I think taking on full manual control of a camera is a goal for any aspiring photographer looking to improve their skills. While it is very intimidating at first, learning manual control can be taken one step at a time through the use and understanding of the camera’s preset priority modes. In the last “Behind the Lens” article we discussed choosing the proper lens for your fishing photography. Building on that, I will briefly discuss using priority modes in preparation for takingon full manual control of your cameras settings.

Shutter Priority -

Outside of full manual control, using your cameras shutter priority mode (“S” on Canon or “Tv” on Nikon) is the best way to learn how to control the amount of movement and/or blur produced in your final image. Here, your camera allows you to choose the desired shutter speed, while it takes control of the remaining ISO and aperture settings. When trying to capture fly line in flight, or a fish doing mid-air cartwheels, you will find that cranking up the shutter to the maximum possible speed is necessary to get a sharp, clean image. While this is not exactly rocket science, it is necessary to understand completely. I can hold my camera steady at a shutter speed of 1/60^th or faster by hand, but if I need to shoot any slower, a camera support is necessary to avoid blur in the final image.

The downside to using the shutter priority mode lies in the photographers inability to set the desired depth of field. Keeping this limiting factor in mind, I always enjoyed experimenting with the shutter speeds when trying to capture a fly line in flight. I would start at a low shutter speed, and continuously analyze how “frozen” the line and angler were as the speed was ramped up. Over time I realized that sometimes a little blur is a good thing, giving the image a sense of movement and action that a completely still frame does not have.

Recently, I have had a few people ask me about lens selection in regard to fishing photography. More precisely, "What is the best lens I can get for the majority of my fishing situations?" While I wish it were a simpler question to answer, the fact is, each lens type has its own pros and cons. Every individual lens captures emotions differently, almost as if they have their own unique "personality." Here's my rundown:

Wide-Angle - The Hank Patterson of Lenses

I think we all have that fishing buddy who always brings the party. They always bring the beer, and are fun as hell regardless of the fishing conditions. They often get worked up over every fish, and are relentless in hassling you after you farm a monster. Simply put, a wide-angle lens is more or less the "Hank Patterson" of camera gear.

I find that images taken with a wide-angle lens have their own special kind of excitement to them. This lens style has a tendency to separate a subject from its background by maximizing the foreground and minimizing the size of the background. This will in turn add a lot of depth to your imagery. I find I most commonly use my wide-angle lens for grip and grin, close up action, and just all around energetic fishing situations.

While this style lens has provided me with a lot of great images, it also comes with it's own set of disadvantages. Unless you are shooting landscape images, where you are trying to shoot an entire scene, capturing your subject full frame requires the camera to be tight to the subject. Mountain ranges, trees, and other parts of your background tend to shrink in comparison to your subject. So if you are looking at capturing the details of the background, you may need to go with a longer style lens. When used properly though, a wide-angle lens can be one of your favorites, and is a must have in any photographers arsenal.

My personal favorite is the Cannon 20mm F/2.8 Ultrawide. It provides crisp, energetic images with minimal distortion, and won't completely break your bank at about $539.

We asked specialty knife maker, Gary Bolduc, to design and manufacture a special edition Fly Out knife that is extremely tough and multi-functional, and engraved with our signature bush plane logo. It is a fantastic utility, hunting, backpacking, and all purpose knife that is a tough little monster! It has a stone wash finish 3.5" blade, para cord wrap 4" handle built out of S35VN stainless steel with a kydex sheath. The knife is super slim, yet tough as nails, extremely light weight, with 2 lanyard holes for pole lashing or handle pull & spine gimping for finger control.  Holes in kydex sheath allow you to tie it anywhere you want or use the belt loop to carry.

Bolduc Knives is synonymous with quality when it comes to the knife industry for sportsmen. Many of his hunting and fishing knives are inspired by Alaska, and we're proud to have one of his products bear the Fly Out brand. You can purchase a Fly Out knife by emailing us at [email protected]. These knives start at $150 + shipping. Different knife handles are available upon request. 

About Gary:

Raised as a young man in Vermont attracted my interest to the views of the rolling hills, country back roads and flowing streams. Around eight or nine years of age, I started exploring the geography within a 2 or 3 mile radius of my home in the countryside. I would collect stones, odd pieces of wood, or whatever I thought was interesting. I always wondered what was over the next hill, usually climbing a tree for a better vision if I dared not to venture any further. As I grew older, I lost this fear and traveled as far as I could in one day, of course, coming home exhausted. Once I turned sixteen and obtained a driver's license, I was allowed to explore vast areas via back country roads. I would stop at interesting streams, apple orchards gone wild and maple tree stands of forest for a new exploration, all of the time watching for deer, woodchucks, partridge, hawks, squirrels and whatever else I would happen upon or would cross my path.

