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Making the Most of Your Pictures from the Field

Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
Over the years I've grown to appreciate that one of the most enjoyable aspects of a successful day afield is being able to look back upon the pictures taken from that particular hunt. Maybe it's because we spend many hours in duck blinds watching empty blue bird skies when the forecast called for much duckier weather just yesterday. Or maybe it's because we've all shared the frustration of days spent on the stand where the deer seem to just tip toe on the outer limits of our range. So, when the moment finally does happen with the stars, moons, planets, and Hunting Gods all aligning simultaneously, our successes always taste oh so sweet. In those moments of success take a few extra seconds to soak it all in by pulling your camera out of your pack to capture some memories to share. Whether you're shooting pictures with your cell phone, a point and shoot, or a digital SLR camera, here are some basic thoughts to keep in mind when you're taking pictures in the field.

Photography (no matter what kind of camera you have) is all about light and how to use what is available. If you're using a point & shoot with auto settings the camera will do most of the thinking for you by adjusting ISO (a measure of the camera's sensitivity to light), Aperture (the size of the hole in the lens controlling the amount of light let in), and Shutter Speed (how long that hole is left open for the light) to the amount of light detected at the time you're focusing the camera in for the picture. Shooting with an SLR camera, and out of the auto settings can allow you to get a bit more creative with the particular settings, even though the camera can still do some of the thinking depending on the mode you're shooting in.

So what about light? How do we need to use it? Well fortunately for us, most of the time we're out hunting it's either dawn or dusk, which coincidentally is also referred to in photography as the "golden hour". By definition, the golden hour is the first hour after sunrise, or the last hour before sunset. You've probably had those evenings on stand in the fall when the colors of the leaves in the last hour of shooting light is just amazing. Especially in mid to late October with the sun setting against a bold blue backdrop makes the reds, oranges, and yellows of the leaves just pop out in contrast. That's why it's called the golden hour. The sun is low in the sky, so it's impact on light is much softer, and subtle than it is at high noon when the sun is directly overhead. The shadows are subdued and the amount of light is lessened, making the general view easy on the eyes. So if you kill that big buck at last light, and don't find him until well after dark, just wait until the next morning if at all possible to take your trophy pictures during the golden hour.

This also leads into some other points. If you're going to wait until the next morning to take the pictures, then take some extra time to clean up the appearance of the deer. Use a damp cloth to wipe away any blood from the mouth, nose, and hide of the deer while it's still wet and easy to remove. When you're posing the deer, if you're taking pictures after it's been field dressed, try to either position the open cavity away from the lens or place your bow over the opening to help disguise the area. Make sure the deer's tongue is tucked back in it's mouth too. It just makes for a better overall picture, especially if you plan on sharing the picture with those that fall into a non-hunting audience, or if you're going to have it set up as your screen saver at work.

If time is of the essence, and waiting for optimal lighting isn't an option because you have to work tomorrow morning, then take a look at the light around you. Is the brim of your hat going to cast a shadow over your face because the sun is high in the sky? Look for some shade to set up in for picture time to try and eliminate those harsh shadows. If there's no shade to work with then try changing the camera's flash settings so that the flash goes off to help lighten up those otherwise dark areas.

This picture was around high noon, taken where the buck fell. I should have either cleared out the foreground, and used fill flash to get rid of the shadows, or drug the deer 20 yards and into the woods for some shade.



Clear away the area around the animal so that the distractions are minimized. Pull out the tall grasses or corn stalks that are laying in front of the pile birds you're taking a picture of. Pull your deer into an area free from saplings that your camera may want to auto focus on. Get the fallen branches out of the way so your camera has a clear view of the animal and the hunter.

Try to take your pictures in a natural setting. Not that tailgates are unnatural, believe me I have my fair share of tailgate pictures, and still take some like that every season, but mix it up a bit. Try to see what around you could work in replacement of the tailgate. A picture of a pile of geese draped over an old log laying alongside the riverbank with the water as a backdrop tells more of the story from the hunt.

We probably shot 20+ pictures of this setting to try and get the dogs looking, the birds stationary, and the sun not too harsh. There's still some things I'd like to have different, but just like in hunting, I'm always learning something more when it comes to field photography.



Did you ride that deer into submission, or shoot it with your shotgun? Again, this is a picture pose I've done before, as have millions of other hunters, but try your best to refrain from sitting on the back of that buck and pulling up on his antlers like the reigns on a horse. While I didn't ride my first archery buck like a rodeo bull, I sure wish I had pictures of this buck in the woods where he was killed on a mid October afternoon. The fall setting would've been much better than the truck bed in the fast food parking lot.



Dig into the details. Take a few minutes and look around at the details of nature. Take pictures of the spiderwebs still dripping with dew as the morning sun is breaking into the horizon. Before you pull that blood covered arrow out of the dirt, take a couple close up pictures of the fletching, or the drops of blood still pooling up on the oak leaves. Look out on to the water where your shell casings are floating along side the feathers from the ducks you just dropped out of the sky. Take pictures of the details, the little things that just look cool!



Try taking pictures from a different perspective. Get down low, with your belly on the ground and shoot upward. Stand on the roof of your truck and shoot downward, giving an aerial perspective. Take a knee, shoot sideways, set the self timer to shoot in multi-shot mode so that a series of shots are taken, just try doing something different. That's the beauty of digital cameras as well! You get instant feedback to know if you were able to get "the shot" or if something needs to be changed or altered. You never know what might turn out to make for a memorable picture to look back on someday down the road, so shoot away and have fun.
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
Details..Its all in how you want things to look. Same with filming, the more footage you have the better. Think about how you want things to look or how you invisioning them coming out before you snap the picture or hit the record button. I learned a ton of stuff last year by trial and error.

