Any tips for great game trophy photos?

[6XLeech]

Two (of many) good moose bull pictures I enjoyed from last season were posted by Cast&Blast (check his albums) and Marc Taylor (http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/...rt+rich&page=3). They followed some of the suggestions from Dennis Confer...

Dennis Confer (Hunt Alaska Now) offers some of the best photo advice I've read, including "FFF: Fill the freakin frame".
He also suggests moving the (moose) bull's head to silhouette the antlers and taking "24 to 36 photos with different angles and compositions..."

I wonder what you guys try to do in your game photos?

For more specifics, here's an article from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission website (don't ask), regarding deer, but applicable to most species. BTW hunter orange is required in Arkansas for deer: http://www.agfc.com/hunting/hunters-....aspx?Print=1:

Photography Tips for the Hunter

It’s often said that the second most important shot a hunter takes is the one taken with the camera after the harvest. This will be a memory for a lifetime, so take the time to pose the animal and hunter in the best possible location with natural cover in the background. It may seem like a waste of time when there is still the work of field dressing and cleaning to be done, but you will be glad you took the time once you’re out of the field.

The following tips will help hunters pose their field shots better and ultimately leave the field with a photo that reflects the true nature of the hunt:

*Always try to take the pictures in the field, not at camp or your home. The background should be completely natural. Never take the picture while the deer is in the bed of a truck or hanging from something. Shoot it on the ground with natural cover behind the hunter. If you must take the pictures after the hunt is over, try to find an area similar to the setting where the deer was harvested.
*Make sure the deer is clean by wiping blood off the antlers, face and body of the deer. Make sure the hunter doesn't have blood on his/her hands.
*Close the deer's mouth so the tongue is not protruding.
*Place the deer in front of the hunter and never sit on it while taking a picture.
*If the picture is posed after the hunt is over, make sure you wear the camouflage or hunter orange you were wearing in the field.
*Take several photos. Film is cheap and if you only take one or two shots and something is wrong with them, it is impossible to recreate the full experience. Digital cameras offer the ability to take dozens of pictures and delete the unwanted ones later.
*With antlered deer, take the picture from an angle to allow all tines to show. When you take a picture directly from the front, the main beams of the antlers may hide some of the tines in the rear.
*If you wish to place your firearm or bow in front of the deer, point it in a safe direction

[Akres]

If you sit down way back behind the critter, it makes it appear bigger than it really is.
SP

[DPhillips]

If you are going to sit behind the horns, make sure there is plenty of light and don't wear camoflague. The horns tend to get lost in the camo.

Use Fill flash on your camera, a tripod if possible.

Make sure all brush is cleared away and the view of the animal is clean and clear.

Pose the animal respectfully. Don't sit on top or put a foot on it in a "conquerors" position.

Use common sense. So many pics, don't seem to do that.

Don't pose with the sun in your face if possible, if it is, absolutely use the fill flash (cap or hat brim will cast shadows).

Smile. Don't look disappointed, even if you are a tough guy, smile...

Take a ton of photos. Even with today's digital camera's and their view screens, the screen won't be as large as the picture when you view it in photograph or on the computer screen. Use several different settings and a light meter if you have one.

Think about your setup and the view behind you.

Photos will help you remember some of the best times of your life. Take the effort it takes to get good ones.

[375ultramag]

The biggest thing I have run in to is not taking your time to follow the steps.

Cut grass or brush down in front of the animals face

Wash blood off the animal as best as you can with baby wipes or what ever.

Don't sit miles behind your 48" bull to make it look 65 as it makes it obvious to people that know. Just be proud of your harvest.

Take multiple angeled pictures as well as straight on.

Forget the gun in the antlers picture as I think it looks retarded.

Get a few close up shots of just you and the animals head and a few shots of the whole animals body as well.

I always try and get pictures of the lay of the land from where I shot from to the animal as well as the animals area you actually harvested from as it is fun to go back and look at what happend in sequence.

I always take a picture of the animal a few different ways as well without me in it.

Clan yourself up. Dirty, bloody hands don't look good either in a picture.

Last and most importantly smile in the dang photo. Just because you squeezed the trigger doesn't mean you have to look like tough ol Dirty Harry.

Those are some of my tips I use.

[strangerinastrangeland]

Point and Shoot.
Thats the secret to my best shots.....

