By Chris Benson
We as hunters and anglers at the end of a successful hunt or fishing trip want that hero shot, a picture that captures the glory of the day. It could be a massive fish, trophy buck or string of late season mallards. Taking a few photos after the hunt or fishing trip has been a tradition for many, looking back in later years we reminisce and recall all the details of the day. However, often these shots and those taken on the hunt don’t quite measure up. They don’t capture just how amazing that day was.
With today’s modern cell phones and professional DSLR cameras you can instantly review your photos to see if they turned out. If not you can take nearly a limitless number of retakes until they come out, but instead of maxing out your storage here are a few tips to ensure you get the best photo of your day.
DON’T BACKLIGHT YOUR SUBJECT!
Be sure to work the sun. Shooting a photo with the photographer looking into the sun might be nice for the subject not having to look into the bright sun, but for the photo the subject will be casted in shadow. Meaning that you will have to lighted the shadow in photo editing software which will make it look artificial or be happy with an obscured dark subject. Have the sun whenever possible at the photographer’s back and ask the subject if they are wearing caps to tip them back a little so there is no shadow on their face.
EARLY AND LATE LIGHT IS THE BEST
The best time to take a photo is the first and last hours of the day, often called the golden hour by photographers as it casts a warm light on the subject. Before taking that photo, remove all distractions from the area, the big bag of decoys toss aside carelessly after the hunt, long grass in the foreground partly obscuring the subject, extra people in the background that aren’t engaged in with the photo.
BE CREATIVE WITH YOUR IMAGES!
My two pet-peeves are the stereotypical tailgate shot at the end of the hunt which only makes me question if the truck somehow played a significant role in the hunt? If not, then why it is included in the picture? The other pet-peeve is the cigarette that hangs carelessly out the side of the mouth of the hunter/angler. With the cigarette there, the subject can’t smile and engage with the camera and there-by you as the viewer. Thus the subject looks distracted and the photo uninteresting. Remove these distractions before taking that photo.
TAKE THE TIME FOR RESPECT
Unless you’re fishing and practicing catch and release, the nature of hunting especially, is generally that your quarry has to die. Before snapping that photo try to make the fish or animal presentable. Use a wet rag to clean up an excesses blood from the fish or animal, if the tongue is hanging out the side in big game animals move it back into its mouth, gently brush off the coat of the animal and smooth out the feathers of any bird. This not only makes for a better photo but also shows a level of respect for the animal.
GRIP AND GRIN?
Its common place, it seems for bird hunters to do the old grip and grin, throwing their hands around the neck of the bird and holding it up. To the viewer, it looks like the hunter has a strangle hold on the bird. Holding the bird in this manner especially with large geese leads to difficulty composing your photo, in order to fit the large goose into the shot the photographer has to sit well back from the hunter. Now you can’t see that huge smile on the hunter’s face or the beautiful plumage of the bird, they just blend into the background.
HORIZONTAL IS THE FUTURE!
I suggest a horizontal hold much the same way the horizontal hold is becoming more the accepted norm for fishing photos (vertical stress can cause damage to the fish.) Focus on one bird and cradle its body and head in your hands, with the hand that is holding the body spread the wing out with your fingertips, exposing the beauty of the wing. For smaller birds, like ducks or upland game birds, holding the feet of birds with their backs to the camera is also a pleasing way to position the birds for a great photo. It exposes the beautiful plumage of these striking birds.
RULE OF THIRDS!
When composing or cropping photos, always remember the rule of thirds, Picture imaginary vertical and horizontal lines cutting the photo into thirds. Position your subject at the intersection of these vertical and horizontal lines. Abstain from shooting your subject head on in the middle of your photo. Also play the angles and use leading lines that direct the attention of the viewer to primary your subject. Lastly, get down to their level, if you are taking a picture of a small child with their first fish; kneel down so that you are at eye level with that child. This also adds depth to your photo and allows you to capture more of the background which adds to the story of that special day.
Use some of these tips on your next fishing and hunting adventure and you will have photos and memories to cherish for the rest of your life!