It is a pleasure to start off 2009 with an interview with the founders of Catch Magazine, Brian O'Keefe and Todd Moen. We have been going back and forth through emails this past week and the dialogue below is both insightful and interesting.
Oh...and check out the latest issue of
Catch Magazine that just was released today!
What is the spark that started Catch Magazine and where did the two of you meet?
O’Keefe - My background consists of being a freelance fly fishing photographer for 30 years, fly tackle rep from 1980 to 2007 and fishing bum for 35 years. I met Todd 9 or 10 years ago at a fly shop in Washington. When he moved to Bend, OR we started kicking around some ideas and after a couple tweaks we came up with, what is now, Catch Magazine.
Moen - As a Montana native I've been around rivers and fly fishing my whole life. I grew up in western Washington where I met Brian at Creekside Angling Company during a casting event back in 1996 or 1997. Since then, we have run into each other on the road at different locations around the country. A few years ago my wife Kelley and I moved to Central Oregon where Brian has been living for years. He knew of my background as a camera operator for various outdoor television programs and also knew that I had spent more than half my life filming the trout of southwest Montana. It seemed to be the perfect match for this type of project. We just went for it and it has been a huge success so far.
How is the online format changing the magazine industry with quality online endeavors such as Catch Magazine, This Is Fly, and others coming onto the scene?
O’Keefe - We think there will be a natural integration of media. In other words, paper magazines will test the internet waters, as Phil Monahan at American Angler has done so well. The internet, used properly, is a great tool. We use it everyday. There are too many amazing opportunities that can take advantage of a paperless medium and can reach over 100 countries, like Catch Magazine has done.
What is your opinion on how this will affect the future of printed magazines?
O’Keefe - I really like paper magazines. I contribute to them and have many great friends in the editorial and art departments of U.S. and European magazines. The internet has already had a well documented effect on newspapers, in particular, and paper magazines. The costs of paper, printing, and mailing are part of an enormous overhead. We share the expense of time and labor but the rest comes down to Earth friendly clicks. Time will tell how long the paper magazine can be effective and profitable. We have been spoiled, all our lives, with high quality fly fishing magazines. They have enlightened every one of us to new products, techniques, and destinations. Careers, partnerships, and for some a degree of fame, have come via our paper publications. After working on Catch Magazine for only six months, I look at all paper products differently. Whether it is packaging, catalogs, magazines or like today, Christmas wrapping paper.
With full featured digital and video cameras becoming more reasonable in cost, coupled with computer editing equipment, are the lines between "hack" and "professional" merging closer together?
O’Keefe - I hope so. To a degree, I think digital will level the playing field. Top notch photographers will always have fantastic images to share, but because digital allows so much easy and cheap experimentation, along with computer assistance, a whole new breed of fly fishing photographers have already made their mark. I see excellent photography on blogs (check out Loop) and fly shop and outfitter web sites. I see guides as really driving fly fishing photography, as they are out there in the best light, crazy weather, and they are around a lot of fish.
Moen - The world today has brought us along a crazy roller coaster of technology that is very hard to keep up with. It changes every three months! During the old days, like ten years ago before the editing equipment became so user-friendly, it was very hard for beginners to get into the game. I remember I used two VCRs at age 15 or 16 to edit footage that I recorded on 8mm tape. Apple or Adobe didn't have anything I could use then, and the CPU’s wouldn't have been able to power the software even if there was software available. It has come a LONG way since those days. Technology is evolving as we speak, so for me, keeping up with the newest thing is the challenge. However, it is also my strength and passion. Today for the beginner, all I have to say is you've got the tools for a much easier entrance into the world of film and videography than I did 20 years ago!
If someone has photo or video content that they would like to submit to Catch Magazine for consideration, is there opportunity for them to do this? And how do you prefer submissions?
O’Keefe - We really made Catch Magazine just for this. We want any and everyone to feel comfortable sending in their photos. A half dozen low res jpegs sent to us via e-mail is a great way to start the ball in motion. People can contact Todd about video submissions. It is really fun opening our e-mails and seeing photos from around the world. Most people are still sending in images that are a little to “editorial” for us. We like art first, entertainment second. Catch Magazine is “The Journal of Fly Fishing Photography, Film and Video”. Our contributor’s should think about creative, original and tack sharp photography first.
For those who an interest getting started in fly fishing photography or videography what are some suggestions from your years of experience in these fields? Choices in equipment, instruction, etc.?
