flyfishing

Where to fish, where to shoot?

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My apologies for the hiatus recently but the last four weeks have been very busy with some really good life moments. It’s far too much to go into here but all is well. The record heat that has been hitting all over certainly has been felt here in the Rockies, which has lead a lot of people to ask me where to go fish and where to go shoot? Well, the smoke really doesn’t make it enticing to go out and take photos but there are some options for fishing, which can lead to some photo ops. High altitude lakes are a great place to fish right now because the water is still cold and fishing pressure won’t hurt the aquatic species that inhabit the lake. Not everyone has that option, but for those of you that do it is a good place to go. Try to go on a clearer sky day so that you aren’t breathing in all that smoke and enjoy nature.

The Salmon Flies Are Back!

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This is absolutely one of the most fun times of the year as these giant bugs come back through the state of Montana and are feasted upon by the fish that inhabit the rivers. Big or small, everyone comes up to the surface for a taste. While the Salmonfly look like giant dangerous bugs they are actually quite harmless. Due to their size and color, they make for great photo subjects and the fish seem to enjoy them too.

 

It’s All About the Memories

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Photography and fishing have a lot in common but for me, the biggest is being able to share those good memories I’ve made over the years with the people that mean the most to me. Both areas make it tough to find people that you enjoy either shooting or fishing with because everyone has distinct styles of craft. That’s when you find those people, you hang on to them. March is a great time to go Steelhead fishing out in Washington because the Steelhead are moving from the ocean into the rivers and upstream for the spring spawn.  I’ve been fortunate multiple times now to be out their casting for these giants with my friends. On a photographic note, if you’re planning to shoot in rainy Washington in March bring two things: a flash, and a towel. You are going to get wet and it’s going to be dark.

One Heck of an Ice Dam!

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Yep, that’s a frozen Dam. I was always under the belief that dams don’t freeze in the winter time because they are always turning out enough water to keep it warm enough from freezing. This is true in the case of Ennis Dam. Well, Holter Dam apparently wasn’t turning out that much water and it froze. That’s okay because it made for one really cool backdrop. Dam’s are a unique feature in photographs I find because it’s having to mesh the human-made world with the natural world and that doesn’t always work. Dan acted as my model for this shoot and even though he was backlit the bright backdrop made it so that he popped. No one thinks about fly fishing in the winter time but it is one of the best times to be fishing and the photography seems so unusual that it makes it interesting.

Image captured with Nikon D5, 24-70 AF-S, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

It’s Just Pretty

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Ever since I got this new reel and rod setup, I have been taking photos of it. The Sage Pulse, 9′ 6wt and Ross Evolution LTX Reel are just an amazing combo! Beyond the feel and application purposes combined they are just gorgeous in any photo. Naturally this past weekend while there was a little break in the cloud cover, I had to grab a couple of quick clicks.

Images Captured with Nikon D5, 24-70 AF-S, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Props Help

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As I have stated many times before, I love this time of the year! The cold dark dreary days of winter can start to eat away at your spirit if you don’t find ways to overcome it. For me that’s taking pictures, fishing and skiing; generally in that order. Each of these areas yield different rewards some due overlap.

One thing I have been pushing more and more in my fishing photography is the use of props and not just doing the smiling portrait with a fish. Sure it’s nice to have that moment but it’s also kind of cool to show the gear you used to catch that beast. This is one of my latest ones that a good friend was happy to hold as I made a few clicks. Really simple with the D5, 24-70 AF-S and SB-5000. You gotta use flash in order to bring out that color. Positioning can be tough and requires a little playing around until you find something that works for you.

Fall Fishing Fun

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Fall color is great but finding those days where the color pops without a grey sky sure are hard to find here in the Rockies. So what do you do? I struggle with this question a lot of times because the color of the trees is always so seductive but I know that having any sky will just suck. Even so I have to try and get something out of it. When I came upon this scene I actually wanted to pass it over but Alex stepped in and made it a little more interesting. The big thing that I found really helps in these scenarios is your exposure compensation. It was a dark day so pumping up the exposure comp made a huge difference. Beyond that trying to minimize the amount of sky in the composition also helps.

Image Captured with Nikon D5, 24-70 AF-S, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

It’s All About Those Small Details

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This is true for every field of photography, the little details are important. No matter what they are, each one impacts everything else that you do. Capturing those details can be hard but that’s why you have to practice. One of those details I keep looking at and thinking about are these flies. I use them every week and they critical in the process of catching a fish and then photographing that fish. No different then a part of an airplane which allows it to fly or the land in which an animal lives in. How do you tell those stories?

Background is Key with Portraits

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With any good photograph, the photographer watches the background and finds the one that makes the image unique. Backgrounds tell as much of the story as does the rest of the elements. Even with a portrait that background sets the story of where everything is happening. Now I think of these more as landscape portraiture since I’m always trying to show more then just water in the background. Each one is a story on it’s own in its own unique place. In this case it goes back to the biology and ecology of the fish and the waterways they inhabit. Right now these Rainbows are towards the end of their spawn so catching them with spawning colors in a high altitude lake is different then anywhere else. You know it’s high altitude because of that background. So the next time you are doing portrait work think about more then just a color behind your subject.

Gotta Be Respectful

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When it comes to working with wildlife every species deserves respect. Each one lives a life that we try to understand but we truly can’t since critters can’t talk to us with words, only body language and sounds. As photographers it is our jobs to interpret theses signals and acknowledge them. Well aquatic species are no different, in fact they are even more fragile and deserve that much more respect.

The best way to work with these species is with an underwater housing but most of us don’t have that so we do the next best thing which is to take the subject out of the water. This is hard on any fish species because they don’t have lungs. They breath through their gills. This means that there is very little time when they are removed from the water. Right now in Montana Hoot Owl restrictions have started on some of the rivers which means it’s even more imperative to get the pictures done fast so that every subject is safe.

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