A Picture is Worth...

 

This photo I set-up using a timer
won a photography award.

    The saying goes ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ Many of us have learned to take a camera whenever we are out on our hunting and fishing trips so as to not miss that golden photo that will memorialize a great adventure. Especially with not only the advent of cameras embedded in our cell phones, but cameras and software on our cell phones that can exceed even professional equipment from just a few years back, we all have the opportunity to enhance the memories of our excursions.

 

BowAmerica Magazine January 2012

     Last year I came across a photo of Emily Anderson of Colorado after a successful out of state deer hunt. The image consisted of the deer in sharp focus in the foreground with Emily slightly blurred and standing several yards away with her hands and bow outstretched above her head. That image said everything. It had the deer stand out as the main subject. It also captured Emily’s exhilaration yet showed she was not the main focus of the photo.

     Bill Kohls, of Bill Kohls Media in Winston-Salem, has a penchant for catching some of these types of moments. I spoke with Bill bout some tips he could share so we could put together a shot of a lifetime for that shot of a lifetime. Here are a few he pointed out:

Unique point of view:

Courtesy Bill Kohls Media

    The number one mistake I see new photographers make is they always take their shots from a standing, straight on position. This is boring and brings nothing new to the eye of the viewer. I am always moving around in the boat or yak to get a cool angle that you don't normally see.

Angles:

    This can be a huge friend to me in the field. By trying a few different angles you may be able to show the trophy off in size. Another tip for angles is always having something in your photos to show the size of the subject relative to something smaller. This will exaggerate the size of the trophy. For example, if I have an angler with a large fish I try to focus on the fishes larger features like its poked out eyes, wide mouth or gut. For a large animal I would aim at its rack, shoulders or tail. Something that would set the animal apart from the average ones. Also, put something else in the photo like the lure or the gun to show the size of the animal.

Time of Day:

    If you can help it shoot your photos during lower light times of the day. Sunrise-11:00 am/3:00 pm-Sunset. This is the best light for natural light photography. Shooting during lunch time can be hard due to the intense light rays.

Courtesy Bill Kohls Media

Poses:

    Everyone knows the ‘hold the fish out as far as you can trick’. Instead of having the same pose as everyone out there hold the fish different. Use two hands and hold the fish with its mouth open at the camera, or have the angler be down on one knee. Anything to set the photo apart.

Sun:

    Use the sun to light your subject. Always have your back to the sun when photographing a trophy to catch all the detail. 

  

Courtesy Bill Kohls Media

   By following these tips you can take a photo from ‘that’s a nice fish’ comment to a ‘Wow!’ reaction. After all, once the season begins and you bring down that trophy of a lifetime, your epic photo will look great along with the story I submit to the editor. You can reach Bill at bill@billkohlsmedia.com or on facebook by searching Bill Kohls Media.