Photo Tips - Use Your Camera's Flash

I enjoy photography and generally try to combine it with my fishing.  My photos are mainly for my enjoyment but even so, I have learned that there are simple techniques I can use to improve the quality of my photos.I thought I would share some of them on a semi regular basis. If you are really serious about photography you can likely find better and more thorough tutorials somewhere on the web.  These tips are geared to the picture taking fisherman who is trying to get a good shot while dealing with the likes of fish, lines, boat gear, etc. (ie, keep it simple).Using Your Camera's FlashI generally think of my camera's flash as a tool for helping when the scene is too dark - most often indoors.  While this is true, it is probably more accurate to think of the flash as a means for infilling dark or shadowed areas in a photo.  This doesn't have to be in low light conditions.  Even on bright days parts of the image can have shadows that detract from the overall picture.  Using your flash can help to fill in these shadows.Here is an example I shot not long ago.  The image on the left was shot without flash.  In general there is sufficient light to illuminate the image but detail around the fly rod and reel is lost.  Flash was used in the picture on the right and the results are quite pronounced showing much more reel detail.While this example was taken on an overcast day, the results on a sunny day can be equally dramatic.  Whether you use a full DSLR, a point and shoot or a mobile phone camera, you usually have some options to control the flash settings.  Learn how to adjust your flash settings, play around a bit and be prepared for that next prize catch.  You will greatly improve your photos.