This month I want to talk about and give some tips on taking
professional looking pictures in the field.
I feel it is very important that after all the hard work is put into some of these hunts/trips, to put some thought, time and effort into taking your pictures, during and after a succesful hunt so you can relive those memories for the rest of life. If you are a guide, your client should expect that you can and will take profesional looking photo's of them as well. Good pictures not only for the clients and your self but, the outfitter you are working for might possibly want to use some to sell future hunts. A good quality pic can be valuable. Hopefully, some of these tips will get you taking better pictures sooner rather than later after many of nice animals have fallen....
So, few things you should know about taking pictures of downed game. If your hunting pictures are going to be of animals you have killed, avoid sitting on the animal in a triumphant pose. Show some class, as well as some respect for the animal that gave its life for you. I have taken a couple of those pictures myself earlier on, and they look very unprofessional.
Take pictures before gutting or get up close to avoid the bloody field dressed area of the animal. Hanging animals aren’t attractive, even to the one who did the shooting. Take photos that show respect both for the animals and those looking at the pictures.
Position the hunter on the opposite side of the animal from the camera, so that his or her head is positioned just above the animal’s head. Also, having the hunter on his knees looks better than having his knees sticking out in front of him. Try to postion the animals head where you can see the most surface area of antlers or horns. Or turn the head a little one way or the other so you can see all of the tines. If you have the oportuntity to skyline the animals antlers-go for it! That always make's for great pictures. Take some time to clean the animal up a little. Tuck in legs and hooves as it would when bedded down. Shove the animal’s tongue back in its mouth. If the tongue is unmanageable, cut it off. try and avoid proping heads up with sticks if you can. Just try an keep it as natural looking as you can. The less contact the person in the picture has with the animal the better. Take close-ups, gotta love them close up shots of animals, with hunter in the back round but not to far back, its amazing what a camera can do sometimes to make the animal look bigger and better, not only that it realy brings out the animal as center of attention, most most importantly, it make's great pics! Just try many differnt angles, different shots, close ups, back rounds, etc. You can never take to many pictures, delete the bad ones, keep the good ones and learn what makes better photo's.
If you dont have a digital camera, you should get one. Lets face it, we live in a digital world now days and so much more can be done with digitals than the old throw away print out type cam's. People want to see your photo's of your adventures and there is no easier way of sharing them than digitally, via internet. I cant tell you how many times and how many people I personally have hunted/fished with that just dont carry a camera
Only to find out that after all said and done and we are reveiwing the trip over coffie they are asking me " hey can you send me some of those picture man" "that would be great, I really want some of those pictures from that trip" "wished I would have brought a camera" It happens all the time!
Keep that camera handy, I feel the easier and quicker it is to get to the better. You will find that having a camera handy will get you some cool action shots during a hunt rather than just people posting looking at the camera all the time (that kinda boring). Just Ask your self how many times you have been out doing things and had a situation where you thought " man that would have made a great pic"?
Anyway, hope some of that made sence. Just have fun with it, learn how to use your camera, and if you dont have a grasp on it already, learn how to take quality picture's out there, they last a life time and once the moment is done, its done! Dont be that guy/gal wishing you had pictures to take with the great memories made!
Have a good season fellas, and take some pictures! Beau
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