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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!
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