Capturing the Hunt


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Flip through any of the hunt mags and you will undoubtedly find many wondrous stories of hunting adventures both near and far. While we are drawn in and transported by the well constructed prose, it is the photos that truly take us away. Pictures are very important in telling the story. If you need convincing, I challenge you to find a feature article that doesn’t include several photos. It has been said many times, but a picture is worth a thousand words. Very true!

Consider the fact that we will spend thousands of dollars, use up our hard earned vacation, and push ourselves beyond our physical limits in pursuit of the hunt. We may bring home some meat, or even a nice trophy, but many times we must go home with only our memories. This is why capturing the hunt in our photographs can be so valuable.

In order to capture the hunt, there are two aspects that need to be addressed. First, we must take the photographs. Second the photographs must be worth showing to others.

Most of us need to take more photographs. Regardless of the subject, always take multiple photographs so that you can later choose the best one. Professional photographers have done this for years. It just cost money. With today’s digital cameras taking lots of pictures doesn’t cost us anything more. Try different angles. Take pictures with a flash and without. Smile, don’t smile…. Just change it up a bit in search of the perfect photo. We’ll go over composition and techniques later, for now let’s just strive to take multiple pictures. The only down side to taking more pictures is that you must go through them later and delete all but the best. I do this religiously upon returning from the field. Trust me, no one wants to look at 25 photos of the same thing. So make it a habit to take multiple photos so that you can select the very best.

To best capture the hunt, photos should tell a story. Good stories usually have a beginning, middle, and end. Miss any element and you don’t have a story. Too many times, I have failed to take pictures until I had an animal on the ground. These trophy photos alone failed to capture the hunt. Remember, we may be going home without a “trophy,” but an “unsuccessful hunt” can be more of a story than a hunt that is over on the first morning. We should take pictures of all the memorable aspects of the hunt. The events will depend greatly on the specifics of the hunting adventure. Obviously multi-day adventures with one or more buddies provide more photo opportunities than single days spent in solitude, but strive to capture the memorable aspects of the hunt. A few suggestions for interesting photo opportunities are friends at meal times, sunrises, landscapes. Probably the most difficult and seldom photographed memories are those during the actual hunt. It takes a little time and effort, but if you make opportunities to photograph yourself or other hunters in the field, you will be rewarded with a more complete story. Strive to take pictures of the events that make that hunt interesting. I recently hunted in Arizona’s superstition Mountains. These mountains were full of ancient Indian ruins littered with pottery shards and stone tools. Failing to take pictures of these ancient treasures would certainly have left the story untold. Don’t forget to smell the flowers and take pictures of them too. I simply love taking close-ups. Some of my favorite photos are of insects and flowers that I encounter while in the field. While taking photos of every aspect of your hunt may not be the goal, the idea is to capture the memorable elements of the hunt. We can always delete the photos later, but if we don’t take them we won’t have them. Strive to tell the story with pictures and we will be sure to have captured the hunt.

Striving to capture the hunt, we will be taking a lot more pictures. As we relive our experiences through images, we will undoubtedly cherish our photos. However, the real enjoyment for me comes with sharing my photos. As a photographer, here in lies an obligation and a challenge. We are obligated to strive for images that are appealing to our varied audiences and challenged technically to master the skills to obtain those images.

In order to recognize what might be appealing to our “varied audience, it is worth taking a moment to consider all of the people who might see our photos. I like to show my photos and talk openly about my hunting adventures. My audience consists of different types of people with widely different levels of exposure to hunting. I show my photos to many seasoned hunters and trappers that have seen the good, the bad, and the occasionally ugly realities of hunting first hand, but I also share my photos with many non-hunters that have only experienced the hunt through my photos and stories. For a few of my audience, my photos are creating their first impression. It was for these “first impressions” that I originally began cleaning up my photos eliminating all blood and gore. However, it didn’t take long to realize that my efforts were resulting in photos that are much more appealing to my entire audience including myself.

In regards to the “first impression” it is also important to portray the hunt for what it is. If we only show photos hunters with game successfully harvested, I believe we would be sending the wrong impression of why we hunt. Beyond the primary goal of putting meat in the freezer, we enjoy hunting for many reasons. Hunters may enjoy sharing time with friends and family, visiting stunning landscapes, or experiencing the countless wonders of nature. By including pictures of these other aspects of the hunt, we not only capture the hunt through story, but we portray a more accurate impression of hunting.

Photography is art and some people take their art very seriously, but hunters need not be professional photographers to capture the hunt. While taking the perfect picture can certainly be very technical and challenging, it can also be as simple as pointing and shooting a camera. Digital cameras with auto-focus and computerized metering systems can often remove the technical aspects of photography. Today’s wonderful cameras allow the hunter to concentrate on composition and basic lighting.

Composition describes what is in the picture and how the objects are arranged relative to the position of the camera. Photographers use terms like “center of interest,” ‘rule of thirds,” “leading lines,” and “interesting angles” to communicate what makes a good picture. While the best way to learn composition is to take a basic photography course, we can also learn by mimic the photographs taken by others. As we read through the hunt mags, we should take a moment to analyze the photos.

Trophy photos deserve particular observation. Outdoor personalities make great efforts in constructing their trophy photos. The goal of these pictures is to make the game animal, the terrain, and the hunters look as spectacular as possible. Notice the arrangement of the game animal. Is the head forward? Is the animal in a lifelike bedded position with the legs tucked? Are the animal’s horns or antlers silhouetted against the sky? Is the hunter featured prominently or is the trophy emphasized? Was the picture taken from a very low angle? None of these elements have been left to chance. The hunters have taken a lot of time and effort to set up for these spectacular photos. If we clean up our animals, move them to the best location, and position them thoughtfully to mimic the photos that we see in the magazines, we will be well on our way to taking spectacular photos.

As we construct our compositions, we must be mindful of the available lighting. Unless we are trying to purposely silhouette an object, it is usually best to compose our photos with the subject facing at an angle toward the sun. In doing so, we must be sure to observe the shadows. Shadows from hats are notorious for ruining otherwise excellent photos because the hunter’s eyes are forever lost in shadow. To deal with this, it is probably best to remove the hat. Another option is to use a forced flash. Even on a bright sunny day, forcing a flash can fill in many of the shadows that would otherwise have come out totally black.

It is well worth our time to learn to use our cameras. Doing so will allow us to do things like force a flash in the daylight or more selectively control what is in focus. Digital cameras have preprogrammed modes optimized for landscapes, portraits, or close-ups (macro). These modes affect many of the parameters that professional photographers use to fine tune their photos without us needing to understand the details. As with all technical devices, it is best to read our owner’s manuals. Practice then familiarizes us with the camera settings. This is also where digital cameras shine. Experiment with the various modes then select the best photo.

Setting up these photos and taking multiple shots takes a lot of time. Sadly, many hunters fail to bring home spectacular photos simply because they get in a rush and don’t invest the time required. Taking time may be tough especially if you have an understandably jealous partner with an unfilled tag or you find yourself racing for daylight. It may help to keep in mind the effort that brought you to this proud moment. Give the moment the time it deserves.

Like the antlers or horns of an animal hard earned, photographs are trophies forever preserving the great moments of our lives. These trophies can be viewed in solitude to relive the experience or shared with others to provide insight into our adventures. Unlike 400” bulls and massive bucks, these trophies are plentiful. One need only learn to identify these trophies and master the basic skills required to capture them. If you weren’t already doing so, I hope I convinced you to take lots of pictures, tell the whole story, and capture the hunt.

Golden Thread Media, LLC