Post by Woody Williams on Aug 18, 2005 6:14:09 GMT -5
PLANNING THE TROPHY PHOTO
Unfortunately the majority of photos do not depict a trophy taken, rather they can be defined as "dead animal pictures". This is a concept that everyone of us must realize, and work to dispel. Photos of trophy animals can be tasteful, and enjoyed by nearly everyone, but if poorly done it will turn off everyone but the most dedicated of hunters. Even these individuals will wince at the sight of such bad publicity. This needs to be one of our first concerns in planning any such photograph. When you go up to your animal, look at it through the eyes of the non-hunter and plan accordingly.
Now look around you to see what the country is like. Often. especially in the case of mountain game, it is possible to improve the photo by moving the trophy a short distance to a more scenic location. Perhaps you can position yourself to take advantage of a spectacular view, or some colorful vegetation, If you are in deep brush, try to move into the open, or if in a swamp, you may wish to move onto a dry knoll. The site will dictate the possibilities, but be open to any opportunity to improve the setting. In some cases, as with moose, it is simply impossible to move the animal. Many moose die in thick alders. This provides little opportunity for a good picture, but just a few minutes with your saw will clear the area immediately around the animal enough for you to get a good photo.
Once the location is picked, then clean up the area. When your friends look at the pictures you want them to see the trophy and hunter, not the backpack and dirty socks in the background! Now that you are in the position you want, take a close look at your trophy. If the face is bloody it only takes a few minutes to fetch some water and clean it off. Often an unsightly hole is left where the bullet exits the body, plan your photo so that this or any large amount of blood is not exposed. Often this can be accomplished simply by turning the animal or through careful placement of the hunter. If at all possible take your pictures before the animal is field dressed. Now, place the legs in a natural position, such as the animal would use if it were laying on the ground, sprawling legs look unnatural, and distract from the photograph. If the tongue is hanging out, place it back in the mouth, or remove it in some manner, Do everything possible to place the animal in a natural position.
With the trophy in position it's now time to position the hunter, which also requires some consideration, Plan to take your picture, if possible from the front quarter of the animal, with the hunter positioned behind, and to the side of the head. This all has the effect of foreshortening the picture. If the game species or photo is one that requires the hunter to hold a portion of the animal, such as the antlers or bear, have him do so at arms length. In this way the head of the bear, or antlers of the moose will be in the foreground, and take on the appearance of being much larger when compared with the hunter in the background. If the hunter does not need to support the animal, have him position himself a yard or so behind the animal. A hunter positioned in front of the trophy has just the opposite effect. His position will nearly always make the animal appear to be smaller than it actually is, Whatever you do, don't sit on the animal. In promoting hunting as a respected sport we need to be especially careful not to be disrespectful of the animals taken. A hunter sitting on an animal is often viewed m an insult lo once healthy, noble animal, which is not the image most of us wish to present to our non-hunting friends. Now, smile, and look like you arc enjoying the hunt. A big smile brightens up a photo and puts the viewer in a good frame of mind. Ever see someone selling a product on television that frowned? Not a chance. Remember, we are selling hunting, give us a smile
Now that the camera is finally clicking, keep it going. Take a lot of pictures and, with each new angle, adjust your polarizer for the best contrast. Then shoot a few more without the polarizer, and always shoot a few using the flash. Remember, only a few of your pictures are going to turn out really well, so be sure you have a number to pick from, Take shots up close, and from back always. Try unusual positions and angles, and don't be afraid to shoot a few rolls. When is the next time you will be here? Before you start, check the camera setting we covered to be sure, they are correct, several rolls of film shot at the wrong ASA will ALL be bad. Turn the camera up on its side for at least 1/3 of the shots. It gives a good perspective to mountain shots that can't be realized if the camera is held in the normal position. It also makes caribou antlers seem taller and valleys look deeper.
As you shoot, use a variety of f-stops and shutter speeds. preferably using the manual override feature on your camera. Even an automatic camera often gets a bad light reading, and produces poor photos. To insure against this I suggest that you take one or two extra photos of each pose at an f-stop setting two stops above and below the automatic exposure, For example, if your automatic setting calls for an exposure at f-8 at a shutter speed of 1/125 and take a shot or two and then, AT THE SAME SHUTTER SPEED, shoot some additional shots at f-16 and f-4. This is called bracketing your picture. It covers the possibility that your camera might be shooting a slightly under or overexposed photo with the automatic setting. Don't be afraid to take the time to shoot a lot of pictures, Several rolls are not too many, considering how far you have come for the hunt. A good photo is worth far more than a thousand words when it comes remaking your friends believe how big your trophy really was, and thephot6s that turn out bad can always be thrown away. All of which brings up my last point, select only the best photos for display. Poor photos may mean something to you, but they are distracting and cause a listener to lose interest in your story, Every professional photographer realizes the truth of the saying "The difference between a good and a bad photographer is how they sort their pictures!"
