Photography is all about light and timing. These two things are possibly the most crucial elements of any successful image. Finding good light is half the battle. I often get up about an hour before sunrise to shoot during the “Golden Hour.” This is vital for the opportunity of having great light.
The other half of the battle is being in the right place at the right time to capture the decisive moment. Every day we see and feel decisive moments. It could be the moment when a crying child is scooped up by their mother and, in a few seconds, they break into laughter, and a smile spreads across their face. It could be the moment a wakeboarder hits a boat’s trail just right and goes airborne. Or it could be the moment a fisherman sets the hook in the catch of the day.
Pressing the shutter button at just the right moment takes preparation, observation and practice. Finding these moments might begin with locating the light first and then waiting to see what happens.
During a recent trip to the Gulf Coast, I went walking along the beach at sunrise. Just after I had photographed the sunrise, I observed several people fishing. Adding a person to a composition helps set the scene, giving scale to the viewer.
As I watched, the sun was already rising quickly, which created distinct silhouettes of the fishermen working the beach. I chose one in particular who was using a fly fishing setup. I really hadn’t ever seen anyone use fly fishing gear at the beach before, so it intrigued me.
I set my exposure based on the sky behind him and framed the image so the horizon was just above his head, allowing the fishing pole and line to be silhouetted against the morning sky. With each cast, the pole arched as he drew his body back to cast again. The silhouette created a perfect opportunity to capture a decisive moment with great light.
The decisive moment, evident in my eyes, was the second at which the pole arched the most just before he would cast again. I shot several casts that netted no luck. Finally, from his reaction, I could tell he had a bite. As the pole arched more in the sky, I knew he had a catch. As he quickly pulled in a small fish, I knew I had my catch of the day, too.
