Whats everybody's thoughts on this, and how do you go about it?

Ive had some awful photos taken by people in the past, i obviously appreciate the help, but when asked to do it, do you give people instructions on where to position the fish, themselves etc, to get he best picture or just take the pictures and move on?

Personally i take a bit of pride in the pictures and want whoever it is to have the best photo, but get that some people might not like to, or feel they cant, guide people on stuff.

In reply to Post #1
I'm with you, if it's worth doing it's worth doing well, and I'll talk them through the process to get the right shot.

Similarly, I'll ask some pretty serious questions of anyone offering to do my shots (if I don't know them). If they don't know what they're doing I want to know about it. I'm more than happy doing self takes and I'd rather do that than some guy gets it wrong.

In reply to Post #1
I'm not a photographer by any means but I would certainly try to remove any clutter. Nothing worse then seeing peoples personal belongings, rubbish scattered about and in shot

In reply to Post #2
I agree Yonny
I have now set up my Iphone 11 to take selfies by voice instruction.

I caught a really nice fish from a large low stock venue recently, there was only one other angler about whom i did not know very well, he offered to take pics, I handed him my Canon Bridge camera, he said as i had an Iphone that would be better, i was unsure so asked him to use both.

I must say he was right, and he did a great job, in portrait mode the Iphone 11 takes great pictures, provided its framed correctly of course
hence I bought a tripod adaptor that holds the phone and set up voice instruction to take the picture.

In reply to Post #4

In reply to Post #2
+1, my Mrs even does it to me now

In reply to Post #1
Self takes is the way to go
The gear is around nowadays to be able to take a decent shot day or night
Get someone else to do it and you only have yourself to blame

In reply to Post #1
I ask outright now, if you can't take a picture then just leave me to it. Generally speaking, when I give my camera the look on there face will tell me whether they are comfortable with it or not, if they are, I make sure they know exactly what I'm after.

On the flip side if I'm taking them for someone else, I'd always insist on using my own camera, or at least get shown how to change various things on their own before you get under way, I will often flick through a few settings whilst I'm taking them to try get the best out of it. I do love helping others, I've often been dragged out of bed at home to share the moment with my friends over the years, really captures the real essence of angling for me, it's not always about your own triumph.

I'm not overly keen on people taking my pics, last august I caught a 31lb scale perfect common was a stunning fish, not a pb but was one of my favourite fish I've ever caught. I was fishing with a couple people one being very confident in his photography skills which with a iPhone 11 Pro Max is pretty easy because the camera is amazing.

Anyway he took a couple pics and stupidly I asked him if they are alright before looking myself, most of them turned out awful so disappointed when I seen them. I can take very very good self takes with my phone and tripod, upto that point I always did it on my own and from now on I will be doing it on my own 100% lol

In reply to Post #1
If they know what they want I've found they will ask & tell you, if they are unsure then I just lead them through to get the best pictures I can.

You kind of get a feel if it's a special one to them or just a few snaps will do.

Many years ago I woke to some ripples entering my swim from the right, on creeping down there found the late Chris Haswell playing a cracking common. Once landed he asked if I'd mind taking some pictures, I said sure where's the camera, he pointed to what resembled a toaster sized slr, I rather sheepishly declined saying I wouldn't have a clue how to use the thing!

In reply to Post #4
Lovely fish.

In reply to Post #11
Thanks Mark,
not a massive fish by today's standards, and well short of a PB, but when they are from a 45 acre lake with only 65 fish its a very pleasing result.

So thank god the photos came out well

In reply to Post #1
Taking photos for others I always try and do the best possible job with the camera used. If I wouldn't be happy with it in my photo album I'll snap away until I would be. Always happy to take direction on exactly what someone wants and show them the photos as much as possible to see if they are happy.

Conversely I prefer self takes unless I trust the person behind the camera and have seen their photos before. Had plenty of bad photos taken to realise that if I'm going to have poor quality photos it's better to mess up your own self takes so it's easier to cope with

In reply to Post #13
I'm the same.

I'd rather politely decline an offer for help with pics assuming the person doesn't know what end of a camera to hold, than grill someone for 5 mins and then decline, which would always seem rude

My cameras are designed to have controls directly at your finger tips, which is great when your familiar with it, but even decent photographers used to another brand can change settings without realising.


