A few photography tips - YouTube Video

[Big Fin]

We often have photo contests and other ideas here on Hunt Talk. We see the entire spectrum of image quality, in terms of composition and quality. I asked the guys to put together a video of what they think are five quick tips that will make for better hunting images, not just trophy shots.

Michael, our new WPA is very handy with the still camera, so he got elected to be the lead on this video. I asked that it be designed for folks like me, not pros like him. That simplification can create a challenge for people who are far down the path on the technical aspects of this.

There are some great photographers here on Hunt Talk. I hope some of those experienced guys will chime in to help the rest of us up our game on story telling with photos.


[video=youtube_share;BfJzXAH_aCg]https://youtu.be/BfJzXAH_aCg[/video]


Today they are out working on a video of how your smart phone camera can be a very powerful story telling tool. After all, hunters are mankind's original story tellers, dating back to petroglyphs, to stories painted on bison hides, to Remington and Russell, to where we are today.

 

[BlakeA]

My two tips would be:

1.) Read your camera's user manual. I think a lot of people (myself included years ago) spend the money on a point and shoot or dslr camera and just expect it to take great pictures out of the box. Take the time to sit down and read the owners manual. Learn to understand how it works and the terminology. If there is something that is hard to understand, YouTube or Google it. There is a wealth of knowledge online that can help people understand how their camera works. Don't get frustrated and give up, learn it. I would argue that most people haven't even touched 1/10th of the capabilities their camera can produce due to not truly understanding the functions.

2.) Have it accessible. I know it's a pain in the arse to constantly open and close your pack to take your camera out but come February after the season is long gone you will thank yourself for snapping all of those random photos throughout the fall. I either have my camera on the top of my pack (inside but at the top) for quick access or I will have it on a clip (Peak Design) while hiking so it's right there. Every time I sit and take a break or am at a glassing point, my camera is out and ready to go. If you are packing it around all day, you might as well actually use it.

Have fun with it! You can never have TOO many photos

 

[Hoffmann]

Great video idea!

 

[kansasdad]

Good introduction to what I hope becomes a long ongoing series of clips touching on basic to advanced photo/videography skills.

 

[SagebrushSlayer]

Great tips, I will definitely try and use his tips this fall.

 

[Don Fischer]

I think today's camera's do a really good job on their own with exposure. Where I see some get a so-so photo is in composition. Use the whole frame, don't have the animal a spot in the middle of the frame. With kill photo's, show respect for the animal. Really pretty easy. Don't field dress until after photo's are taken, pretty crude seeing a beautiful animal lying there in a pool of blood with it's gut's cut open and it's tongue hanging out, really crude.if there is blood on the animal, clean it off. I don't do a lot of animal photo's anymore other than dog's. Look at the position of the animal and set it up so the animal is coming into the frame. Right in the center leave's a bunch of nothing behind it and attack's most eye's. Think abut where the animal is going and use it's eye's as a guide to composing it Follow it's eyes. If you can, focus on it's eyes, if the eyes are out of focus, everything will look bad. Shooting bird dog's I generally just try to get the moving dog in the frame. But later I crop it out to have the dog going into and through the frame. Often the eye's on a dog moving fast are not in that good of focus, don't blow it up to much! Don't stop at just one frame either, take several and move around a bit to give a different prospective. Try that next time you shoot something and look at the photo's later. I strongly suspect you'll find one you like better than the other's. One last thing, get down as close to the animal's level as you can. if you shoot down at the subject it is really obvious and the closer you are the more obvious it is. If you need to stand up, do it Number one rule, experiment with composition then be critical with yourself. All the rule's can be violated now and then and still the photo works. One more thing, the rule of thirds, don't frame a subject right in the middle of the frame but then again even that rule can be broke. If your camera show a tic tac toe type grid, it will show you the thirds.
ody is not centered in the frame.
This is my Bodie, lost him in Jan this year. Look at his body, he's coming into the frame. Not much mty space behind him at all. His body is not centered in the frame.