Picture taking and handling of fish

[WVBowhunter]

Ever notice that some cats look huge in one picture and much smaller in the next? It's not trick photography, but more of a method that produces great looking pictures. Naturally you want to clean the litter from your cat such as leaves and grass, but also keep him wet with a towel or cloth. Dont scrub him as that can remove the slim coat, just a light washing and rinsing if neccessary. Next position the fish and subject. Back lighting and front lighting works the best as side lighting can leave shadows and poor picture quality. The arm cradle is the best for a number of reason, first it is less stressful on the fish and provides a pretty good side view. The photographer should position the camera at the same level or slightly lower ***ing attention to the rotational angle of the cat,,,as you want a balanced side view. The verticle hold picture is by far the most dangerous to the fish as large fish can "break" their neck. To do this picture, first insure your fish is still not "green" and thrashing a lot. For some reason with a hand on both the upper and lower lips seems to help prevent the thrashing....dont try to force the mouth wide open, just enough for both hands is all that is needed. Dont snatch and jerk the fish up to this position as you also increase the chances of dislocating the spine from the skull..slow and easy is the key and quickly return the fish to floor of you boat. The gill plate hold is almost a total no no as the neck breaking increases expodentially. Thrashing will allmost certain occur as the sensitive gills are exposed to air and creates pain, plus you risk damage to the gills. Both hands on the lower Jaw is one that you will commonly see with the back of the fish as your subject. Again the fish is more likely to thrash around with this hold. Another great shot is the "Robby Katfish's" hold while kneeling and supporting the guts with a knee. Keep your catch out of the water for as little time as possible while filming that catch of a lifetime will insure that trophy cats will still be there for tommorrow. One final note, keep your cat lying on its belly, not on its side or back as this is very stressfull on the heart.