It's the hunt of a lifetime. Whether it's your son's first greenhead near home, your best morning hunting ducks in the fabled marshes of Argentina, your Dad's last trip for South Dakota pheasants or what may be your only dove hunt in Cordoba, photographs are the perfect tribute to hunt. In the fractions of a second that shutters blink, memories that will persist for generations are captured. Keep these tips in mind on your next hunting adventure and you'll produce photos that would make anyone proud.
Get up close and personal. Fill up as much of the camera frame with your subject as possible. Quality shots can always be reshaped, trimmed, and resized, but you can't continue to zoom in on a distant subject and maintain clarity.
Keep camera at the subject's eye level. The eye level angle creates a personal and inviting feeling. Slightly lower can create dramatic effects, but rarely are flattering photos taken from above eye level.
Keep the background as simple as possible. Avoid trees or telephone poles, for example, which appear to sprout from the subject's head. In perfect conditions, nothing provides a better backdrop for antlers than blue sky.
Keep the photo setting natural. Avoid ATV racks and tailgate shots.
Remove excessive blood and stick the tongue back into the animal's mouth. Rearrange and smooth feathers. Move the animal, if needed, to avoid unsightly pools of blood. Take the few moments necessary to make the animal look natural and relaxed in a manner that captures their best attributes. Demonstrate respect for the hunter, the animal and the sport.
Exercise and demonstrate proper firearm safety etiquette - keep actions opened and muzzles pointing in safe directions.
Avoid direct sunshine that causes squints. Watch out for shadows - especially the photographer's shadow. Mornings and afternoons, when light is on an even plane with the subject, usually provide ideal lighting conditions.
Use fill flash to lighten dark facial shadows on bright, sunny days, especially when the sun is directly overhead or behind. On cloudy days, fill flash will brighten faces and make them stand out.
Taking pictures of scenery and inanimate subjects is a skill worth developing. Learn to hold the camera very steady and snap several shots of great scenes.
Tell a story beyond game animals bagged. Take photos of people together doing things not posed. Try to get candid shots or arrange the poses to look natural. Photos of things and places may seem justified at the moment, but later the photos may seem disconnected and empty without the context of people.
Ramsey Russell's GetDucks.com
Get up close and personal. Fill up as much of the camera frame with your subject as possible. Quality shots can always be reshaped, trimmed, and resized, but you can't continue to zoom in on a distant subject and maintain clarity.
Keep camera at the subject's eye level. The eye level angle creates a personal and inviting feeling. Slightly lower can create dramatic effects, but rarely are flattering photos taken from above eye level.
Keep the background as simple as possible. Avoid trees or telephone poles, for example, which appear to sprout from the subject's head. In perfect conditions, nothing provides a better backdrop for antlers than blue sky.
Keep the photo setting natural. Avoid ATV racks and tailgate shots.
Remove excessive blood and stick the tongue back into the animal's mouth. Rearrange and smooth feathers. Move the animal, if needed, to avoid unsightly pools of blood. Take the few moments necessary to make the animal look natural and relaxed in a manner that captures their best attributes. Demonstrate respect for the hunter, the animal and the sport.
Exercise and demonstrate proper firearm safety etiquette - keep actions opened and muzzles pointing in safe directions.
Avoid direct sunshine that causes squints. Watch out for shadows - especially the photographer's shadow. Mornings and afternoons, when light is on an even plane with the subject, usually provide ideal lighting conditions.
Use fill flash to lighten dark facial shadows on bright, sunny days, especially when the sun is directly overhead or behind. On cloudy days, fill flash will brighten faces and make them stand out.
Taking pictures of scenery and inanimate subjects is a skill worth developing. Learn to hold the camera very steady and snap several shots of great scenes.
Tell a story beyond game animals bagged. Take photos of people together doing things not posed. Try to get candid shots or arrange the poses to look natural. Photos of things and places may seem justified at the moment, but later the photos may seem disconnected and empty without the context of people.
Ramsey Russell's GetDucks.com
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