Fishing Photoshoot with Richard Hammond on the River Test

Some photoshoots are loud, fast, and full of moving parts, and others are the complete opposite. This day with Richard Hammond on the banks of the River Test was very much the latter: slow, quiet, and beautifully understated. The kind of job where the light, the landscape, and the subject do most of the heavy lifting, and your role as the photographer is to simply not intrude.

Fishing, by its very nature, demands patience and calm. The last thing you want is a photographer clattering around like a one-man film crew, scaring off the fish and ruining the mood. At the same time, you can’t be so timid that you miss opportunities to improve a shot. The balance is in observing, anticipating, and offering gentle suggestions when they’ll actually add something.

Richard was, as you’d expect, an absolute pro. With decades of television and production experience, he instinctively understood the process. Small tweaks, turning slightly into the light, pausing a cast for half a second, adjusting position along the bank, were all he needed to help elevate the images without ever breaking the natural flow of what he was doing.

Knowing When to Step In and When to Step Back

Shoots like this are a lesson in restraint. It’s about reading the environment and recognising when to intervene and when to simply let moments unfold. There was no need for big setups, complicated direction, or manufactured scenes. The river, the reeds, the rhythm of casting, it was all already there.

My job was to build on what was happening naturally rather than impose something artificial. Sometimes that meant waiting five minutes for the right gesture. Sometimes it meant quietly suggesting a different angle or position on the bank. The key was keeping everything feeling effortless.

Keeping the Kit Simple and Unobtrusive

I kept things deliberately lightweight. As usual, I worked mostly with prime lenses for their look and simplicity, but I also leaned on the Canon 70–200mm f/2.8. That lens was invaluable, it allowed me to shoot from a distance, stay out of Richard’s eyeline, and avoid casting shadows across the water or disturbing the fish.

I also donned the all-important waders, which meant I could step into the river when needed and capture more intimate angles of Richard casting his line. Being able to move freely in the water without turning the shoot into a spectacle made a huge difference to the final images.

A Shoot to Savour

Not every job needs to be high octane to be memorable. This was one of those rare days where everything just felt easy, beautiful summer light, a stunning location, a subject who understood the craft, and a relaxed, talented crew.

Standing in the River Test, camera in hand, watching the light ripple across the water while Richard Hammond quietly fished, you really can’t ask for much more than that from a day at work.