Weekly Round-Up: Hurry Up And Wait (And Make a Portrait)
Put down the phone. Talk with a human being. And maybe make a portrait in the process.
Welcome to 2025, team. I hope you all enjoyed some quiet time away from computer and phone screens over the Christmas and New Year window, and that you’re finding your own ways to hard-charge into the coming year. Still hard to believe we’re here, isn’t it?
Winter’s finally arrived in Montana, and my days are currently being divided between client work and meetings, gym / PT, and a deep-dive into final preparations for Argentina in a few weeks as well as for other hosted trips later in the year. It’s busy, which I’ve long believed is a good way to ward off the wintertime cabin fever.
Winter’s also a great time to finesse skills and techniques for your photography. Below, you’ll find a quick primer on thoughts regarding the portrait process… and a bit on how I approach making images with people I’ve just met. This is something I cover in much more detail in photo workshops and classes, but hopefully it provides a bit of food for thought.
Paying Attention: Portrait Work
Strong portraits don’t happen instantly. Invest time to capture a compelling, authentic in-situ portrait.
"You know, so often [photography] is just sticking around and being there, remaining there, not swooping in and swooping out in a cloud of dust; sitting down on the ground with people, letting the children look at your camera with their dirty, grimy little hands, and putting their fingers on the lens, and you let them, because you know that if you will behave in a generous manner, you're very apt to receive it, you know? People are very, very trusting; and also, most of us really like to get the full attention of the person who's photographing you. It's rare, you don't get it very often. Who pays attention to you, really, a hundred percent? You doctor, your dentist, and your photographer.” - Dorothea Lange
It’s easy to get caught up in the glamorous pictures; the big fish or the newspaper-headline conflict shot or whatever the job may be. But hands-down, my favorite part about this job is the “hurry and up and wait” moments; the moments when we’re in transit and just… lingering. It gives me the chance to spend some quiet time with the locals of wherever I’m working; to ask if I can make a portrait.
I met this young girl, photographed in the Bolivian Amazon while fishing with Tsimane Lodges, while I waiting at the airstrip for the flight out of the jungle. Hanging around Oromomo Village, she wandered closer and closer before finally coming over. I plopped down on the ground and we “talked” a bit, despite the fact we didn’t have a shared language. She kept looking at the camera, and after a moment I held it up and nodded at her. Immediately she smiled, excited at the prospect, and we hung out and shot a couple images. Each time she was so excited to see herself on the little LCD screen on the back of the camera.
This second image is of a tribesman and sometimes-guide in Jordan; it took a half-day of desert hiking and getting to know one another before he agreed to let me take his picture. It’s still one of my favorite images of all time.
And the kids in this third shot, who I met in the mountains of Lesotho while fishing for yellowfish with African Waters, weren’t sure what to make of the big camera until I sat down right in the middle of them, letting them play with the camera and see themselves on the LCD screen. Then we were buddies. Just like the quote above talked about, I didn’t care that the camera came away with a lot of dust, smudges, and maybe being dropped a few times when it came back to me. We’d had a lot of fun sitting in that red dirt, pointing the camera at each other.
Take the time to get to know people along the way. (And “along the way” can be in your neighborhood at home, or in another country on the other side of the planet—it doesn’t matter.)
Ask if you can make a photograph. You won’t regret it.
See You In Denver Next Month
For those of you who are planning (or maybe should be planning!) to attend the Denver Fly Fishing Show this year, I’ll be teaching a couple different workshops during the February 21-23, 2025 show. (And I’ll just have returned from Argentina two days prior, so the odds are good the presentations will be jet-lagged and entertaining.)
I’m waiting on dates and times for the workshops or talks, and will pass that on to you all as soon as I have it. I’ll be teaching on the following topics:
Capture Better Fishing Photos With Jess McGlothlin: A 2.5-hour intensive workshop with in-class “assignments”, $95 for the session and limited attendance.
Travel Tips and Tricks With Jess McGlothlin: A 45-minute presentation designed to help anglers be more prepared—and feel more confident—traveling solo or as part of a group. Free with show ticket.
I hope to see many of you in Denver at the show!
Q&A
Keep on sending in your questions via Instagram or by commenting by clicking the button below. Each week I’ll pick one and give a longer, more thought-out answer here than those I give on Instagram.
This week’s question came in via Instagram.
Q: What’s on your reading list for 2025?
A: I tend to re-read 1776 by David McCullough every other winter, and am already diving back into that this January. It seems to be a more and more timely read each run through. I’m also on the lookout for a long but light travel read to bring along to Argentina in a few weeks, which usually translates into a Clive Cussler or a Tom Clancy—my go-to travel authors. If you have recommendations for solid 2025 reads, please send them along!
Cool Finds: Cadence Capsule System
I’m grateful that PR agencies and companies will occasionally reach out and offer to send something over for testing. Much of the time it might be a cool item but not necessarily something that gets integrated into my “trip essentials” list. These, however, just might make the cut. (Cadence sent me this system as a sample. I don’t get any money or commission from including it here.)
The Cadence Capsules are labeled and magnetized, two things which make my Type-A organizational personality happy. I’ll be testing them out on a long trip to Argentina in a few weeks, and look forward to not having to spend extra money on travel-size toiletries, or pack along big bottles. The plastic, folding pouch the capsules live in is small and compact… with means more luggage space for fishing and camera gear.
Recently Published
Pick up the winter issue of The Fly Fish Journal for words + images about fly-fishing off Colombia’s Darien Gap.
The Field Ethos Journal recently ran this piece about having a beer on a stormy night in one of Pablo Escobar’s former bars… a life goal I didn’t know I had.
Hook & Barrel has a gorgeous feature about fishing for large rainbow trout at Argentina’s Estancia Laguna Verde in their latest issue. I got a sneak peek at the layout, and am excited to see the final!
It’s not all fishing. I recently penned a hotel review on the exquisite Langham in Boston for travel industry B2B publication Travel Market Report.
Read the latest issue of Fly Fisherman magazine for an article and images on the Golden Dorado River Cruiser, as well as a series of images from Colombia’s Darien Lodge accompanying an article from fly-angling great Jeff Currier.
Follow Along on Social
If you’re not already, follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Like what you’re reading? Share with friends! Thanks for your time and support.
