Walking up to a big game animal that has been successfully harvested is one of many exhilarating experiences that can come as the pinnacle of the yearly bowhunting journey. Being able to kneel next to an animal that has been killed, most often the hard-earned fulfillment of a dream, results in emotions that can hardly be contained. The goal has been achieved. All the research, scouting, shooting, gear preparation, and time have equated to a notched tag and full freezer.
Being able to share the stories and pictures from the hunt with family and friends is a way that brings the excitement of success full circle. Details of the hunt can be shared with a grin as the description of every little sight and smell is depicted with exaggerated hand motions and the recollection of every step leading up to the shot. The hunt, captured in mind, and hopefully photograph, is then shared for others to revel in the celebration of a successful hunt.
It can be tempting to quickly snap some photos on a smartphone and then send them to everyone you know. However, taking a little extra effort to prepare for clean, high-quality photos will present pictures that are later shared with greater reception, as the harvested game animal is captured with respect and the memory of a successful hunt is purposefully preserved for generations to come.
Intentionality
Taking high-quality field photos requires some intentionality. With it being so easy to snap photos from our phones that are seemingly always in the palm of our hands, sometimes it is easy to be careless with the photos we collect. Tap a few quick photos while walking through the woods, snap a selfie with your bow, or punch a couple of fast pics of your kill is often the norm. But then when it comes time to share your photos you realize that you didn’t take that many pictures worth sharing or that the pictures you have aren’t that great. Gathering field photos on your smartphone requires effort and action.
One step to accomplishing this is to actually remember to stop and take some pictures. Another is to slow down to ensure that your photos are well-composed pictures that you will enjoy sharing when your hunt is over. Don’t be afraid to take extra pictures. We live in the digital age where it is so easy to store thousands of photos and just as easy to delete them if they don’t turn out. Odds are that you will have just a couple that come out perfect. You can always go back and delete the photos you don’t want but you can never go back in time and take more pictures you wish you had. Each day, before heading back home or to camp, make sure you are happy with the selection of photos you have collected. If not, be intentional about taking more.
First Things First
With adrenaline and emotion flowing throughout the body, it can be easy to be overcome with the excitement of success as you walk up to a harvested animal. It is important though that as you do so, you ensure the animal has expired before worrying about getting those victory shots.
The next thing that should be done is to fulfill the legal requirements of properly tagging your animal. Each state is a little different regarding proper tagging expectations, but this is typically the first thing that needs to be completed. Be sure to check what the requirements are for the state you are hunting.
Once this is finished, picture-taking can occur. It is recommended that pictures be taken before field dressing takes place to keep the animal as clean and presentable as possible. It is also simpler to set up the animal for photos before rigor mortis sets in.
Clean Up the Blood
Without question, blood is part of a successful bowhunt. However, cleaning up blood from pictures presents the harvested animal with respect and good taste for those whom the pictures are shared with. It isn’t always possible to clean all the blood present for a photo but most of the time it can largely be excluded from the picture.
I like to keep paper towels or wet wipes in my backpack that I can use to wipe blood away from an animal’s face or an entry or exit wound. I will clean the bloody area as best as I can to leave just the natural appearance of the animal's hide. Then I make sure I discard the used paper into a plastic bag and pack it out with me. If paper towels or rags are not on hand to wipe up blood, dried clusters of grass can be effectively used to wipe away excess areas of blood.
Additionally, I try to be cognizant of blood within the frame of the photo. If there is a lot of blood where the animal expired, I will move the animal a few feet so that there is only natural landscape in the photo frame.
Display the Animal Appropriately
Game animals don’t typically die in a position that makes for a great photo. With a little work, animals can be moved into a position that displays them for a more presentable photograph session.
Something I learned from renowned elk caller and hunting guide, Ralph Ramos of Ramos Hunts and Video, is to roll the animals onto their side and keep them propped up with a rock, log, or backpack. After double-checking that the blood has been cleaned up, I will also make sure that the tongue is tucked into the mouth and not hanging out. Once the animal is presentable and displayed in a good position, your bow can then be added to the picture.
Different Angles, Lighting, Editing, and Social Media
Using a variety of photo angles will create multiple views of your animal that help preserve the memory of your successful hunt. Have the person taking the pictures move to various sides and heights to take photos. If you are alone, be sure to move your phone to get different shots. The best way I have found to do this is by using a mini smartphone tripod. This will provide changes in lighting and views of the animal, the hunter, the horns, or antlers, and leave multiple pictures to add to your photo album or share on your social media pages. Changing photo angles can also reveal beautiful backdrops of your hunting area that create exceptional trophy photos.
