Take some good photos

[Red Rabbit]

With the cows, coo, coos, cooz, fantail, Arizona and NM whitetail hunts starting this weekend, lets take some good field photos. Many of us have entered into the buck contest and there is a category for best photo, regardless of antler size. Even if your forky won't go into B&C, say cheese .

 

I recall that Eastmans Journal had an article about field photos about a year ago that talked about posing and backgrounds. Remember to watch for distracting backgrounds behind you and the antlers, wipe off any blood, hide the bullet holes, cut off the tongue if it won't stay inside, sit behind the deer, not on top, tuck the legs under, take from a low profile. Gut or field dress the deer after the picture session. Take a pic that glorifies the deer and the hunt.

 

RR

[ScottAdams]

Well said Doug.

[DesertBull]

Here's some more tips:

 

A lot of digital cams will let you set a "bracket" exposure. This will take a picture using the setting the camera thinks is optimal and also take a picture with the exposure a step lighter and another pic one step darker. 3 pics, 3 different exposures, 1 push of the button. When you get home, you choose the one that looks best and delete the other two.

 

Take some pics using your flash, even in daylight, to help fill in the shadows. Use the red-eye reduction settings.

 

Don't center the deer in the picture. Frame the shot using the "rule of thirds".

 

Take some pics so that the viewer can get a good look at the landscape in which you took your trophy. Using the "landscape" setting on your camera will ensure that the subject and the background are both in focus.

 

Use the "portrait" settings on closeups to blur the background and focus all the attention on the subjects of the photo.

 

Take a lot of pictures! You will probably only get 1 or 2 that are really awesome out of every 20 pics you take.

 

 

 

 

Anyone got any more?

[Red Rabbit]

Desertbull had some great tips. Like he said, film is cheap, so take lots of pics. Or fill that 1 meg card.

 

Also:

Tip your cap back a little to reduce the hat brim's shadow and expose your face. Use the fill flash to illuminate your face and reduce shadows.

 

The flash will cause the deer eyes to be martian green, so your taxidermist may have scratched glass eyes to give you that you can place over the real eyeball to eliminate the greenie-meanies.

 

If the sun is behind you and the deer, definitely use a flash.

 

Take some pics during the day to tell a story of the hunt

 

Look at the photos in various magazines, like Eastmans, for ideas.

 

RR

[Red Rabbit]

I recall a pic that a friend took of me and my first coues. He had taken the pic such that a telephone pole was lined up and appeared to come out of the top of my head .....so be aware of the background with poles, fences, tree limbs, cactus, etc.

 

RR