Taking Good Fishing Video and Pics Guide by The Sardine News
Taking Good Fishing Video and Pics Guide: howzit, this guide is mainly for our contributors. The “Sardine Spies” we have kindly collecting news and sending it in to us. This is how you do it right!
Steady As She Goes
You gotta hold that camera steady!
There are no excuses. Here are a few pointers:
- Lean against something, or better still, hold the camera up against a pole, building, door…anything that can help you from having the shakes
- Create a tripod from anything you can…a towel, cushion, brick (lean the phone against the brick at the right angle)
Sound
Is actually more important than the visuals. And when they work together – it’s magic!
However, the wind can cause chaos with your recordings to the extent that no noise-reduction sopftware will ever fix it. Determine the location of your microphone on your device, and work with that detail in mind. You can cup your hand around the microphone, or use a tissue or a t-shirt as a muffler.
Speak as though you are speaking to a friend. Or simply grab the scene and it’s sound and send to me!
Horizon
This is the very first thing any camera person has to learn. A skewed horizon means one thing – amateur. And it screams the word out loud.
Wide, Medium, Tight
Ok, let’s get into some workflow…
So when you get to a spot, that you gonna be reporting from, stop kinda far away and get a “wide” shot. A few seconds each shot, 5 or so. Then move closer to get a “medium”, choose another angle, and do the same 5s again. Then you get in “close”, and your video unfolds here, with your voice over or simply the audio from the scene. Just point and shoot and talk when you get the opportunity.
The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a basic photography composition principle that helps make images more balanced, engaging, and visually appealing.
Here’s how it works:
- Imagine a Grid
- Picture your frame divided into nine equal rectangles using two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines — like a tic-tac-toe board.
- Placement of Subjects
- Instead of centering your subject, position important elements along these lines or at their intersections (called “power points”).
- For example:
- Place the horizon on the top or bottom horizontal line, not in the middle.
- Position a person’s eyes at one of the upper intersection points in a portrait.
- Why It Works
- The human eye naturally gravitates toward these points, making the photo feel more dynamic and less static.
- It creates a sense of balance while keeping the viewer’s attention flowing across the frame.
- When to Break It
- The rule of thirds is a guideline, not a law.
- You might break it for symmetry, minimalism, or creative impact.
Zoom
“Just one look and my heart went Boom!”
NEVER use the zoom on your phone. Unless it has an optical zoom (flagship phones only), or you have a proper camera, just stay fully wide at all times because we can rather zoom in with software later (post-production). I have seen some amazing optical zooms on some phones. But most of us just carry normal phones that don’t cost the world to replace. And these things can only capture so many pixels. Staying wide makes the best use of the pixels availabel.
Editing
You may have the inclination to want to edit your own clips and I highly recommend that you all do so. These are the skills you will need to run and grow your own content streams.
CapCut is by far the easiest and I converted away from expensive Adobe and difficult Blender years ago. Plus, these days AI is replacing editing and even 3D so fast that all you really need to know these days is how to string a few clips together.
AI
Yip, AI will become your editor in the future. Already now the features built into CapCut Pro are enough for you to generate any scene or skit. All you need to know is how to write the right prompts. Try this…
- build your scene with wide medium and tight of your idea, using the AIs built into the Media Tab
- write a script and use AI to put yourself in as the host, or an avatar (fishing report)
Ok, great, please feel free to buzz me anytime about any of this. Use the big old WhatsApp button floating around on your screen somewhere right now.
To da Moon!!!
Sardines and Sighting Maps
Check out our annual Sardine Run Map! Download our app to your phone or device, accept notifications, and you will never miss a single sardine.
Here are the links to existing and past Sardine Sighting Maps…
2024 Sardine Map
2023 Sardine Map
2021 Sardine Map
Channels
Brucifire Surf Retorts – highly entertaining surf reporting
Master Watermen – news from way down deep
The Sardine News – neva miss a single sardine
FishBazaruto – 1000 pounds plus
MYDO Tackle Talk – highly technical sport fishing
Surf Launching Southern Africa – getting out there safely
Water Woes – complain about your municipality