This ais a great thread and I always love seeing your pictures. You have a good eye..
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
Great tips Sean, we all need to remember to take the extra time and get some good field photos, it is worth the effort.
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
Great tips Sean, we all need to remember to take the extra time and get some good field photos, it is worth the effort.

One of the hard parts is making sure the person running the camera knows what they are doing. I usually have my uncle take the pictures because he is the one helping me, and he isn't real handy with a camera. I will try and remember these tips.
 

Kaiser878

Senior Member
2,633
97
ohio
Good stuff Sean..I always look forward to your photos. Especially ones with Timber in them. I love that dog...

As Wayner said, haveing a good eye is almost as good as having good equipment. TO be able to see the shot is just as important as getting it. Good photo editing softwear is a must also. What program do you use?? I want to geta good program.. I think it also mgiht be essential to get a g ood camera...I am not a very good photographer. But I know what I want a photo to look like...I just have zero clue about operating a manual camera...So I always opt for the "auto" cameras..

I love photos....Always have..I never read.. I just look at the pictures.. I am to the point of being obsessed with photos. I guess thats why I have one of the worlds most photographed labs... I jsut wish I had a little more knowledge for the "art" of taking photos!

To date, my favorite photo of Leo.
 

Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
Thanks Guys. I've been wanting to sit down and put something like this together for a while now, and finally took the time to do it over the past week. I've learned mostly everything from trial & error... mostly error, but experience is the best teacher. I've read quite a bit, and look at pictures all the time for new ideas. My plan is to try to learn enough through experience that by the time I retire I can try and make some money taking pictures.

As Wayner said, haveing a good eye is almost as good as having good equipment. TO be able to see the shot is just as important as getting it. Good photo editing softwear is a must also. What program do you use?? I want to geta good program.. I think it also mgiht be essential to get a g ood camera...I am not a very good photographer. But I know what I want a photo to look like...I just have zero clue about operating a manual camera...So I always opt for the "auto" cameras..

Santa brought me Photoshop Elements 10 last year for Christmas. Check Amazon, I think Santa got a pretty good deal on it at the time, and if there's a new version coming out you might catch an even better deal. I also use the editing options on Photobucket if I'm in a hurry. They're really pretty good. One thing I'd like to do is take a Photoshop class, I'm only scratching the surface on what that program can do. Again, learning by trial and error along with reading books about the program. I'm no expert by any means, just like you said, you see something you like through the camera and take a picture. It seems like the more you do it, the better the results.

One of the hard parts is making sure the person running the camera knows what they are doing. I usually have my uncle take the pictures because he is the one helping me, and he isn't real handy with a camera. I will try and remember these tips.

Great point Chad! Think about setting up everything in the shot they way you'd like it if you were the one taking the picture. That way you can put the camera in their hands and have a good chance of the picture coming out.


Dale, anytime brother. Next time I'm up that way we'll have to try to schedule a lunch meeting. That goes for anybody else TOO, always glad to help out!
 
Some great info curran. Here is my take on hunting and hiking cameras.
I would love to have a SLR but they are just too big and bulky to take with me. I hunt some very rough country and often have to backpack in 6-8 miles to a hunting campsite. I also hike and backpack in even more rough places.
This is just 80% of what I have to take with me, Add in a sleeping bag,tent, cloths and a side arm. The weight adds up fast. So a SLR is something I just can't pack in with me. I have see people carry SLR's on the trail they either have it in a camera bag which is bouncing off theire side or on their shoulder. Neither way most be much fun. Even hunting in Ohio I feel like I have too much stuff with me to incorperate an slr into my gear system. Like my Bow, climbing sticks, gear bag...ect.
I bought a highend point and shoot. The camera I bought is a Panisonic ZS20. If you have a good eye and a little knowledge about photography that will take you pretty far.

There is no way as a lightweight backpacker that I would carry a camera of that weight and size. I take some high quality pictures with my ZS20 (the black camera in the middle). Anyway thats my take on cameras.
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,144
178
Mohicanish
Great couple of posts in here. I am a semi-amateur photographer who has been lucky enough to sell some of my prints. I have gotten a lot of my knowledge from Ken Rockwell. He is primarily a Nikon camera fan but it doesn't mean you cannot take good photos with other cameras.
Here is a great spot to start on his webpage. It has a list of great articles to start to help you understand how composition, the shutter speed and the apeture all work together to make a pic, into a photograph. This is the article on how your camera does not matter and it shows how even a cheap point and click camera can take photos to rival the most expensive SLR on the market. The hardest part to using a point and click style camera it is usually is harder to get into adjusting the settings and keeping them there then it is with an SLR, the point and shoots like auto and that's about it.

When I go hunting I generally take both my Digital SLR and my point and click. The point and click stays with me in my stuff the DSLR stays in the truck. If I'm going on an all day sit and I have room and the weather forecast isn't bad then I sometimes take my DSLR with me.

I'm attaching some of my favorites that I've taken.
This is one of the series that I sold.
 

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Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
Those are some great pics Hedgelj! Thanks for sharing. I'll have to check out those links too. Look forward to seeing some more of your pics as the season goes on.