Last week we talked about how zooming in on your subject can improve the pictures you capture on your New Mexico fishing trips, or any other trips for that matter. However, there are times when zooming out could be even better.

For me, the deciding factor is scenery. If I’m in a spot that doesn’t have a lot of visual interest when the fish is caught, like the middle of the lake or along some featureless bank, then zooming in tight on the fish and fisherman works best. But if there is something interesting nearby then it can be a nice touch.

But how should you frame your shot to include some background while still keeping the focus on your catch? That’s where the rule of thirds comes in…

Wikipedia defines the rule of thirds like this, “an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.” That sounds pretty complicated, but its really not so bad in practice.

 In this shot, I’m fishing on a small pond in Georgia that I wanted to include in the picture. By centering the fish on the right vertical line instead of the center of the frame, the fish shares the stage nicely with the pond.

Most photo editing software has a function to include the rule of thirds gridlines to help you line everything up. But even if you don’t have access to any editing software, you can still spice things up by keeping the rule in mind as you take the picture.

 In this shot, I wanted to include Kettle Top without completely ignoring this fine white bass. Again, by placing the fish along the vertical line dividing the left two thirds of the frame, I’m able to show more scenery without taking all the focus away from the fish.

I hope this helps you take better pictures on your next fishing trip.

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