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.