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" Take QUALITY Pictures" .....ones to be Proud Of!!

Ok, it’s about time to bring it back around one more time!

4th annual “Take QUALITY Pictures, Ones to be Proud Of!” thread.

The next installment of our “Classic” yearly threads in anticipation of another terrific and successful season!:)

You have that animal you worked so hard for, dreamt of all offseason…….it may very well be an animal of a lifetime in your hands! What you do next will decide how well that memory will be replayed and preserved for you for years to come.
You’ve all seen them………and if you don’t hate them I’d be shocked. You know what I’m talking about: Tongue hanging out, laying lifeless in the back of a pick-up truck,or the absolute most horrible of them all (Insert Psycho Shower Scene Music here)........hanging by its neck from the garage rafters!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh!! [:o][:o][:o][X(]

What are you doing!
A little fore thought, a small amount of time and some creativity will help you to take pictures that you will be proud to show anyone, ones that will do the moment justice and ABOVE ALL ELSE honor the spirit of the animal you just harvested.

I won’t call these the “BE All End All” guidelines for how to take pictures (I’m NOT a professional photographer) but you can rest assured that if you eliminate most of the things you SHOULDN’T do chances are you will be much happier when you get that film back from 1hr photo (cause ya know none of us can wait!)

1. Ok I know we’re not all John D. Rockafeller……..cameras are expensive plain and simple. But we have options! You can get as crazy as you want, or you can get by with some simple and inexpensive disposable options. But you need SOMETHING!
The main thing to remember is this……The best pictures are those taken on the spot, in the woods, fields where the animal lived and died. They not only ad needed scenery to a picture but they also help to tell the story. (So a camera you won' t be afraid to take into the woods is a big plus)
Several factors will determine if this can or will happen…….if you have a buddy to help take the pictures you can keep a decent disposable camera in your day pack. Very little added weight or space taken.
Obviously if you are by yourself you’ll need a “REAL” camera with an automatic shutter feature. Use a Log, a big Rock , your pack or whatever as a makeshift tri-pod. I' ve taken some of my best pictures exactly like this.
In any event do your best to have a camera (with a flash) handy. (Or at least a short walk away at your vehicle)

2. Don’t be afraid to take a BUNCH of pictures…….usually you’ll know if you’ve taken enough when your hunting buddy starts to complain or calls you “Miss America” Whatever you do DON’T stop after one or 2 pictures…….blow an entire roll if you have to . I have seen too many instances where 24 pictures are taken and maybe 1 or 2 come out truly good.

3. Posing the animal is sort of an art form in itself…….you want the animal to look tasteful and quite frankly alive. Try to avoid the “Overhead” airplane shots. Have your buddy get down eye level, get close get far , straight on, quartering, hunter sitting, hold it this way, that way………basically be creative. Check out the poses in the hunting magazines. Find one you really like, remember it and try to duplicate it with your own animal.

4. Compose the picture…..think about what is behind the shot and how it will play into the picture. If there is a nice bit of early morning sun hitting the forest floor only a few feet away, by all means get the animal into it. If there is a particularly nice tree etc get it in the picture. Remove all foreign debris like twigs, weeds etc from sticking up in front of the shot. Nothing worse than getting the pictures back and the camera focused on and flashed out a big fat weed a foot from the lens!

5. Take the pictures BEFORE the animal is dressed! It will look fuller, and more alive. Speaking of alive, you might want to invest in a set of taxidermist eyes. It doesn’t take long for a dead deer (or whatever) to get a “Dead” eye. You can easily slip these fake eyes into place and not only will you have nice lifelike eyes, but no “Eye Shine” from the flash.

6. Wipe off all Blood, stick the tongue back in and for God’s Sake if the arrow is still in the animal REMOVE IT. I know some of you are thinking……” I’m not going to worry about what other people think” Well frankly you should. Being able to proudly show a non-hunter a tastefully done picture showing how proud you are of that animal…….honoring the animal will go a lot farther than a bloody deer hanging from its neck I can guarantee you that! A little Windex or water sprayed around the mouth will make a much cleaner looking picture.

7. SMILE!!!!! You are having a good time, you’re not getting your picture taken for “Soldier of Fortune” magazine.:D

8. Get the Hat out of your eyes……yeah we want to see you to:eek:

9. Make sure that you get the bow in the picture. Again helps to tell the story

10. Put something solid under the deer’s chest cavity to prop it up a bit…….will give a much fuller looking animal. When an animal is lying down you don’t realize it but it is on a very near parallel angle to the ground. Bringing the chest up and out a bit will do wonders. Also try tucking the legs into a “Bedded” position under the animal. Looks very lifelike.

11. Smooth back any funky hair…….slick it back with your hand.

12. Use your flash to fill shadows. Even if you think its light enough already. (But also try some without)

13. Get close…….many many many times I’ve seen people THINK that they are going to get what they see in that viewfinder and they wind up with a picture that looks much farther away. Don’t be afraid to take some shots from “Too Close”

14. Digital Cameras are GREAT…….and as technology gets better and better you are starting to see prices on very good one come down considerably. Nothing like the instant gratification and feedback of a digital. You don’t like a shot, simply erase it and try again. If you go this route, remember to save the pictures to a DISC! You lose your computer, you lose your memories.

15. The animal is NOT a carnival ride so don’t even dream of sitting on it’s back! This even looks tacky for the truly big animals like Elk and Moose.

16. Don’t pull a “Bill Dance” and stretch your arms out to the camera to make your 13” 8pt look like the “Jordan Buck”! Nobody is buying it and we want to see the true animal!

17. Pick-up beds are a big pet peeve of mine……..especially since most of the time it involves just the animal looking VERY dead, or since there is no room you wind up with “Joe Hunter” riding bareback. YUCK!!!! [X(] I find no excuse for this one except a lack of really caring or laziness. If you can’t get the animal’s picture taken in the woods that’s understandable. Drive to a Park or a friend’s house, whatever. Just make it somewhere in a natural setting, remember the above tips and do your best to make it look lifelike! NO the garage floor next to the can of Kerosene and your spare tire doesn’t count![:@][:' (]

18. Get your hunting partner in the picture! He’s your buddy……..your now jealous buddy!, [>:]but your buddy nonetheless, and when the 2 of you relive the hunt though the pictures they will mean much more to you

19. Pass it down……..sorry to remind everyone, but we are all going to pass onto the big hunting ground in the sky someday. Leave something behind for your kids to show your love of the sport in a way they will be proud of! Is there anything better than to imagine your grandkids sitting around a fireplace paging thru “Grandpas” old hunting album and remembering the hunts and the man behind them. Everybody now……….Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. [:-]:eek::)

That should do it, if anyone is still awake!
I know this isn’t the “Bible” of how hunting pics should be taken…..it’s not meant to be. Like I said, I don’t know many of the technical aspects of photography, but they certainly will put everyone on the right track. Please feel free to ad your own ideas and thoughts to this thread.......I know I didn' t think of everything.

What I want everyone to do……..what I CHALLENGE everyone to do is to get a camera(Again doesn' t need to cost more than your bow!), use a camera and take the best pictures that they are capable of. Pictures to be proud of, to look at again and again with a smile………And above all else to HONOR THE ANIMAL.