Deer Photography Tips

With just a few simple steps, you can start taking pictures like a Pro and preserve the memory of your trophy for a life time. We have all seen the pictures of a monster buck taken by a friend or maybe your guilty as well, of snapping a quick picture of your kill in the bed of a truck that contains a couple of empty bags of feed, an ice chest and a spare tire. Now imagine how nice that same buck would have looked showcased in the natural landscape with proper lighting to highlight the antlers and tones of the coat while looking as natural as possible.

First you will want to prepare the animal by moving it atop a small rise which allows the antlers to be showcased by the skyline. There is no need to track all over creation if you can’t find a good rise, simply position the camera closer to the ground to achieve an upward angle for that sky lined effect. A nice contrasting background such as a plump green bush will also provide a nice effect.

Next you will want to wipe off any dirt and blood from the deer. A small towel or even a wet wipe should do the trick. Tuck the tongue back in the mouth if needed. Try to position the deer in a way that hides any wounds. If this is impossible, use something natural like a leaf of similar color to cover the wound. Fold the legs up under the body and keep the deer in an upright natural position.

Position yourself behind the deer’s body, sitting on your knees if possible. Hold the deer with just a slight quartering turn from the camera as apposed to a head on shot. Try not to hold the head up by grabbing the antlers. Do your best to support the head by the neck or jawbone while keeping your hands hidden as much as possible. If possible remove any blaze orange clothing and tilt your cap back a little to eliminate any shadows from your face.

The photographer should hold the camera at eye level or close to the ground for an upward angle. If its low light conditions, it is best to have the camera on a tripod or at least resting on something sturdy to eliminate any camera movement. Since the shutter stays open longer in low light conditions, the slightest movement with the camera will cause the picture to blur. Never have the photographer facing the sun, always position yourselves so that the sun is to the photographer’s back which allows the sun to illuminate the subject and not blind the camera.

Some tips for low light situations.
Because you can’t always rely on your auto light sensor, using the flash in very low light is quite often guess work. Many times your photos will result in too much light being bounced off the face and surrounding objects. Adjusting your shutter speed and aperture size should help fix this problem. It is best to practice taking photos of someone in these conditions while adjusting your settings to get a feel for your camera.

Choosing a background in low light pictures is quite different than full light pictures. Most often you will not see much or any of the background. Most low light photography should be centered on the subjects in the foreground.

Probably the most important thing to know is your camera. Experiment with lots of different settings and conditions. Read your cameras manual and plenty of articles about photography, a good source is kenrockwell.com. When photographing your trophy, take lots of pictures with varying angles and poses. It truly only takes a few extra minutes to take a professional picture of your kill, the memory will last a lifetime. You will be glad that you did.

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