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How Do You Get A Quality Picture?

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How Do You Get A Quality Picture?

Postby Swede » 08 04, 2019 •  [Post 1]

When I shoot an elk, I am by myself. I can't wait until evening to get some help skinning and butchering the critter. They are too heavy to move whole, and there is often blood on and around the animal. It would be great to be able to clean up the scene, but water is 200+ yards away, I only have one canteen with drinking water, and my magic wand is the old style that came out before making blood disappear was an available App. So how would you recommend I clean up my pictures, so the elk looks like he is napping while I pet his coat? Note: I can't afford a new wand.
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Re: How Do You Get A Quality Picture?

Postby >>>---WW----> » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 2]

Guess you could try the Clip Shot thingy. They are an advertiser on here.
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Re: How Do You Get A Quality Picture?

Postby Lefty » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 3]

My wife use to hassle me about all the tailgate and dead animal pictures I had
Her dad has two displayed mounts a desert sheep and a 240 Mulie
my wife has her first buck but no pics of the hunts or the trophy shots

So to her that never was important
Generally we seem to miss the trophy shot anyway
But we end up with plenty of people action shots on the hunt
My wife was right, a shot with people doing something is better than the traditional dead animal pic

There are some dead animal pics I wish I had but at one time it wasn’t practical
To have a camera along.
In general we remember the hunt through the experiences with each other.

I do have some “trophy” pics my kids helping clean a deer
My daughter in the backpack and a coyote in front of us
Or our daughters in their pj’s with a trapped coyote or a great pic of the neighbor kid running to a trappedvcoyote
A really messed up photography of me just yards from an antelope before I shot it a great action picture

My wife had some great shots of our moose hunting
But there is so much more to a hunt than a big rack or freezer of meat.

To answer the question
Just take lots of pics of the hunters in action
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Re: How Do You Get A Quality Picture?

Postby Swede » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 4]

I think you may be right Lefty. Thanks. I tried to clean up the kill sight last season, and failed miserably. I suppose I could have worked harder an raked out the blood, but the scene then is not natural. I could have washed of the elk, but that would take time and considerable effort.
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Re: How Do You Get A Quality Picture?

Postby 7mmfan » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 5]

Swede, you're right, sometimes there is little you can do to make the site cleaner and more appealing. Sometimes they die in places that just don't allow you to do anything with them short of making sure they don't get away from you. My elk last year died in an alder thicket that was growing out of a creek. Not the creek bottom, but the creek itself. There was no moving him, or doing anything to get a picture, so I did that at camp.

Camp bull.jpeg
Camp bull.jpeg (319.5 KiB) Viewed 2736 times


In general though, if I can position him away from a big pile of foamy lung blood, I do that. If I have to, I will cut the tongue out so it isn't hanging out of the mouth, and I use some wet wipes that I always have in my pack to clean as much blood from around the mouth as possible. There's no way to make them 100% clean and life like. The animal is dead, and was killed from massive trauma. I like having pictures on display in my office and at home though so I do the best I can.

Lastly, from an overall quality of the photo itself (i.e.: lighting, exposure, orientation, etc...) landscape is almost always the best orientation, Try to have the sun quartering the object, meaning not directly at your back, or the objects back. Deflected lighting is always best. Also, get on the objects level. Standing over your target taking of a picture of it on the ground rarely turns out well. Get down close to level and take a head on shot.

2014 Buck.jpg
2014 Buck.jpg (327.72 KiB) Viewed 2736 times
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Re: How Do You Get A Quality Picture?

Postby 7mmfan » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 6]

Couple more.
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201710159518591695001 (2).jpg (234.24 KiB) Viewed 2736 times
Kobi.jpg
Kobi.jpg (287.97 KiB) Viewed 2736 times
Alex 2016.jpg
Alex 2016.jpg (355.18 KiB) Viewed 2736 times
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Re: How Do You Get A Quality Picture?

Postby 7mmfan » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 7]

ATL photos.
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dad bull.jpg
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ATL Buck (2).jpg
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20171015_185019 (2).jpg
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Re: How Do You Get A Quality Picture?

Postby Swede » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 8]

Thanks 7mm. I am not much of a photographer. I like your pictures and appreciate the tips. The quartering sun idea sounds good. I suppose the time and place your animal dies partly dictates what can be done, but I will keep that in mind.
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Re: How Do You Get A Quality Picture?

Postby 7mmfan » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 9]

You're right, time of day and location makes a big difference. Moving an elk to adjust for proper light diffusion isn't really an option most of the time. Also, early season/warm temps force you to get right to work on the animal and spend less time developing the area for quality pictures, especially if he lands in the sun. Good luck, 2 weeks and counting I believe...
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