Unfortunately the majority of photos do not depict a trophy taken, rather they can be defined as "dead animal pictures". This is a concept that everyone of us must realize, and work to dispel. Photos of trophy animals can be tasteful, and enjoyed by nearly everyone, but if poorly done it will turn off everyone but the most dedicated of hunters. Even these individuals will wince at the sight of such bad publicity. This needs to be one of our first concerns in planning any such photograph. When you go up to your animal, look at it through the eyes of the non-hunter and plan accordingly.
Now look around you to see what the country is like. Often. especially in the case of mountain game, it is possible to improve the photo by moving the trophy a short distance to a more scenic location. Perhaps you can position yourself to take advantage of a spectacular view, or some colorful vegetation, If you are in deep brush, try to move into the open, or if in a swamp, you may wish to move onto a dry knoll. The site will dictate the possibilities, but be open to any opportunity to improve the setting. In some cases, as with moose, it is simply impossible to move the animal. Many moose die in thick alders. This provides little opportunity for a good picture, but just a few minutes with your saw will clear the area immediately around the animal enough for you to get a good photo.
Once the location is picked, then clean up the area. When your friends look at the pictures you want them to see the trophy and hunter, not the backpack and dirty socks in the background! Now that you are in the position you want, take a close look at your trophy. If the face is bloody it only takes a few minutes to fetch some water and clean it off. Often an unsightly hole is left where the bullet exits the body, plan your photo so that this or any large amount of blood is not exposed. Often this can be accomplished simply by turning the animal or through careful placement of the hunter. If at all possible take your pictures before the animal is field dressed. Now, place the legs in a natural position, such as the animal would use if it were laying on the ground, sprawling legs look unnatural, and distract from the photograph. If the tongue is hanging out, place it back in the mouth, or remove it in some manner, Do everything possible to place the animal in a natural position.
With the trophy in position it's now time to position the hunter, which also requires some consideration, Plan to take your picture, if possible from the front quarter of the animal, with the hunter positioned behind, and to the side of the head. This all has the effect of foreshortening the picture. If the game species or photo is one that requires the hunter to hold a portion of the animal, such as the antlers or bear, have him do so at arms length. In this way the head of the bear, or antlers of the moose will be in the foreground, and take on the appearance of being much larger when compared with the hunter in the background. If the hunter does not need to support the animal, have him position himself a yard or so behind the animal. A hunter positioned in front of the trophy has just the opposite effect. His position will nearly always make the animal appear to be smaller than it actually is, Whatever you do, don't sit on the animal. In promoting hunting as a respected sport we need to be especially careful not to be disrespectful of the animals taken. A hunter sitting on an animal is often viewed m an insult lo once healthy, noble animal, which is not the image most of us wish to present to our non-hunting friends. Now, smile, and look like you arc enjoying the hunt. A big smile brightens up a photo and puts the viewer in a good frame of mind. Ever see someone selling a product on television that frowned? Not a chance. Remember, we are selling hunting, give us a smile
Now that the camera is finally clicking, keep it going. Take a lot of pictures and, with each new angle, adjust your polarizer for the best contrast. Then shoot a few more without the polarizer, and always shoot a few using the flash. Remember, only a few of your pictures are going to turn out really well, so be sure you have a number to pick from, Take shots up close, and from back always. Try unusual positions and angles, and don't be afraid to shoot a few rolls. When is the next time you will be here? Before you start, check the camera setting we covered to be sure, they are correct, several rolls of film shot at the wrong ASA will ALL be bad. Turn the camera up on its side for at least 1/3 of the shots. It gives a good perspective to mountain shots that can't be realized if the camera is held in the normal position. It also makes caribou antlers seem taller and valleys look deeper.
As you shoot, use a variety of f-stops and shutter speeds. preferably using the manual override feature on your camera. Even an automatic camera often gets a bad light reading, and produces poor photos. To insure against this I suggest that you take one or two extra photos of each pose at an f-stop setting two stops above and below the automatic exposure, For example, if your automatic setting calls for an exposure at f-8 at a shutter speed of 1/125 and take a shot or two and then, AT THE SAME SHUTTER SPEED, shoot some additional shots at f-16 and f-4. This is called bracketing your picture. It covers the possibility that your camera might be shooting a slightly under or overexposed photo with the automatic setting. Don't be afraid to take the time to shoot a lot of pictures, Several rolls are not too many, considering how far you have come for the hunt. A good photo is worth far more than a thousand words when it comes remaking your friends believe how big your trophy really was, and thephot6s that turn out bad can always be thrown away. All of which brings up my last point, select only the best photos for display. Poor photos may mean something to you, but they are distracting and cause a listener to lose interest in your story, Every professional photographer realizes the truth of the saying "The difference between a good and a bad photographer is how they sort their pictures!"
