GETTING THE HERO SHOT
Other Fish Tales and an interview with Marlon Rampy
by Michelle Ryther
Michelle: I did a Google search on 'Marlon Rampy' - you really get around giving talks and slide shows all around the Western US, sounds like you're the expert on fly fishing in Oregon. Then I took a tour of your website - www.flyfishoregon.com. Tell us a little about what it is exactly that you do nowadays.
Marlon: I guide fly fishing trips in beautiful Southern Oregon. We have spectacular steelhead and trout fishing on the fly. During my off-season I hit the trade shows in California, Washington and Oregon. The speaking circuit venues are comprised of fly fishing clubs on the West Coast.
Michelle: So tell us how you got started and how photography fits into your business.
Marlon: My life as a fly fishing guide started in 1996 when I became bored with the office and fly-fishing looked like more fun. I had a nice comfort level with the sport and a desire to teach it. I started to build a client base and my business started to take off.
Photography plays a crucial role in my business and delivering quality images to my clients is a plus. It is a treat to see the 'wow' factor on my clients face when they see the beauty of their fly-fishing experience on the river. Also, the impact of good images on your marketing scheme can set your business apart from the competition. I feature my images my brochures, on my website and a multi-media slide presentation.
Michelle: What sort of equipment are you using? What works best out in the field? What are some of the challenges for you, photographically and otherwise?
Marlon: I love my Canon gear because they have awesome lenses. I use? Camera body: EOS 10D, Lenses: EF16-35mm f2.8 L USM, EF70-200mm f2.8 L USM, and EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM with the 550EX Speedlight.
The shots are tight when I am shooting in the boat, so I use the EF 16-35mm f2.8L USM Autofocus Lens for the perfect shot. I keep the long lens handy for those awesome landscape and wildlife shots. Water is a huge challenge because the risk of gear taking a dive in the river is constant. If the day of fishing is filled with rain or snow, protection with dry bags is essential.
Sometimes it is necessary to use flash and the Canon 550EX Speedlight has been fantastic. I use it for fill flash, and back it off by -2/3 or -1 stops and it works nicely for me. If I am doing macro or studio shots of flies I have a pretty basic lighting setup. A pair of Smith Victor 12 inch reflectors, a few Umbrellas to diffuse the light and some white boards to fill the shadows. I try to keep it fairly simple.
Michelle: What brand dry bags do you use?
Marlon: The Lowepro Dry Zone 200 has worked quite well in the elements. I have not truly tested it by throwing it in the river, nevertheless the Dry Zone backpack has protected my gear from the rain and snow.
Michelle: When I look at the photo tour on your website and from knowing fisherman my whole life, it occurs to me that there is such a thing as the quintessential 'fish picture'. Maybe you'd call it a fish portrait even. But I notice that there are certain constants, just like in regular portrait photography. What's your take on those classic fish photos?
Marlon: That quintessential fish picture is also called the 'Hero Shot' or the 'grip-and-grin'. Although the 'grip-and-grin' gets a little over used, my clients like those bragging rights shots to take back home. In addition to the 'Hero Shot', I like to include action shots. My clients don't always realize I am shooting action shots, but at the end of the day they are glad to see them. A nice bonus is having a tight shot of a Bald Eagle that we saw that day.
Michelle: Have you done some publishing, magazine articles, books, pamphlets? Tell us more about that.
Marlon: Yes, there are travel-destination companies and product catalogs that have picked up my images. My images have been featured in travel-destination companies and product catalogs. I am scheduled to have a portfolio of images in the Spring 2007 issue of Northwest Fly Fishing.
Michelle: Any advice for the fisher-photography?
Marlon: Controlling color, contrast and reflection with a circular polarizer is very important. It may not be advisable to remove all reflections with the polarizer, just dial it down to a nice level.
Move in close and eliminate unwanted sky when you are shooting 'Hero Shot'. Since your subject is the fish and the person who caught it. You can make your subjects appear small by including too much sky.
Getting your subject to relax and smile is also important. I joke around with my clients while clicking the shutter by reminding them of the great fight the fish put up, or maybe how they almost fell out of the boat while fighting the fish. Anything to relax the subject!
Michelle: So are we getting into the fly fishing season? What is on the horizon for you and Wildwest Fly Fishing?
Marlon: Yes, the fishing season has arrived. The season peaks May through November and will be fun for fishing and photography.
I have been shooting digital for quite some time now and I am comfortable with the process. I plan to incorporate a presentation quality digital projector this summer. I love the projection quality of a nicely saturated Fuji Pro-V or Velvia slide. It is a big step, but the time is here to leave Fuji and go digital projection.
Michelle: So what are some of the best places for fishing photography, in your opinion? Are they also the best places to fish?
Marlon: To me they are all great; it would be hard to pick one. Photography and fly-fishing are a great pair because destinations for fly fishing are in visually appealing locations. My camera bag and tripod are right next to the fly box and rods. I don't leave home without my photo gear.
Michelle: How about a fish story?
Marlon: I guess people who fish will always have a story about the one that got away. Or the thrill of finally having that elusive monster fish at the end of your line. My best fish story lacks the huge drama, it is more nostalgic. It goes back to my youth, when my dad took me fishing on a small Montana trout stream. Not just any trout stream, but the same trout stream he fished as a boy. It was tiny Cottonwood Creek that ran through the ranch he grew up on. The time I spent fishing that little stream had impact. Unfortunately I do not have any images from those days, only the images burned in my memory.
On the occasion I have a father and young son or daughter fishing with me, I always take a few extra images of them together. Hopefully they will enjoy the photos forty years from now.
Michelle: Marlon, thank you so much for giving us the scoop on Wildwest Fly Fishing and Fly Fish Photography. See you on the river!