Digital cameras, including those in our smart phones, allow us to capture images of our catches, making catch and release all that much more rewarding. Photography has never been easier, and anglers can enjoy this amazing technology no matter what their level of expertise. Most digital cameras and most smart phones also come with software (or apps) that let you enhance the image, crop the size and share the final product in a number of ways. You can send the images via e-mail straight from a phone, or download them, edit, and print them out to frame and display.

Even though taking a picture may be easy, there are a few basic rules that will help you capture a better digital image.

• Before ever leaving the dock, be sure you have fresh batteries, memory cards with enough space to record your images, a clean lens and a cleaning cloth.

• There is almost always a certain amount of chaos associated with a catching a memorable fish, so get an idea in advance of where you’ll compose your image.

• Check the background through the view finder carefully for distracting and cluttered backgrounds. Make sure you don’t have any unwanted objects, like a rod appearing to stick out of someone’s head.

• Look to capture photographs that aren’t posed, and remember that the sooner you get your picture the more vibrant the colors of a fish will be. First and foremost, fill the frame with the subject, eliminating anything that doesn’t add to the composition.

• Since you’re filming on the water, check that the horizon is straight. Most cameras and many phones have the option of putting a grid on the field of view. This seems to be particularly important when shooting vertical images.

• Check the exposure every few minutes and shoot aperture priority, unless you’re trying to catch a jumping fish. When stopping action (use an ISO of at least 1/1000 second) is more important than the depth of field, shoot shutter priority.

• Many photographs taken on the water are exposed in bright light. A camera’s light meter averages light over the scene, so an angler’s face (especially if shaded by a cap) will often be dark and lack detail. Make sure you expose your shots with fill flash. (See exception below).

• Take a number of shots from different angles, and get the angler excited and talking to you. One of the really great advantages of digital is that you can take lots of pictures and edit them on the go to make sure you have the shot you want.

If you have photo editing software like Lightroom or Photoshop you can lighten the shadows in post-production. This can sometimes eliminate the need for fill flash (if the contrast isn’t too great) and prevents a flash from creating unwanted reflections on fish. Since lighting is almost always challenging, shoot and then review important shots. If you have a more advanced camera, you can bracket important shots in difficult lighting situations. Expose at least three images: one slightly (one stop) underexposed, one slightly (one stop) overexposed, and one at the setting suggested by the light meter.

There are a lot of excellent digital cameras on the market today. Phones can take amazing images, but they have their limitations. If you’re really interested in photography I would suggest getting a camera that meets your needs.

Most come with a trial version of an image editing software like Adobe Elements. There are many cameras on the market from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. Taking the time to capture the moments of life pays dividends that you can continue to relive by sharing them through your images.

For more information on the right camera for you, check with a professional at your local camera shop like Johnson Photo Imaging www.jpiphoto.com or go to www.bhphoto.com. Software demos (Check out Lightroom 5.0) can be downloaded at www.adobe.com.