5 Ways to Improve Hunting Photos

Let me be honest: I am not a professional photographer. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to capture some good images, but it’s been luck of the draw. As a writer I’ve been blessed to work with a lot of excellent photographers and they have kindly offered me some constructive tips. When I look at a successful picture I smile because I can pick out which professional photographer provided the tip. And with that, I called my friend Chip Laughton from Days Afield Photography to get a few tips for taking better hunting photos.

Get Mucky - If you're ever out in the field with Chip, you'll instantly spot him because he's the chap in tin cloth dungarees that are torn to ribbons. “One of the crucial aspects of photography is getting the proper angle. With pointing dogs, that sometimes means lying on the ground so I can take a photo looking up at the dog's face. Other times it involves barging through the underbrush so that I'm in the obstruction taking a picture of a dog that's in the clear. By doing this, I capture images without any brush or branches in the way and from an angle that most people never see of their dog.”

Flash is Important - Certainly on a dark day but also on a bright day. “Many photographs are spoilt by shadows. I prefer an off-camera flash or at least one with a tiltable head on the flash. This allows me to fill in the shadows under the brim of a hat, in the corner of a dog kennel, or in the woods where trees block the sunlight. Flashes aren't always convenient but I use them when I can.”

Get Close Up - “Zoom lenses are brilliant for really homing in on your subject matter. That’s where the magic usually happens and it’s what connects people to certain images. Close-ups reveal the caked mud in a dog’s fur, their muscular definition and vascularity, or a woodcock’s camouflaged colouration. It captures the emotion that we feel in the woods and helps an audience connect with the subject. We see things that aren’t perfect, like a curve at the tip of a pointer’s tail, rusty bells, and stained and soiled shooting shirts. But those images are authentic and by zooming into your picture you’ll gain a greater emotional connection.”

Picking Your Scenes - “It’s always nice to have a grip and grin photo to commemorate a hunt, but I like to capture the entire process. I’ll photograph dogs being collared up, guns in racks, cartridges on the ground, a lot of the things that you see when you are there but often don’t see in a photo. If you look through books or magazines you’ll see a lot of the standard must-have shots: a lab quivering in a hide when the mallards are circling. Dogs with birds in their mouth. I like to capture movement, so I’ll focus on a one-off, like a dog with a bird in its mouth jumping over a fence to retrieve. Those are the photos that stand out from the crowd and tell the story.”

Take Lots of Photos - “As your eyes roam in search of the ideal photograph, make sure to snap some pictures along the way. Digital is more forgiving than film. You can immediately see if you've captured the moment perfectly, and if you're not keen on them, simply press delete. With a dynamic sport like wing shooting, it's likely you'll miss the perfect photo. However, if you keep taking photos regularly, you're bound to get a fair few that are more than satisfactory.”

Tom Keer is an award-winning writer, columnist and blogger who resides on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He is a columnist for Covey Rise magazine, the Upland Almanac, and a Contributing Editor for both Fly Rod and Reel and Fly Fish America. He’s also a national spokesman for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s Take Me Fishing programme, and writes regularly for over a dozen outdoor magazines. When not fishing, Keer and his family hunt upland birds with their three English setters. His first book, a Fly Fisher's Guide to the New England Coast was released in January 2011. Visit him at www.tomkeer.com or at www.thekeergroup.com.