Read More about Gary Bolduc

We finally have some Fly Out hats in stock with some new colors and designs. We have truckers and 1 flex fit style (see photos above). They are $25.00 + shipping.

If you would like to order a hat, send an email to [email protected] that includes the following: 

• Your Name

• Mailing Address

• Hat Style and Color Options + Quantity

We will send the hat(s) to the address and follow up with an electronic invoice via PayPal that can be paid by debit/credit. 

We will have an online shop location soon for a wide variety of Fly Out apparel/gear soon (hoodies, t-shirts, knives, buffs, hats, etc.). 

More soon! 

These limited edition hats were floating around Alaska last summer with our guide ambassadors. Now you can purchase one yourself for $25 + shipping. We've embroidered these hats on high quality flexfit (Yuupong) and trucker (Richardson) hats. We will ship anywhere in the U.S. Email us today to order at [email protected].    

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 Just Click on the Image to Shop  

1. GoPro Hero 2 - $299.99 - GoPro cameras are used by more professional athletes, sports filmmakers and core enthusiasts than any other camera in the world. The HD HERO2: Outdoor Edition is the most advanced GoPro camera yet.

2. Zg Helios Fly Rod - $775.00 - Orvis set out on an adventure to make the world's lightest fly fishing rod. Along the way, they may have made the world's best. The new patent pending Helios is so innovative and, frankly, so far ahead of all other fly rods it skips generations in how a fly rod should feel, cast, and fish. It is so sublimely light, incredibly responsive, deadly accurate, and just plain easy and enjoyable to cast. A perfect trout rod for Alaska.

3. The Alaska Chronicles: An Unwashed View of Life, Work, and Fly Fishing - $24.95 - For seventeen weeks, Nolte had used his laptop and a satellite Internet connection to transmit his semi-daily account of what it's really like to be a fly fishing guide on a remote Alaskan river. Now published into a book, this candid account gives an interesting perspective on guide life in Alaska.

4. Filson Original Briefcase - $215.00 - A dependable, everyday briefcase, appropriate for the field. Inside is a wide carrying compartment, two full-length open pockets and sewn-on compartments for calculator, business cards, pencils and pens. Narrow pockets on both ends and full-length outer pockets on both sides.

5. Bozeman Watch Company Cutthroat - $6,675.00 - This stunning watch has been designed and made with the addition of a 24 hour time zone or GMT function so its proud wearer will always know what time it is in the mountains of Montana (or Alaska) where his/her favorite catch lies in waiting.

6. Mount McKinley Flight Seeing Trip with Talkeetna Air Taxi - Starting at $195.00 - Consider a Gift Certificate for a Denali flight seeing tour and see one of the last wilderness areas untouched by modern man: over six million acres of open alpine tundra, wildlife, mile high granite gorges, ancient blue glaciers and endless icy peaks.

7. A Bob White Print: An Outside Chance - $160 to $800 - Take a look at this signed & Numbered Limited Edition Giclee Print. A good fit for the sportsman's living room or office. We are happy to have such a talented artist and fly fishing guide as a Guide Ambassador with Fly Out.

8. Save Bristol Bay - $ Donation - 'Tis the season of giving! This is the perfect gift for mother nature. Walk the walk, and donate to help protect Bristol Bay.

9. Subscribe to The Drake Magazine – 18.00/year - The Drake is our favorite fly fishing publication, period. The quality of articles and content is unmatched. Although the magazine is quarterly, you are not likely to be disappointed.

10. An Alaska Fly Out Adventure - Go back to your favorite lodge or find a new adventure via our directory at AlaskaFlyOut.com. Email the lodges directly through the listings to inquire about specials and/or holiday pricing. See our list of Fly Out Lodges here. Or, contact the Fly Out team at [email protected] for booking advice. We're the Alaska experts. 

Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska has teamed up with Pro Guide Direct, IBEX and Mountain Khakis to provide you a special deal that also helps our wilderness.

Simply click the image above and make a purchase between November 17 and December 3 to take advantage of the special promotions. On top of a terrific deal, 15% of your purchase will benefit SAA's work to protect Alaska's incredible public lands for fishing and hunting.

You can visit the Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska at the following link: 

http://www.sportsmansalliance4ak.org/