Spring Bear Trophy photos

[Bighorse]

It's almost time for the spring exodus into the bear woods, beaches, estuaries, and mountains. If you choose to photograph and share your bear, what would you do to make it a good trophy photograph?

For me....
If it's a nice hide, show off the full length of the animal and get the hide cleaned and brushed just a little for the shot.
A big skulled animal should show a frontal view to display that characteristic width you get with an old bear.
Manage your firearm/bow if you choose to include it in the photo.
Show some scenery and what kind of terrain you found your trophy in.
Get your best hunting bud in the the photo too.
How about everyone else?

[SkinnyD]

ducks, ptarmigans, caribou, bears... the trophy looks about the same

[Bighorse]

Considering its a fur bearing animal some folks like to see that too. Point made Skinny. I like mine smoked and made into sausage.

So for those that like to take field "trophy" photos, what are ya gonna look for?

[Bullelkklr]

No wonder you call yourself SkinnyD - my gawd man - put some GRAVY on those taters!

HIJACK...


Light, light, good pose....

Last year I shot my bear and he got very wet where he fell...we were on a time budget to ride the high tide back to the dock.

We quickly took pix - and they are TERRIBLE - looks like I am humping the poor brute in some and just plain bad poses (or poser maybe!LOL) and bad light....next time the most important thing I will do is NOT GET IN A HURRY for the pix and check them to make sure they are good before the knives come out.

[270ti]

I like a picture of the head facing the camera, me holding the head, my rifle with the bold open, and perhaps a backpack in the picture, if the bear is to be packed out.

I don't like the pictures of the bear draped over a big rock to make it look bigger, or the guy sitting behind the bear or at the feet of the bear to create the illusion that the bear is bigger than it is.

[Frostbitten]

Considering its a fur bearing animal some folks like to see that too. Point made Skinny. I like mine smoked and made into sausage.

So for those that like to take field "trophy" photos, what are ya gonna look for?

First, a live bear...then a dead bear. I'll wing the rest of it!!

[Frostbitten]

In all seriousness, one tip for a better pic is to have the camera as close to the ground as possible so the pic is taken at a slightly upward angle. It gives a much better perspective, includes some scenery and makes it look less like a crime scene photo and more like a memory.

[L. G.]

Here's what NOT to do:

1. Don't ride your bear like a pony . . .

2. Don't take tasteless photos with lots of blood or you trying to impose your "dominance" over the bear.

They actually ran this one in the Daily Rag:

[shphtr]

If you have a digital camera with a screen you might want to take a look at the taken photo to see how it looks and/or how you might go back and retake it to make it a better photo. With horns or antlers try and make sure the horns or antlers have a background that make the horns or antlers show up to their best advantage, e.g. a light colored and solid background ... not camo or the thees behind you!

[AKDoug]

L.G.- Think of how great a phote that would have been if they'd just flipped the bear over and rested the head on that log. Beautiful green that really highlights the color of that bear. Clean up the blood too.

[Bighorse]

Yup, upside down bear is a fail. The critter is dead already and not going anywhere, roll it some.

That brings up a entire other issue with bears, weight. A brownie is huge and nearly impossible to move even with two people. You can be grateful if it dies in a decent location for photography in this sitiuation. A big Black Bear is a tough one to move also.

What kind of heoroic efforts have been undertaken durring the processing and photography of a big bear I wonder?

[Gary]

ducks, ptarmigans, caribou, bears... the trophy looks about the same

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WTH is the green stuff?? If you leave it off, you got more room on the plate for the meat.
My wife like the plate - she has the same set.

[nomeite64]

Personally, I like the pictures of bears (as well as other animals) with their hind legs tucked to their side or at least not sprawled out. I know I am in the minority as most pictures with bears (and goats) with their legs straight out behind them. I just think it looks a little unnatural, whatever that means. As side note, I take as many pictures as possible and from as many different poses as well. Rarely do the ones I initially think I will like turn out, often it's one of the other (seemingly hundred) preconceived shots that I share and appreciate the best.

[Bighorse]

Thats a keen idea...I like it. Fold the legs back in, kinda like what you see from Africa.

[goaty]

I agree about the blood. I try to get mine out of the pic, but it isn't always possible. I killed this bear on a solo hunt and it was very heavy for me to move much, and blood is hard to hide in the snow. I'm not totally proud of this pic but it's what I could do at the moment. I really like the pic of the other one, but I was disappointed when I got the pic back and the sled to our sno-go was in the pic. Make sure anything you don't want in the pic is well out of the way. I like my pix how I like them, I it scares me when other people are taking the pic for me because I don't know how it's going to look. (much better these days with digital) When taking pix of antlered animals I always make sure you can see them well and are not covered up by arms, brush, clothing, etc. The get low perspective talked about earlier helps out a lot with this.