Taking quality pictures of your kill

[coach]

Very good points, Dave. Thanks for contributing. The huge key you pointed out is to take the time to do it right. Way too often, we get an animal down and want to get moving right away on all the "work". It's not until we're home and the animal is cooling that we regret the shots we didn't take. There are a couple of animals I've killed over the years where I really wish I had pics. One was my first deer ever - an average 100 Mile 4 point. The other was an ancient Empire Valley 2 point. He was about as old as deer can get. Huge forks. No teeth. The antlers are gone and I didn't get a decent picture. Now, a good camera is an integral part of my hunting equipment.

[Str8shooterbc]

One thing about many of the pictures. If you want to see the faces of the shooter, especially if they want to were hats or caps, use a flash. Most SLRs and point & shoot cameras have a hotshoe for a dedicated flash unit. Most of these dedicated flashes have a 'High Speed" selection so you can use it as "fill flash". This will highlight the face and put a sparkle in the eyes which really brings your photograph alive. I use a flash unit when taking picture of wildlife as it puts that "sparkle of life" in the eyes even at 30 to 50 yards. It doesn't take much light to do this.

[stoneguide]

A couple things ive learned over the years.

1. Take pictures to please yourself!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Try and get rid of excess blood if possible. Carry a small pack of wet wipes with you, they work awesome for wiping off blood. They can also be pushed into nostrils of the animal to stop blood. Push them back far and you cant see them in pics. Also great for cleaning up after field dressing.

3. Close the mouth. Carry a small amount of dental floss or fishing line with you. This works well to hold the mouth shut. Dont wrap it around the nose as you can see the thread line then. What I do is make a couple small cuts inside the lips roughly where you cut when caping and thread the line through top and bottom and tie tight.

4. Dont sit way back as has been stated. Anybody looking at pics these days looks for guys doing this. Be happy with your trophy dont try and make it look bigger than it actually is.

5. Try and take pics from level or slightly lower. This tends to display the scene alot better.

6. Take some shots that arent staged. Randomly take pictures from the time the animal hits the ground until the animal is processed.

7. Caping and gutting are part of hunting. But take tastful pictures when inculding these in you photos as you may show these to non hunter friends and family or people that dont like them sights alot.

8. And last make sure to take a ton pf pics. For every 50 I take I get one that makes me really say wow that was a good shot.

Hope this helps a little.
SG

[coach]

Great points, Stoneguide. I've really enjoyed some of the shots you've posted for us. Question: It appears you often hunt in very cold conditions - is there anything you do to ensure your camera doesn't freeze up? I sometimes put a hand warmer in the case with my camera. Not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it seems to have worked.

[stoneguide]

Never had a problem with my cameras and ive hunted in condintions down to -36C( last years mule deer pics). I always have spare batteries though as in cold conditions they tend to die quicker. My camera just rides in my pack and always seems to have worked so far.
Also watch and take extra shots as you always get some shots that you can see your breath in.
SG

[BiG Boar]

I disagree on the "not standing behind the animal picture". Judge me all you want. The animal is the what people look at in the trophy shot. I say take the best picture you can. Just as most people wouldn't stand 5 feet in front of the deer, making it look tiny. Its a trophy shot of the animal. Standing behind it does make the animal apear bigger, and is a lot of the time a better shot. Don't take all your photos like that, but a few are usually a good idea. If this is seen as cheating, I'm fine with that. 95% of friends who see my pictures don't know that trick, and say wow! What a great animal! Not....hmmm, it appears you are trying to make the animal bigger than it really is.

Another tip is to keep your camera in your pocket during the cold days as the cold kills your battery.

[Nathaniel Poe]

A couple things ive learned over the years.

1. Take pictures to please yourself!!!!!!!!!!!


4. Dont sit way back as has been stated. Anybody looking at pics these days looks for guys doing this. Be happy with your trophy dont try and make it look bigger than it actually is.

So which is it? Take the photos to please yourself, or take photos so that other people looking at the photos don't see you sit behind the animal? LOL!!

[Nathaniel Poe]

I disagree on the "not standing behind the animal picture". Judge me all you want. The animal is the what people look at in the trophy shot. I say take the best picture you can. Just as most people wouldn't stand 5 feet in front of the deer, making it look tiny. Its a trophy shot of the animal. Standing behind it does make the animal apear bigger, and is a lot of the time a better shot. Don't take all your photos like that, but a few are usually a good idea. If this is seen as cheating, I'm fine with that. 95% of friends who see my pictures don't know that trick, and say wow! What a great animal! Not....hmmm, it appears you are trying to make the animal bigger than it really is.

Another tip is to keep your camera in your pocket during the cold days as the cold kills your battery.

I take lots of different photographs from lots of different angles, and I agree with you on making the animal in the picture the most important part!!! Take some with the person in the background and take some from the side, beside animal, up on top, wide angle and don't worry that some people try to make it as if it's cheating! LOL!!!

[stoneguide]

Nathaneil would you like me to explain it in a language you understand or you just wanna cause issues? If you new how to read correct you would see it says " Dont sit way back" from the animal. Never said dont sit behind the animal. Take a look of some of Proguides moose pics where the people are sitting a full length of the moose away from the horns. I simply stated that you should be happy enough with your trophy to sit up at the trophy instead of trying to take a pic that makes it look like something it isnt.
And its just a tip, if it makes you happy to make an animal into smoething bigger then thats great just was stating that it isnt neccasary in my opinion.
SG

[Nathaniel Poe]

Nathaneil would you like me to explain it in a language you understand or you just wanna cause issues? If you new how to read correct you would see it says " Dont sit way back" from the animal. Never said dont sit behind the animal. Take a look of some of Proguides moose pics where the people are sitting a full length of the moose away from the horns. I simply stated that you should be happy enough with your trophy to sit up at the trophy instead of trying to take a pic that makes it look like something it isnt.
And its just a tip, if it makes you happy to make an animal into smoething bigger then thats great just was stating that it isnt neccasary in my opinion.
SG

Just sayin' that if you are taking the photos to please yourself then you shouldn't care that Anybody looking at pics these days looks for guys doing this. Just sayin' LOL!!

Sit lots of places and take lots of photos. Sometimes the sitting back far photos look best, sometimes the ones with the hunter sitting almost on top of the animal look best. Sit wherever makes you happy is my motto! LOL!