how you hold the fish. In my opinion, the focal point of the photo should be the fish anyways, not the fisherman. Nobody is looking at the photo to see my ugly mug, they want to see the fish. Take a measurement for your record and shoot away. You know how big the fish was, and don't need to explain anything to anybody! Cheers, Ryan ps. look at my Avatar. I wasn't holding those bass way out, but the photo was taken by a professional photographer who knew what he was doing, so those two 6 pounders actually look like 6 pounders. Edited July 31, 2009 by The Urban Fisherman
aplumma Posted August 1, 2009 Report Posted August 1, 2009 If you want to give the fish a correct size then give some form of reference that is a standard size. In the picture place a 5 dollar bill and people will be able to gauge the fish size. You also can use a pen or pencil or sunglasses anything that people can relate to. The one thing that the photo can't give is the adrenaline and the feeling of weight that you feel so the size of the memory and the photo will never compare. I carry a tape measure and scale on the boat if I am going for braggin right..... Art
Rich Posted August 1, 2009 Report Posted August 1, 2009 Yea, lay a tape measure on the ground next time.. sure it might not show weight but people know a 20 - 22" bass is a BIG fish!
lucabrasi Posted August 1, 2009 Report Posted August 1, 2009 (edited) There are a couple things that you need to consider. One is the focal length that you're using, ie) wide-angle, normal, telephoto. If you look through your manual you will see these words used again and again. Basically, wide-angle is the "widest" view that you can see and telephoto is the narrowest view, normal is somewhere in between. If you want to get a sense of what objects look like using the various focal lengths on your camera, throw an assortment of objects down on a plain background and take pictures of them at different zoom settings. Furthermore, make sure that you take pictures from different angles and distances as well. This will give you an idea of how a lens can distort object characteristics. The second thing you need to consider is how you're composing the shot. IMO, the pic you posted in this thread was taken too far back. There's way too much background. You need to get in tighter and have the fish almost fill the frame, maybe even crop out a bit of the tail. The weeds and grass should only intrude slightly from the corners and sides and never block or obscure any part of the fish or do so only so slightly. Placing objects like reels in the shot can work for or against you. In your pic, the reel draws more attention than the fish. Have only a part of the reel protrude into the frame. A large reel can detract from the size of the fish, a small one can make the fish look bigger. Remember, the subject is the fish, not the reel or the grass. Also, don't shoot something straight on, put a little angle in the shot. For example, with a wide-angle setting, frame the fish at its head so that you've cropped out it's mid-body to tail. Now tilt your lens toward the tail until it comes into the frame. Move back a little if the tail is too obscurred. Angle in conjunction with a wide zoom setting can lend a lot of perspective to the shot, making the fish look rounder and longer with a tapering tail. Do the same along the other axis. Ofcourse, I realize that you only have so much time to take the picture, but these are just a few things you might want to try the next time you take a picture of a fish. I hope this helps! Edited August 1, 2009 by rbell
Rich Posted August 1, 2009 Report Posted August 1, 2009 On another note.. take the plastic off your rod handle dude! lol
crankbait Posted August 2, 2009 Report Posted August 2, 2009 Looks like your using a 2.0mp camera phone picture. If you want quality get a slr, you will notice the difference.
Cudz Posted August 2, 2009 Report Posted August 2, 2009 On another note.. take the plastic off your rod handle dude! lol LOL. I second that. Unless you are trying to sell your rod at some point. Fish always look smaller on camera. You need to get one of those convex lenses that they have on the "fisherman's edge" Al Linder's fish look huge all the time.
splashhopper Posted August 4, 2009 Author Report Posted August 4, 2009 There are a couple things that you need to consider. One is the focal length that you're using, ie) wide-angle, normal, telephoto. If you look through your manual you will see these words used again and again. Basically, wide-angle is the "widest" view that you can see and telephoto is the narrowest view, normal is somewhere in between. If you want to get a sense of what objects look like using the various focal lengths on your camera, throw an assortment of objects down on a plain background and take pictures of them at different zoom settings. Furthermore, make sure that you take pictures from different angles and distances as well. This will give you an idea of how a lens can distort object characteristics. The second thing you need to consider is how you're composing the shot. IMO, the pic you posted in this thread was taken too far back. There's way too much background. You need to get in tighter and have the fish almost fill the frame, maybe even crop out a bit of the tail. The weeds and grass should only intrude slightly from the corners and sides and never block or obscure any part of the fish or do so only so slightly. Placing objects like reels in the shot can work for or against you. In your pic, the reel draws more attention than the fish. Have only a part of the reel protrude into the frame. A large reel can detract from the size of the fish, a small one can make the fish look bigger. Remember, the subject is the fish, not the reel or the grass. Also, don't shoot something straight on, put a little angle in the shot. For example, with a wide-angle setting, frame the fish at its head so that you've cropped out it's mid-body to tail. Now tilt your lens toward the tail until it comes into the frame. Move back a little if the tail is too obscurred. Angle in conjunction with a wide zoom setting can lend a lot of perspective to the shot, making the fish look rounder and longer with a tapering tail. Do the same along the other axis. Ofcourse, I realize that you only have so much time to take the picture, but these are just a few things you might want to try the next time you take a picture of a fish. I hope this helps! Thanks.... this post helps me in many ways other than fishing pics...
splashhopper Posted August 4, 2009 Author Report Posted August 4, 2009 Looks like your using a 2.0mp camera phone picture. If you want quality get a slr, you will notice the difference. I am in this pic because my 7meg camera got wet in the last rainstorm... Gonna replace it,, and buy one of those floatable holders for phones and cameras that a guy on a kayaka was using yesterday
splashhopper Posted August 4, 2009 Author Report Posted August 4, 2009 On another note.. take the plastic off your rod handle dude! lol NO! I like it !
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