The Camera, not the gun.....~LOL!~

[cusackla]

Doesn't get much better

than what has already been mentioned.
FFF I was amazed at the difference in quality once I started practicing FFF and I think means fill the freaking frame without using the zoom unless it is absoluity necessary.
Clean the area and the animal. Make the picture a setting.
Take a ton of freaking pictures. Once you use the knife, your chance for a better shot is over.
Here is a couple I took that I thought were pretty decent

[AKDSLDOG]

than what has already been mentioned.
FFF I was amazed at the difference in quality once I started practicing FFF and I think means fill the freaking frame without using the zoom unless it is absoluity necessary.
Clean the area and the animal. Make the picture a setting.
Take a ton of freaking pictures. Once you use the knife, your chance for a better shot is over.
Here is a couple I took that I thought were pretty decent

You are so correct in the "FFF" without using the zoom, huge differance.

**** nice moose by the way. :cool:

[AFHunter]

Picture glare

Depending on the lighting, you can get glare in the animals eyes when photos are snapped. To avoid this, you can buy a set of taxidermy eyes to put in while you are taking photos.

I am buying a set this year to pop in. A few of my photos last year had the glare or "Green Eye".

[mikthestik]

Respect the game

The true joy of a hunt is the experience of the hunt and being in the animals habitat interacting with the game sought. Give the quarry the ultimate respect and clean up the blood, and position the animal in a natural position. I spend a lot of time finding a way to prop the head up on a log or tussak to make it sit nicely. Take some time and look at what is around you. Tuck the legs under the animal, I think it makes a big difference in the way the photos turn out. Digital is great so you can review your progress. Lighting, foreground, and background is key to a great photo. If you can, consider waiting for a sunset or holes in a broken sky and most of all enjoy doing it, but dont get in a rush. Consider your options and explore them. Try several positions and take lots of pics. You put tons of $$$ and effort into a hunt DONT RUSH THE BEST PART that will remind you of the hunt.

[sharksinthesalsa]

before and after

before


After


this one still isn't great....there was alot of blood on his back.....i took another pic closer cutting out, the blood but i can't locate it ....and i forgot to smile here..but i still like to take pictures of critters before i get up to them...they dont' make great "trophy" photos but i like them for my own personal collection.......and i also forgot to get any peaks or recognizable features in the background

[goaty]

instruct

Tell your partner exactly how you want your pic. I hate it when I get hunting pix back and you're like "what the H? you can hardley see me or the animal!" Make sure your buddy FFF (I like that, I've always done it that way but never knew the correct terminology.) Anyway, one of the best trophies I've ever taken was a 9 1/2' brown bear. we took our time getting it laid out correctly to look good, my "buddy" takes the pic, I get the pix back later (35mm) and you can see the snow machine sled. Like I want to see that in a pic. I bummed me out, can't go back and redo it now. Think it out, what do you want to see, and NOT want to see? Get the packs, shirts, etc. out of the way!

[375ultramag]

Good post Goaty

What I have done to avoid that is use the self timer on my camera. Get the shot set up then have the timer set for 30 seconds and 3 shots and push the button and jump in the shot.

Works real well. Better than the buddy system usually as I get what I want.

[dimrod]

One should also remember,

Never post photo on internet with background revealing favorite hunting "honey hole."

[TheT]

The biggest thing I have run in to is not taking your time to follow the steps.

Cut grass or brush down in front of the animals face

Wash blood off the animal as best as you can with baby wipes or what ever.

Don't sit miles behind your 48" bull to make it look 65 as it makes it obvious to people that know. Just be proud of your harvest.

Take multiple angeled pictures as well as straight on.

Forget the gun in the antlers picture as I think it looks retarded.

Get a few close up shots of just you and the animals head and a few shots of the whole animals body as well.

I always try and get pictures of the lay of the land from where I shot from to the animal as well as the animals area you actually harvested from as it is fun to go back and look at what happend in sequence.

I always take a picture of the animal a few different ways as well without me in it.

Clan yourself up. Dirty, bloody hands don't look good either in a picture.

Last and most importantly smile in the dang photo. Just because you squeezed the trigger doesn't mean you have to look like tough ol Dirty Harry.

Those are some of my tips I use.

This is about the same thing I would have suggested. Probably the worst thing I think someone can do is leave a bunch of blood on the animal and the tongue hanging out. Ruins the pic. Show the animal some respect by making it look good in the pic.