Photo courtesy of Boone and Crockett Club
Thanks to top-notch cameras on smartphones, all hunters have the ability to capture outstanding images of their outdoor adventures without hauling bulky camera gear. Long gone are the days of expensive film processing, too. Today’s hunter can shoot nearly unlimited pics in the field, then edit the images later if necessary to improve a specific photo’s exposure, color, crop and more.
I recently read an informative article titled “Seven Tips For Ethical Field Photos” from our friends at the Boone and Crockett Club. Even though I consider myself to be a decent outdoor photographer, the article was worth my time, I think you’ll find it helpful, too. Click here to read it for yourself.
I could write a similar how-to article for this website that covers many of the same photo-taking suggestions, but I very much enjoyed seeing the vintage hunting images in the story, and for that reason I think it’s best to simply link to it. I hope you’ll take the time to check it out.
Here are three photo tips of my own that aren’t covered in the article:
1. Fill the frame when shooting an image of a hunter with his or her tagged animal. Showing some surrounding habitat is fine, but be sure to move in closer for numerous pics.
2. It’s better to shoot level to a kneeling or sitting hunter, or slightly up, to showcase the animal at its best. To do this as a photographer, you’ll have to kneel, sit or lay on the ground.
3. Shoot a lot of photos! As I said previously, gone are the days of expensive film processing. To get that one spectacular pic, you might have to shoot a dozen images — or 30. Don’t snap two or three quick pics and call it good. You can delete repetitive images later. Change the shot angle slightly. Change the lighting angle slightly. Move the animal’s head or rack a bit. Take the time to ensure you capture the memory to its fullest.
Good luck during the fall hunting season!
