One of the best ways to remember your turkey hunting experience is by putting it on film. Whether it’s pictures or video, both offer the ability for you to relive your hunt for years to come.

Below, the National Wild Turkey Federation’s staff of vidographers and photographers has compiled some tips to help you get started. Keep these tips in mind when photographing your trophy longbeard or videoing your child’s first hunt, you’ll have memories to share for a lifetime.

“These are the mistakes we see made the most in the field when videoing or photographing a hunt,” said Matt Lindler, photography director for the NWTF. “By following these tips, you can make the experience one you can relive time after time.”

Video Magic

From blown setups to tagging trophy longbeards, NWTF videographer Brian Godfrey has seen it all through the viewfinder of his camera. Here are some of his tips to shoot great hunting videos:

• Try to video with the sun on your subject.
• Turkey hunting is filled with a bounty of natural sounds. Be sure you have a good microphone with at least a 10-foot cord so you can place the microphone in front of your setup, which will help you pick up the natural sounds and not the sound of your hands operating the camera.
• Use a tripod! Your footage will look smooth. Avoid tripods with braces between the legs. The braces can keep you from sliding under your camera and getting great, comfortable shots.
• Prepare to film hunts by practicing around the house. Cats, dogs, or even your kids playing outside will work.
• Don’t zoom in and out too much. Get on your subject and stay there.
• Be sure to cover all of your camera gear with camouflage.
• Have preplanned cues for your hunters such as a word or signal to know when you’re ready for them to shoot.
• If your camera has a manual focus selection, use it. Turkeys or deer walking through grass or in the woods will confuse the auto focus.
• Remember, a small field or food plot open to the sky will allow your camera to gather more light than hunting in the cover of the woods. This tactic will buy extra minutes early in the morning or at the end of the day.

After the Hunt — Capture it in Photos

NWTF photography director Matt Lindler has taken photos in all different types of terrain and settings. From magazine shoots to trophy photographs, here are his tips for capturing the moment on film.

“Don’t be afraid to take a lot of photos,” Lindler said. “Film is the cheapest investment in nature photography. Compare $5 a roll to the $5,000 you might spend on a lens.”

Composition

• Get close to your subject.
• Use the golden rule of “thirds.” Look through the viewfinder, then divide the scene into thirds horizontally and vertically. Place the subject’s eye or other focal point where these lines intersect.
• Clean up the clutter. Make sure trash and other visual clutter is removed from the scene.
• Watch the background and avoid power lines, telephone poles, etc. Make sure foreign objects do not look like they’re growing out of your subject’s head.
• Take photos that show action and illustrate a point (putting a tag on your animal, walking toward the downed game).
• When people are in photos, focus on their eyes or face and try to avoid taking photos where people have their backs to the camera.
• Encourage your subjects to show pleasant facial expressions. Smiles are great!

Lighting

• Shoot with the sun at your back.
• Shoot in the early morning or late afternoon for softer, warmer light.
• Use fill flash to eliminate shadows.

Film

• Shoot 100 ASA print or slide film.
• Brace yourself, so you’re steady when you take the picture.
• Shoot a camera like a rifle; use a rest, watch your breathing and squeeze the trigger.
• If you don’t have anything else to rest the camera on, brace your elbows against your stomach.
• Squeeze the shutter release; camera shake causes blurred images.

Digital

• Use a camera with at least 3 megapixels of resolution.
• Avoid using digital zoom. Choose a camera that has a higher optical zoom
• Always set the camera to the highest resolution possible.
• Set the camera at the lowest compression available.
• If available, shoot Raw or Tiff formats for the highest quality photos.

Hunting photography

• Search for an exciting background (gnarled tree trunks, rocks, flowering trees, etc.).
• Keep the animal in good shape after the kill. If you’re going to photograph your trophy turkey, for instance, make sure the feathers are in good shape.
• Try to avoid posing the hunter behind the animal. Use the exciting background to pose the animal and hunter.
• Clean blood off the animal and subject. Place an animal’s tongue in its mouth or remove it all together.
• Keep firearm muzzles and arrows in a safe direction and the action open.
• Don’t be afraid to turn your camera on a vertical axis. A scene may look better vertically than it does horizontally. Shoot both ways.
• Centered is not always better. Sometimes the focus of an image looks better when it is not centered in the frame.
• Vary your shooting angle. Shoot a scene from as many angles as you feasibly can. This not only means from all sides, but also at different heights.
• Experiment with different exposure settings. Shooting at different exposure settings above and below the camera’s meter reading is called bracketing. Sometimes your camera’s meter can be fooled by extremes in light and shadow.
• Shoot at different focal lengths. Zoom in and out on a subject. Get close-ups as well as wide shots.
• By following these helpful hints, you’ll be on your way to taking photos and videos like the pros. Plus, you’ll capture memories to share for years to come.