Ambassador guide
SHOOT
LIKE YOU
FISH.
Your photos and videos are how Svivlo tells its story. Not the product shots. Not the studio images. The real moments — on the water, in the conditions, with the fish.
This guide gives you everything you need to shoot material we can actually use — across social, ads, website, and print.
One rule above all others: Don't delete anything because you think it's not good enough. A photo you consider average may be exactly what we need. Send everything. We decide what's usable.
The reel
Keep it visible. Not everything.
The reel should be the subject in many shots — clearly visible, not necessarily filling the frame. But we also need shots where the reel isn't the focus at all. Environment, atmosphere, preparation, waiting, nature. That's what builds the story.
Framing
Leave space. Always.
Don't zoom in too tight. Leave space around the subject. This lets us crop into different formats — square, portrait, landscape — and adjust for ads, social, and print. Better too much space than too little.
Authenticity
Be yourself. Fish normally.
Authentic moments beat perfection. We are not looking for staged shots or perfect conditions. Fish as you normally do. The moments that happen naturally are the ones that resonate. Have fun with it.
Photo guidelines
WHAT MAKES
A GREAT SHOT.
Shoot in RAW if possible
RAW files give us far greater flexibility in post-production — colour correction, exposure adjustment, cropping. If your camera or phone supports RAW, use it. JPEGs are fine if not. Never edit the files yourself. Send them straight from your camera or phone.
Don't edit the material
No filters. No colour correction. No cropping before sending. We have a defined visual style and we handle all adjustments ourselves. Editing before sending limits what we can do with the file. Send it raw.
Think about formats while shooting
Your photos will be used in many formats. Both portrait and landscape should work as a square crop. A portrait image cannot become landscape and vice versa — but both should give us a usable square. Think about that before you press the shutter.
Avoid visible competitor brands
Try to avoid other brand logos and products in frame. It doesn't need to be perfect — if it's in the background of an otherwise great shot, send it anyway. But if you can avoid it, do.
Shoot the full experience
The environment matters as much as the reel. Water surfaces, light on the bank, hands on the rod, the moment before the cast. Atmosphere and feeling often matter more than technical perfection, especially on social media.
Send everything — don't filter yourself
Never delete material because you think it's not good enough. An out-of-focus shot of the right moment is more valuable than a sharp shot of nothing. We review everything. Send too much rather than too little.
Do this
- Leave space around the subject for cropping flexibility
- Shoot in RAW when your camera supports it
- Send files straight from camera or phone — unedited
- Shoot both the reel and the environment around it
- Capture the full session — preparation, waiting, the catch
- Think square crop when framing every shot
- Use a microphone if you speak on video
- Send everything, even shots you're unsure about
Not this
- Apply filters, crops, or colour correction before sending
- Delete footage because it doesn't look perfect to you
- Zoom in too tight — leave room around the subject
- Stage shots that don't reflect how you actually fish
- Show visible logos or products from other brands
- Record video in low resolution when 4K is available
- Film handheld in conditions where a steady shot is possible
- Edit or compress files before sending them to us
Shot list
SHOTS WE
ALWAYS NEED.
Reel in hand — ready to cast
The reel held naturally, rod loaded, about to cast. This is the most used shot category. Different angles — from behind, from the side, from low. Show the grip. Real casting stance, not posed.
The cast — mid-flight
The lure in the air, line unspooling, rod bent. Action shots during the cast are extremely valuable. Burst mode helps. Shoot a lot and we'll find the frame.
Splashdown moment
The lure hitting the water. Water spray. Ripples spreading out. This is the defining moment of CastGuard — the moment the thumb doesn't need to step in. If you can capture it, it tells the story better than any copy.
The catch
Fish in hand, at the net, being released. The reel visible where possible. Don't stop filming for the catch — the strike, the fight, and the landing are all valuable. Keep rolling.
Reel on the deck — ready to fish
The reel laid on the boat gunwale, on a tackle box, on the dock — rod rigged, lure tied on. Clean, detailed, atmospheric. Early morning or golden hour light makes these shots.
Close-up detail shots
The spool. The handle. The drag. Hands on the reel. Line leaving the spool. Get close — macro if possible. Sharp focus on the reel, background blurred. Natural light preferred over flash.
The environment — no reel needed
Water surfaces. Mist on the lake. Light through trees. The boat from a distance. A rod silhouetted at sunset. Atmosphere without product. These are often missing from ambassador submissions.
The full session — start to finish
Rigging up. First cast. Long stretches of waiting. The light changing. Packing up. A full session tells a complete story that a single hero shot can't. Shoot throughout the day.
Format guide
FOUR FORMATS.
ONE SHOOT.
One photo taken with space around the subject can be cropped into all four formats below. This is why framing matters — shoot wide, let us crop.
Video guidelines
Film it.
We'll edit it.
Video brings fishing to life in a way photos can't. The sound of the cast. The pause before the strike. The moment the fish takes the lure. Capture all of it.
You don't need a professional setup. A modern phone in 4K is enough. What matters is that the footage is steady, well-lit, and captures real moments — not rehearsed ones.
Shoot both short clips and longer sequences. A two-minute continuous shot of casting gives us more to work with than ten two-second clips. Keep the camera rolling longer than you think you need to.
If you talk to camera or do commentary, use a microphone if you have one. Built-in microphones work in calm conditions — wind kills them.
Video specs
Sending your files
Use WeTransfer.
It's free and fast.
Photos and videos are large files — too large for email and most messaging apps. WeTransfer lets you send up to 2 GB for free, with no account required. It works from any phone or computer.
Don't compress, zip, or resize your files before sending. Send them exactly as they come off your camera or phone. File size is not a problem — that's what WeTransfer is for.
When your transfer is ready, send the download link to your Svivlo contact. The link stays active for seven days.
Send your WeTransfer link to: media@svivlo.com
Include your name and where you were fishing.
How to send via WeTransfer
Go to wetransfer.com
Open wetransfer.com on your phone or computer. No account needed. Click "I agree" to accept the terms and continue to the upload screen.
Add your files
Click the blue "+" button and select your photos and videos. You can add multiple files at once — up to 2 GB total for free. Drag and drop also works on desktop.
Get a link — skip the email fields
Click "Get a link" instead of filling in the email fields. This creates a shareable download link you can send to us directly. Easier and faster than the email option.
Wait for the upload to finish
Keep the browser open while it uploads. Large files can take several minutes on mobile. Don't close the browser until you see the confirmation screen with your link.
Copy the link and send it to us
Copy the link and send it to media@svivlo.com. Include your name, the date, and where you were fishing. The link is valid for 7 days.
FISH.
SHOOT.
SEND.
You don't need to follow every rule in this guide perfectly. Fish as you normally do. Shoot what feels right. The authentic moments are always the best ones.
When in doubt — shoot it anyway and send it. We would rather have too much to work with than too little. A shot you almost didn't take is often the one that ends up in the campaign.
Questions? Email customerservice@svivlo.com — we're here to help you get the best material possible.
