Being familiar with a camera and its functions is something that will prove its value no end when out fishing. Knowing how to quickly turn the flash on, turn it off, find the macro setting, preview the photo just taken and replace the battery might seem like trivial things but if the bite is hot or the fish needs to be returned to the water promptly these aren't the things you want to be playing around with. Remember you don't always have your own camera either so a familiarisation session en-route may be required.

Taking photos at night will always be difficult, simple measures like leaving the high-viz clothes at home will always help though ...

Two basic camera features which can add a lot to your photographs are the flash and macro functions. The flash will often lighten a photo and can reduce the effect of both shadows and bright sunlight giving you a more balanced photo. With digital cameras and the limitless number of photos that can be taken (depending on the size of the memory card) try taking some with and some without. Remember the flash can reflect off the scales of a fish depending on the species so the fish may need to be angled appropriately in order to deflect the reflection away from the camera.

The macro function allows for close-up photos to be taken and it's usually symbolised by a small flower icon on the camera buttons. This can be a good feature for creative photography where you might focus on the colours of a fish or the lure in its mouth, something more imaginative than a 'hold-the-fish-in-front-of-you-and-smile' photo. Wrasse, blue-lined emperor, dolphinfish and rankin cod to name a few species all have magnificent colours and offer the opportunity to experiment with this feature.