It is good when you get someone with a decent camera and an eye to take a couple in addition to your own self takes, I've a few nice shots others have taken at different angles etc

I never let anyone take pics for me,as I once trusted another chap to photo a lovely fish I had caught,remember handing him my Olympus OM40 program with esp...I asked do you know how to use this,he said yep..

He didn't know how to use it...

Lesson learnt,all my pics are self takes,right from 35mm era to using a smart phone..

Nothing worse than getting your pics back,after waiting 2 weeks for true print to arrive...and they dreadful...(back in the day)..

Taking selfies is a key skill,if you like a nice memory for years to come..

In reply to Post #16
I'm pretty sure that's how everyone gets into self takes. Happened to me years ago with a proper special one. Tail cut off, top of my head cut off, the lot. By the next weekend I was expert in self takes lol.

In reply to Post #17
Exactly, exactly..

I used to be real proud to be able to do 35mm blind self takes,I used to work on a ratio of three to one,I then got it down to 2 to 1,was a good skill to have,no flip round screens back then mind you,just a bamboo cane,and air release and a whole bag of filters ,lenses and a spare body..now I just use me phone...proper minimal..

In reply to Post #16
I've got a few select mates that I trust to do pics for me, and even then I tend to use them as a model to set everything up to exactly how I want it before getting the fish out.
It's also nice to have a bit of variety in composition which is where self takes fall a bit short imo. Anyone else is politely declined and I'll do them myself, though this can end up being a bit awkward.

On one of my old syndicates I had caught a nice common on the first morning of a weekend trip. A couple of the guys saw and came to help which was nice... I was fairly new to the water so welcomed the assistance and handed over my camera. The shots were terrible!!
The next morning I had the biggest mirror in the lake and the same guys had seen it unravel from across the lake and came over to help again. This fish had mugged me off good and proper earlier in the year and was one I really wanted good pics of, so I panicked and set up the tripod as quickly as possible to make my excuses. A minute later they appeared and we had an uncomfortable few minutes where they stood and watched me reel off 50 odd self takes.
I'd rushed so much the shots were still terrible and I looked a right pillock .

I love doing them for other people, provided I use my own camera as well as theirs. I've been amazed at the amount of people that hand me their camera in auto that have no idea how to change settings, let alone what they do. I tend to take a few tokens on theirs and concentrate on my gear that I know I can get the best out of

In reply to Post #19
Good post that,and very true.....

In reply to Post #19
😅I am v familiar with that somewhat uncomfortable feeling of doing selfies in front of someone that offered to help

And I also agree that while selfies guarantee a good shot of the fish, they cannot compare to shots from someone with an eye for a shot!

Im be still working on perfecting my self takes. Mistake i make most is the way i position the fish, normally having its bum lower so its at an angle, and/or holing the fish too low.

I have a decent sized fish pillow so should practice with that more to work
Out heights and distances.

Last issue i had was both my remote and intervalometer batteries were flat, And i didnt have spares (i now have loads) had the camera on the tripod but couldnt see the viewing screen. Ideally needed coaching through the picture, fish position etc, but they literally just pressed the button for me.

In reply to Post #21
I do enjoy doing shots for others generally, I much prefer using my own kit tho as I put a bit of effort into lighting angles etc and with my kit I have full control.

It's nice to do a couple of shots in addition to someone's selfies too as you have license to do something more creative, and it doesn't matter if it doesn't really work

In reply to Post #1
I think first of all you need to appreciate what the final photograph will look like !!!

I've got lots of poor self takes

I've got lots of poor photographs what other people have taken of me, think 35mm film!!!

Few tips from me

The digital era and cropping etc. is a brilliant step forward!

The angler needs to prepare the back drop, massive tip!!! Where will you place your mat, good shot, fish is safe

As a photographer you need to check!!! Not stalks or branches out of the head etc! Angler and fish!

When you ask somebody to take a picture, tell them how your camera works, hold it down until the green light is lit, it's in focus

Do not get too close. “Think about it as a picture frame mate, make sure you include everything” and you won't go far wrong for me. The digital era has taken it to a completely different level, you can crop them down. Ask them to take PLENTY of pictures and check them!

Few tips form me after a LOT of 35mm ****ters

Self takes, always. I know what I want my pictures to look like and how to get them. Quite happy to let someone else use my phone or their own camera at the same time though, definitely get the occasional better photo like that.

And for the same reason I totally understand if I'm with someone and they want to do self takes while I take a few with my own camera.

