Tips for taking photos of game

[96trigger]

I was reading the post about smiling in pictures and thought that I would add this, but then it got long, so I thought I would start another thread.

1. Clean the deer up. Put its tongue back in. A HSOforum mentioned taking wet wipes with you to clean up the blood around wounds or cover them with your bow or gun. This year, my deer's hair was really matted and nasty. I took a spray bottle and a brush and put it back down, making it lay flat and cleaning it up from the drag.

2. Make note of you background, move branches into and out of the picture to get more of an outdoor effect. Move branches in to add color and enhance the photo, or move them out if they are in the way.

3. Take note of shadows, tip you cap up so your face isn't as shadowed, position the deer where the sun is best, early morning and late evening are the best times to take the pictures when it is not overcast.

4. Take the pictures in the field if possible. This year I didn't get the deer until last light. When I went home and hung it up, I used zip ties to keep the legs bent after rigor sets in so it would sit more normal the next day when I went to take the pictures in the field. Yes, I gave up another morning of hunting to go get good pictures of the deer in the field.

5. Keep you pets out of the picture unless your pets are the reason you got the game (pheasants, ducks, rabbits, etc.)

6. Try and keep the animal looking as normal as possible. Wearing 18 layers can make a big buck look small. Sitting too far back can make the deer look abnormally large. These are great to show your friends, but in 10 years, the pictures that you will like the best are the more natural ones where the deer looks like it does on the wall.

7. Wear clean HUNTING clothes, if you have a buddy with clean blaze or camo, borrow theirs, especially if yours has blood on it. Camo or blaze orange colors can make the picture pop and stand out. Take the time to wash your hands and face if possible.

8. Use your knee to lift,prop the deer up so it is resting on your thigh. This gives the deer a more natural look and brings it up to waist/chest level putting both of you in the same frame.

9. Don't grip the antlers like you are trying to tear them off. Try holding them with one hand. Turning the head this way and that to get multiple pics at multiple angles.

10. Have the photographer sit on the ground or even lay on the ground. Take the photos from multiple angles and multiple levels. Move the deer's head, take multiple photos from multiple angles, move it again, multiple photos from multiple angles, repeat as many times as necessary, take full frame shots as well as closer shots of you and just the upper torso of the deer. This can really be beneficial if the deer is bloody or already field dressed.

11. Try and take note of eyes and ears when you are holding them, keep them as natural as possible and keep the eyes open.

12. Smile, be happy, no matter what the trophy, these memories will be around a long time.

I usually want 20-50 pictures and hope that one turns out great. It is worth it as I often go back and take a look at the pics from years past. With digital cameras, there is no reason that you can't do this.

The above pic is the best picture I have of this years buck. It is the best picture of me and the deer. The colors are vivid, the deer is clean, The lighting is good and it is tasteful. The next two display the rack better than the first, but there are issues with each one. Like a building in the background and bent ears. I should have paid more attention to it when I was having the pictures taken. But sometimes its hard to follow my own advice.

[NoWiser]

Great post, Trigger. Taking a little more time to get some good pictures is always worth it. It's something that I have been trying to work on the last few years with decent, but still not great results. Hopefully the next few years will give me some more opportunities for practice!

[96trigger]

Thanks. I should note that these are not just my tips. I looked on a variety of different websites and pulled the information together. Some of it was very good and stuff I never thought of. A lot of it was repetitive, but it seemed like almost every site had something new that I never thought about.

[pureinsanity]

Dont have the sun facing your side or back like in the above photos. Shadows are enemies.

[Grayfox]

Great advise, Trigger.

I'd also add don't sit on your deer like your going to ride it pictures and you covered taking pictures in a natural setting but the pictures hanging upside down from the gambrel or the back of the truck just don't do it. If you can't take a picture at the kill site or near it for whatever reason take 10 minutes and drag it out of the truck and take a picture in your front yard if you have to. Place it in front of a bush or tree without the neibors garage in the background before you settle on the back of the truck bed pictures. I think you'll appreciate the photo better down the road.

Rob