O’Keefe - There have been so many advancements in digital cameras, both in the SLR and the point and shoot styles, that super expensive equipment is not always a necessity. I just came back from a family vacation in the Bahamas –
www.winterhavenbahamas.com – and I mainly used my Olympus Stylus 1030 SW. It is a great point and shoot camera that is shock proof and water proof. Held still, it makes great photos. The macro feature is amazing. Good photos still have certain time tested elements. I won’t beat a dead horse, but composition is critical. Good light is a must. Digital cameras seem to be a little more sensitive to bright or harsh light in a portion of the photo. Angles!!! Try new angles, from down low to up high. The most boring photos are those taken from five foot, eight inches, or the average human line of sight. We see that everyday; try a new line of sight. I like an essay with a mix of angles, lighting, lenses and composition. Yes, I admit I am a sucker for some traditional wide angle, river valley shots. They show the landscape, the river level, rapids or riffles, pool and channels. I like to see the weather, type of trees, the amount of wadeable water, and if it can be walked and waded for miles. I like the big panoramas with lots of fisherman friendly information. But, I also need to see new shots, new angles and new places from new photographers.
Moen – Today it is so easy to go overboard. It is tempting to think you need more “stuff” and the “best stuff” to make a quality production. With a camera, tripod, computer and software, you really only need the basics to get started. However, as there are numerous competing fly fishing videos out there today, good lighting and composition may not be enough to make the shot feel original. A creative angle is very important, followed closely by the need for a well-lit subject. If you have those two things- you're golden. Then, of course, Mother Nature has to cooperate…that can be the toughest part of the whole production. Today the small handheld HD cameras are superb, and the low-end Mac with basic software will let you be as creative as ever. These couple of pieces of equipment are still a bit pricey but not even close to the 130K HDCAM shoulder mounts I've used to get the job done. You now only have to spend about $2,500 to get started. Patience and creativity of course are required to make something extraordinary, but even a neophyte could go out shoot half a day in good conditions and put together something decent.
For those that have been doing this for awhile but want to take the quality of their product to the next step, how?
O’Keefe - Many people have told us that in a few years Catch Magazine will be the benchmark for outdoor photography. The competition is going to increase and the quality is going to go up. See the incredible photo essay in the Premier Issue from Jason Jagger and the mayfly macro work by John Miller in Issue #2. This is the kind of passion and dedication that 99% of camera owners will respect. The next level? Good question. We would say that we all can get in a rut and it sometimes takes a new lens or a dedicated departure from our own established style. Call it the “George Castanza Method” and try doing things differently, on purpose. Photography is no different than any other hobby or career. Those who work the hardest, in all kinds of conditions, will come out on top. We're always hiking to the top of a hill for a good “high shot”, or breaking out the Nikonos V for an underwater shot. Even when things are slow, we’ll make a couple macro fly box shots, or bugs, or food.
I know that the two of you have traveled extensively to countless fly fishing destinations. Where is one place that you just can't shake from your memory and you've got to get back to and why?
O’Keefe - I can think of quite a few places, but southern Chile is just plain incredible. The scenery, fishing, people, food, wine and vibe are life altering. Another one would be a trip last summer to place in Alaska we call River X (Catch Magazine Issue #4/March) -www.fishandfloatalaska.com – We had a river to ourselves for a week, with all day mouse action and beautiful leopard rainbows. Good friends, great action and adventure and a few river margaritas, what could be better.
Moen - I was on the road, and in the air, for almost 2.5 straight years filming fish around the world. I even managed to survive a plane crash on a remote Island... but the spot that always comes back to me as the one place where everything comes together- the best experience possible- would have to be New Zealand. Yes, it is the land of big fish, but the people, the beauty, variety of landscapes, and the ease of getting around, make it one of the most incredible places to travel in the world. This month's Issue #3 highlights some of my past work that I shot more than nine years ago. Great friends and fishing made it possible. There are so many places that are spectacular, but New Zealand tops it off in my book.
The new issue just dropped today and I've got to say it is a pretty impressive way to start off 2009. Are there any surprises or teasers for us to look forward to this year from Catch Magazine?
O’Keefe - Like our contributors, we have a never ending challenge to maintain our quality and to keep Catch Magazine fresh, entertaining, inspiring and interesting. We have many more veteran photographers to feature in our “Greatest Hits” segment and some crazy images coming in our “One Shot Wonders”. As long as fly fishing remains the most beautiful sport in the world, we should be able to satisfy our reader’s imagination, dreams and expectations. Catch Magazine has a surprise on every page. As you have noticed, we do not use factory/agency ads. We make unique, original, one time only ads that keep every page in Catch as interesting as possible. Take for example the Patagonia ad in the new issue. That roosterfish, patrolling the surf, is just plain cool to look at. The fact that it is an ad does not, in any way, detract from the photo or the use of a full screen. We won’t waste a single inch of space on something that does not entertain.
Thank you both for your time...and Happy New Year!
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