In reply to Post #1
Years ago, in the pre- digital age I used to use an SLR, but learnt the hard way not to rely on my fellow anglers being able to take an even half decent photo. Imagine the deflation when I collected my pics from boots to find every photo of me holding my first double had me cropped off at the head! At least nowadays photos can be viewed on the spot and rather than being limited to a roll of either 24 or 36 shots with the mystery of wondering if they be any good.

In reply to Post #24
35mm film, can you imagine the kids of nowadays having to wait......a week to get them processed

Now imagine this kiddies, back in 2000 ish I had a 53lb Mirror iirc, good battle, pb by some way, grounded on bar on way in, had to wade out to net it. Took 35mm pics, came home, film sat at top of stairs for weeks waiting to go to the shops. I was refitting the bathroom and the film and car keys were at the top of the stairs, peed off no doubt they were constantly in the way I chucked them in the tile bucket thinking I'd take them the next day and they were safe....by the next day I'd forgot about it and threw lots of broken tiles in the bucket, unable to find my car keys got the spare set so I could go to the tip....yep, gone forever :-(

In reply to Post #27
Those were the days, disappointing at times. I think looking back there's quite a few fish I would have liked to have caught again to get a better picture

I once caught one fish I was after, nice common and it was blowing a proper gale, not much shelter around this water either, 35mm and timer nightmare, picked the fish up, mat blew away, got it back, fish just would not sit still, every time it fired off, kicking and jumping out of my arms, the best shot I got, i was knelt on one knee, legs, body and fish all over the place, rank amateur, just one of those bad days

Technology moves on

In reply to Post #1
I always laugh at the photo of my first 20. It's basically a black silhouette against the bright reflection of the water, I was only a teenager with a very basic camera, no idea of photography and the chap who took the photo knew even less. Hence the result and after the anticipation of waiting for it to be developed too!

I'm quite happy to take photo's for others and now have quite a good eye for what makes a good picture. Modern digital cameras and even phones take great pics and you can review them immediately and take more if needed. Now the only problem is I don't catch any fish!

In reply to Post #27
that was proper oh **** moment

In reply to Post #27
A week? Where did you go, Boots? I had all mine on slides, you'd wait a lot longer than that to find out if you fecked up your shots...

I never allow anyone to photograph my captures that I don't know. I generally fish on my own and do self takes. Most people start to panic when they see a proper camera and I know doing my own will result in decent shots, plus I am not advertising what I am catching. I currently use either an M50 with a 32mm f/1.4 for day sessions or my 6D mkII with a 28mm f/1.8 when session fishing - often take my 70-200 f/2.8 L as well for wildlife, etc.

In reply to Post #31
I had loads of pics on slides, like you said they used to takes ages

Recently transferred them all to digital

In reply to Post #31
A week? Where did you go, Boots? funnily enough at times yes. Reason for the wait was working during the week and doing that bloody bathroom at weekends. 'She' did say she'd take them, but every weekend never did, that film peed me off every time I walked past it....and then that happened
Was a brute of a fish too, was caught the week earlier after a long time not out at lake record weight but when I had it it had lost a pound or so.

Like others I had loads of pics on prints, going back to the 1980's, family pictures, my first 20lb carp, first 20lb pike, a couple of 9lb tench, 5lb chub, a 20lb fully scaled carp from Barham that had never been seen or caught before; sadly the prints and negatives got lost after splitting up with my Ex.

I can also remember using the centre thread on a 3 rod buzz bar for my camera adaptor to take pictures of Turbo at 23.8 from B pit. Perfectly focused, but missing my head and the fishes lower half...
That was a disappointment waiting 3 days to get my pics back on 35mm film.

After that I made sure I learnt to use my Canon AE1 properly again. Brilliant camera that was, every Canon lens fitted so I had 75-150 telephoto, 20mm, and a 24-105 lenses. Goodness knows what the kit was worth with the additional flash.

Photos are a lot easier now, with mobile phone cameras producing what are now higher standard pictures than original compact digital cameras.
My dad still uses Canon cameras, he has the last 35mm EOS I think, and the digital 350 EOS. His pictures were, or even still are, to publishing standard despite his advanced age, and he finds it easier to use than his mobile phone.
My current cameras are a Canon Speedshot, a Fiji Finepix S5600 and obviously the camera on the phone. I still use the camera as well as the mobile phone.