When it comes to lighting, you typically want the sun (or in the case of low-light conditions, a flashlight or phone flash) to be directly on the subject. Try to watch for weird or dark shadowing in the photos, such as on the hunter's face. Though I don’t personally have experience using one, Bowhunting World Editor Dave Maas likes to bring along an affordable, compact light reflector that helps reduce such shadowy areas when taking phone photos. These foldable reflectors help bounce extra light into those particularly dark areas and help brighten up the picture.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, I recommend taking excessive photos. Even if they don’t come out quite the way you hoped, you can clean up or enhance the pictures you took by utilizing the editing features on your phone or any of the numerous editing apps available. Such editing features can be used to adjust numerous aspects of the photo, such as the brightness level. You can crop and straighten your photos, erase shadows or reflections, overlay light filters, and more. No matter how original or edited they are, once they are to your liking, it’s time for sharing and storytelling.
I’m not a big social media guy, but many people are. Odds are that if you arrow a big buck, you will want to post pictures on all your social media sites. There is nothing wrong with this, but I do think it requires some thought and tact before pictures are blasted out on the internet for all to see. Before you hit that post button, decide if your photo is clean, respectful, and going to be a positive reflection on bowhunting rather than a negative one that will be a harmful representation to the eyes of those who aren’t hunters. Being in the minority of the general populace, it is important as hunters that the words and images we share are the best they can be.
Support Photos
While successful field photos get most of the attention, grabbing top-notch support photos is a good way to keep the memory of the hunt alive and to have more imagery to support your story. Don’t forget to take an assortment of pictures such as your treestand or ground blind set up, hunting with family and friends, calling, glassing, your camp setup, wildlife, and the scenery. Years down the road, when you forget some of the details of a particular bowhunt, these extra photos will help bring back more memories.
Final Thoughts
Everyone takes photos with their phone on bowhunts, but a large majority end up being poor quality. This can be mitigated by making an intentional effort to collect photos throughout your hunt, paying attention to detail, making angle and lighting adjustments, having accessories such as a mini tripod and spotting scope adapter, as well as grabbing a multitude of support photos.
Implementing these actions can help create better field photos to share with family and friends in person or on social media. Taking the time to capture high-quality phone photos on your next hunt will be well worth the effort. Doing so will ensure that you have clean, respectable pictures that highlight your success and maintain the memory of your adventure. This will also allow others to enjoy the photos you share with them as you reveal the details of the hunt.
Sidebar: Use a Mini-Tripod for Your Phone
In the past, I have experienced the struggle of trying to capture any sort of decent cell phone pictures by trying to precariously balance my smartphone on a rock or my backpack. This can be a real struggle that produces marginal results. Now, I use a packable mini tripod specifically designed for taking photos with a smartphone. This eliminates the headache of trying to take successful photos on solo bowhunts.
These mini tripods from companies such as Joby and Onn are built with flexible legs and an adjustable ball mount that allow level camera adjustment on uneven terrain. These legs also give the versatility of being able to wrap the camera mount around things like a tree branch or bow hanger, which allows you to grab extra shot angles or video from your smartphone. The smartphone cradle allows you to mount your phone vertically and horizontally.
Some mini tripods come equipped with a Bluetooth remote to help snap self-timed photos. My setup doesn’t have this capability, so I just turn my phone's voice command setting on (see sidebar) and tell it when to take my picture once it is set up on my mini tripod. These sturdy little tripods will even support the weight of heavy cameras such as my Canon Rebel. At a cost of about $20, it is worth keeping one of these in your pack to help gather better pictures from your phone.
Sidebar: MAGVIEW Spotting Scope Phone Mount
A great way to garner support photos on your hunt is the S1 spotting scope adapter from MAGVIEW. This slim system allows for simple smartphone and spotting scope compatibility with minimal attachment pieces. All you must do is attach an eyepiece ring and bracket to your scope that doubles as a glass cap. Then you just slap a thin, stainless steel square phone plate to the back of your phone case. When you are ready to grab pictures and video of that buck or bull, pop open your scope lens cap, line up your phone's camera with your spotter's ocular lens, and let the phone connect via magnet. It is as easy as that. There is no need for separate phone cases or additional bulky mounting pieces.
The magnet keeps your phone in place, but isn’t so strong that it is difficult to adjust or remove from its position. From there, you can focus on your target animal. This not only gives you the ability to better evaluate the animal you are scouting or hunting, but also allows you to capture some awesome live support photos to share after your bowhunt.
Sidebar: Setting Up Voice Commands
To turn on voice control to shoot solo pics with an Android, tap on the camera icon and then select the settings button in the upper left corner. From there, scroll down and select shooting methods. Slide voice commands on, in which you will be able to take a picture by saying "smile", "cheese", "capture", or "shoot."
To turn on voice commands for an iPhone, go to settings and select accessibility. From there, select voice control towards the bottom of the page and slide to the on position. You should then be able to take a photo by saying "tap take picture."
Another option is to place the phone's camera on a 10-second self-timer to take your photo. For an Android, open the camera, tap the clock icon at the top center and then select the 10-second timer. For iPhone, open the camera and select the arrow at the top center. Then click on the clock towards the bottom right and turn on the 10-second timer.
