The Picture Tells the Story

It was a rainy day and too wet for fishing when I began the house cleaning project. I had a couple of cupboards in my workshop that had gotten totally out of control and needed some serious attention. It was during the process of removing some of the paraphernalia that I stumbled across a couple of old picture albums. Naturally, I blew off the dust and opened them up.

Not surprisingly, these albums were full of fishing and hunting pictures. Some of the pictures dated back 20 years or more. It was kind of fun to see the old success stories, but mostly I was appalled at how terrible the photography was. Although the pictures did tell interesting tales, the stories would have been a lot more revealing if they had been told with good photos.

The process of taking a good photo is not something that is difficult to learn. I am proof of that concept. My photos are not perfect, but they are a far cry from the horrible pictures I used to take. By following a few basic steps, good photos
are a realistic possibility.

The first step in becoming a better photographer is the desire to devote the few extra minutes it takes to get the job done right. Quality photos come from careful planning. This process does take some time out of your fishing and hunting. Those few minutes may seem pretty precious during the heat of the action, but in the long run,
they will be well worth it.

The next step comes in understanding the framing of the picture as it is viewed through the view finder. The normal reaction is to click your shot while you are way too far away. This gives you a very panoramic view of what is happening, but if you are trying to focus on a fish or wild game item, the subject becomes way too small.

When I am working with someone that is helping me with photos, I find myself telling them to get closer over and over again. And then, when they do finally get close enough they will lean way back to snap the shutter. Getting close enough to really fill up the frame with the subject is a hard concept to get people to understand.

Another framing mistake that is often made has to do with centering problems. My mentor for this hang-up was archery specialist, Todd Amenrud. My natural framing set-up was to give way too much head room above the subject. By balancing the space above and below the subject, you will keep your photos well centered without oodles of extra sky above the head.

Next we have the cluttering problem. I am still guilty of this mistake. I forget about all of the junk that is in the background of the picture that distracts from the focal point. I get so focused on the subject that I don’t see the clutter in the background that should be removed. Yes, it takes time to move some of the clutter, but it is worth it!

Contrast is another area that is easy to overlook. I remember a roll of film I shot after a grouse hunt that turned out to be totally worthless. The subject was wearing camouflage, holding birds with natural camo coloring, and kneeling against a backdrop that blended in perfectly with the camo outfit and the birds. The picture was kind of like the white cat in the snowstorm photo. Everything was so much the same, nothing stood out to make the picture interesting.

Picking the correct backdrop to give you the contrast to help your picture stand out is something that comes with practice. Sometimes the best way to learn this skill is to suffer through some mistakes.

Extra color is another item I like to incorporate into a photo. If you are doing a fish picture, a life jacket, a colored shirt, or hat will all help create color contrast and spruce up your photo. If it’s a hunting photo, a backdrop of water or sky will outline the camo clad subject so it is visible against a background of a different color.

Sunglasses are a matter of personal preference. I happen to like to see the eyes of the subject instead of dark glasses. I believe the eyes make the picture more real because it defines the face. However, I have been on ice fishing trips where the sun was so bright that working without sunglasses was nearly impossible.

One other little tidbit of information has to do with lighting. Make sure you have the sun shining on the front of your subject, not backlighting them from behind. I usually use a fill-in flash on my photos to reduce shadows. The fill-in flash can make a huge difference in picture quality and clarity.

The last suggestion I have is on developing. I always get my prints done in 4 x 6 glossies. The glossy format seems to highlight the color better than a matte finish.

Photos are supposed to tell a story. That is their purpose. They help you relive a great moment years after it took place. It only makes sense that by taking the time to produce quality pictures, you will be making your memories more vivid.

By spending a little time planning your photos, your quality will go way up. By keeping your subject simple and by following some basic rules about contrast, framing, and lighting you may soon be hearing others compliment you about the
great pictures you take.