photo courtesy of Kathy Magers
Which person does your eye go to first?

The job of a professional angler is to catch fish, sure but maybe even more importantly, it is to attract attention to sponsor’s products and branding.  One good photo displaying a company name or logo can be worth thousands of dollars to the company and ultimately, the pro. So how do you steal the camera eye away from hundreds of other pros? With color.      

I learned this valuable lesson one year at an outdoor writer’s annual conference during a photography seminar. It was entitled “what editor’s want” and gave examples of what they need to catch the reader’s eye.  Example one was a slide of a wade fisherman standing in hip-high waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The sky was a cloudy gray, he wore gray shorts, shirt and a white hat. He held a silvery gray fish above the gray looking water. The picture was boring – and if on a cover, I promise, that particular shot wouldn’t have turned one head.

The editor then put up a slide of the same man surrounded by everything gray, with the exception that he had tied a bright yellow windbreaker around the guy’s waist and used a red hat.  The picture “popped” and suddenly – that cover shot screamed for attention. All with simple color changes. This lesson became invaluable to me in attracting promotional exposure for sponsors – through the lens of cameras.   

I also learned that the three “basic” colors are red, yellow and blue – that any of these can draw a glimpse but  used together, they command the eye.  

Every pro hopes to land a shot in a good magazine but a cover shot is considered an ace. One year, while shopping for something to wear to my first Bass’n Gal classic, I came across a certain little tri-colored jogging suit. Actually, it grabbed MY eye on the rack! It fit, so remembering what I’d just learned, I bought it in hopes a member of the press and/or media would take my photo and put it in a magazine. That would surely impress my sponsors and hopefully give me longevity on their national pro staff. 

Caught up in all the classic excitement and fun, I had forgotten about my color experiment  until the next issue of the magazine was in our mail box.  And there on the cover was a familiar face – a most happy rookie wearing that red, yellow and blue outfit!  It worked! Of course, a few years passed and I found myself plundering through the closet wondering what to wear to that year’s classic and there was that little  tri-colored outfit. I grabbed it and thought “no one will ever remember…” And I ended up on yet another cover.  Those were my only two covers so it appears it was the outfit that attracted the camera and not me. (What a confidence builder- huh?) 

Since that time, I have been keenly aware of color in both my photography and in my clothing color choices. Any artist who deals in color will tell you that dark makes things look small and light makes them look large. So black pants slim the lower half while white only makes it appear bigger. Top- heavy women look smaller wearing dark tops and lighter slacks… bottom heavy women – just the opposite.

Red is considered a power color of sorts – which is why the majority of boat companies use red, white and black as their company colors. Unfortunately, at most tournaments now, few people stand out from the crowd because they’re all wearing the same colors.  Look what Keel Shield has done with color!

I recall a color magazine ad featuring 12 guys and only one stood out like the proverbial “sore thumb” – Champion Boats’ pro staffer Skeet Reese. Why? Because his canary yellow shirt over powered the 11 basic white shirts. The reader’s eyes were immediately drawn to his photo first.  

Other considerations on clothing color might be that stark white is a hard color and often makes a woman’s skin look harsh – especially if sun-tanned.  A softer  ivory white is more complimentary.  Other colors that soften our appearance are the pastels.  When you are wearing sponsor patches and hoping to have your photo appear print, dare to be different.Try turquoise, teal, peach, etc.   We don’t have to match our boats like our tow vehicles.  We are women first and appearance does count. 

Blouses often look and feel better on women than men’s shirts, which are not cut in proportion for the female figure.  Do your short sleeves hang below your elbows? Is your front top button too high or low? Your collar too big and shirttail hangs below your knees?  You probably need a blouse.  And most sponsor’s would be happy to monogram a well-fitting blouse for you. If not, any seamstress can take a few darts here and there to make a men’s shirt fit you better.

 Of course there are other color considerations to be made on tournament clothing, too.  If sight fishing, or fishing shallow in extremely clear lakes, avoid the bright, bold colors as bass can see you.  Gray, blue or sea foam green work well in this area, or wearing a camo shirt over brightly colored clothing helps disguise you.

 How does color help keep you comfortable?   Wearing light colored clothing in the heat of summer keeps you much cooler while the reverse holds true for cold weather fishing. Wearing a black jacket or hat will attract the sun’s heat and keep you toasty warm on a cold day.  White hats  keep you 15-20 degrees cooler on a hot summer day.  

 But if you want to be seen, photographed often and possibly get a cover shot, dare to be different. Use more color, or different colors in your clothing.  It’ll make a big difference - you’ll see.
                                               
                                                
                                                                                 photo courtesy of Denese Freeman
                                                This future pro already knows what it takes to stand out!