How to Take a Picture of a Man Holding a Fish

You could probably argue that there's really no compelling reason to take a picture of a man holding a fish in the first place.  But assuming that's your goal, you want it to be the best such picture possible.  Here are my thoughts on the subject, my qualifications being that I've taken a lot of bad pictures of a man (me) holding a fish.

1.  Get a man (a woman works just as well).

2.  Have man or woman catch a fish.  This, depending on the man or woman, could involve a substantial wait time.

3.  Get a camera.  Actually, this might should be number one.  Having the man or woman wait around while you go home to get the camera could be problematic.  A cell phone camera could work in a pinch, but if you're hoping to make a 4x6 print, then 2 megapixels is a bare minimum.  It's also nice to have a flash, as I'll explain shortly.

Decent fish,
lousy background

4.  Have man or woman hold the fish.  This is best done shortly after said fish has been caught.  A fish that's been sitting around in the cooler for a while (or say, lying on the bank for a couple of days) likely won't make as good a photo.  The fish will look better if it's fresh and lively.  You might dip it in the water just before you take the picture.  Try not to let the fish go when you dip it in the water.  Otherwise, you'll just have a picture of the man or woman.  It's also nice to take the picture in the natural setting where the fish was caught.  The back of a pickup truck is not a natural setting, even if the pickup is painted in camo.

5.  Pay attention to how the fish is held.  I've taken plenty of pictures where my hand was covering part of the fish, or where there was some extraneous object in front of or next to the fish, detracting from the picture.  A side view is normally best.

Hand in front of fish.  Oops.

6.  Have the man or woman holding the fish face the sun.

7.  Fill the frame with the man and the fish.  If they hold the fish higher, you can get more of their face and the fish, and less of the extraneous stuff.

8.  Decide whether you want them to wear a hat and/or sunglasses for the photo.  It's fine if they do, but make sure you use the flash (even during the day) to take the shadows off their face.  The flash can also bring out the detail in the fish, and make it bright and sparkly, especially if you dipped it in the water first and didn't let go.  If they wear a hat, try to make it the dorkiest fishing hat possible.

9.  Take the picture from a level even with or slightly above the subject's face.  If you're taking a picture of yourself holding a fish and using the camera's timer, set the camera on something high to get it at the right level.

10.  You can also try taking a picture of just the fish.  Try putting the fish on a surface that has an interesting texture or contrasting color.  Try using the flash to make the fish sparkle.

Insights from a Book by David Allen

This post is about insights I gained from reading Getting Things Done, the Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen.

COLLECT EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE

One of the key suggestions in the book is to create a system (e.g. a notebook or electronic organizer) that collects ALL of your tasks and responsibilities.  If you have EVERYTHING recorded in a place that is easy to review on a regular basis, it frees your mind to stop worrying about them.

That regular review (could be daily, weekly, whatever) helps you prioritize tasks so you know you're working on what you need to be working on at the current moment given current available resources.  For me that review tends to happen whenever I realize I've got a few minutes at my desk between scheduled activities.

Allen also observes that many of us are not good at writing task lists.  A task should be a single specific item.  For example, "Plan staff retreat" is not a task, but rather a project that requires multiple steps.  So in your organizer, you would have a page for the project "Plan staff retreat" that had several tasks underneath, such as "Set up poll to choose lunch menu" and "Call John to see if he can speak on time management".  This also helps reduce stress, as "plan staff retreat" sounds like something onerous that would be tempting to put off.  But "set up lunch poll" can be accomplished in short order, giving you a sense of productivity and getting the project closer to completion.

Of course, that process of "collecting all of your tasks and responsibilities" is on-going, and you need techniques to accomplish that.  Many times we remember we need to do something at a time when we're in no position to do it.  For example, I'll be at home and remember something I need to look for in a file at work.  So I've started keeping a small notepad in my pocket to record those things.  At the end of the day, when I empty my pockets, I check that notepad and transfer those reminders to the appropriate place in my organizer notebook.

YOUR PLANNER/ORGANIZER

Allen's book is about much more than reorganizing your planner.  In fact, he doesn't even specifically address how you SHOULD organize your planner, or whether you should use a hard copy or electronic system.  He leaves that up to the individual.  I decided on a notebook (although I would use an iPad if I had one).  Mine is arranged as follows.  I have three major sections:  projects, notes, and planning.

• The Projects section is where I keep task lists for each project.  The pages are numbered and there is a table of contents in front.  
• Notes is where I can jot down, well, notes, from conversations, meetings, etc. After the meeting or conversation, I review the notes and transfer any tasks to the appropriate page in the Projects section.
• The Planning section is where I keep my Someday/Maybe list (see below), as well as those big picture items like a yearly plan or a list of my major responsibilities.  

I also have some "minor" sections, like a list of phone calls to return and some reference materials.  My calendar is on my iPod, which syncs with my on-line calendar.

WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS!

One profound insight for me was the realization that everyone has numerous projects to handle.  For years I've harbored this secret feeling that Extension Agents (and me in particular!) were unique in having so many diverse projects and responsibilities.  Hogwash!  We're all in the same boat, we're all stretched thin.  There was something comforting to me about that realization (although my delusions of self-importance started crumbling and I'm having to do some repair work on the foundation).

Allen's idea of a "someday/maybe" list is a great one.  We all have great project ideas that percolate to the surface at odd times, but we don't always have the resources to execute them.  But they might be things we could tackle in the future.  So they go on the "someday/maybe" list and that also gets reviewed periodically to see if anything is ready to become an active project.

MANAGING THE "IN-BOX"

I have also changed how I perceive and manage my "in-box". Of course, it's impossible to immediately handle everything that arrives in your in-box.  But I find that I can almost ALWAYS make a decision about each item within a couple of minutes.  So if I receive an e-mail or a phone call or a letter or a fax or have a conversation with someone (which are all various forms of "in-boxes") that requires some task from me, I record that task in my planner/organizer.  Even more satisfying is if I can take a minute or two and decide that NO action is required, which means I can discard or file the e-mail or letter.  So it's not that I have to immediately handle everything.  But as much as possible, I try to make a DECISION on WHAT action is required, and either do it or put it on a task list.

EFFECTIVE FILING SYSTEMS

One of the things I've never been particularly good at is developing effective paper filing systems.  Allen's book helped.  If papers arrive that need filing, I have a stack of folders and a sharpie handy (he prefers a label maker).  So I grab a folder, write the contents on the tab, and file it.  Items go into one of the following places:

1. A drawer of "Reference" files (things I may need to refer to occasionally)
2. A drawer of "Records" files (things I need to keep but probably won't need to refer back to)
3. A drawer of "Supplies" (e.g. forms I keep multiple copies of, although these could probably go in "reference" instead)
4. Project files, for those larger projects that require multiple folders.
5. Desktop project files to hold items for current active projects to which I need quick/convenient access.

One of the amazing results of using this technique is that papers don't pile up.  I have a place to put things where I can find them later.  And if something requires an action, a note goes into my planner/organizer.

Of course, implementing these changes required me to first clean up and organize my office.  Kind of a drag, but the result is amazing, and now I'm KEEPING it organized.  Allen's book has great suggestions on how to start.

If these ideas seem intriguing, recognize that I've only scratched the surface of what David Allen covers in his excellent book and I highly recommend it.