kevin June 17th, 2010
As hunters, we all know how important it is to get to the woods “on-time.” For most of us, that means being in your 
treestand before daylight. Arriving in the woods late could, and in some cases probably already has, cost you a trophy buck.
But if you’re one, like me, who considers a camera and tripod just as important as any firearm, entering the woods long before the sun peaks over the horizon is a two-fold decision that goes beyond hunting strategies.
The fact is, the moon itself, and the moonlit woods under a clear sky, present some of the most picturesque settings a photographer will ever find. However, capturing this striking setting with any clarity can be tricky. If you don’t know what you’re doing, there’s a good chance your beautiful moon shot could turnout to be an overexposed blob on a black background.
Here are a few very important tips for taking the best moonlight photos. Write them down in you’re hunting or photography journal, that way you’ll have them for quick reference when the time is right:
- Keep your exposure under 30 seconds when shooting the moon and/or nighttime sky. This will keep the stars from becoming streaky. On most occasions this will not be a problem, as a few second exposure will do, but it all depends on the amount of light available. If your exposure is too long and allows too much light in, your photo will end up bright, looking as if it is a daytime photo with stars. Of course, this could be the effect that you are after.
Come inside the Arkansas Hunting Forum for more tips and tricks for moonlight photography.
kevin December 21st, 2009
Whether downing your limit of ducks, or finally catching up to
that big buck you’ve been after for months, some of the proudest moments for hunters are often captured on film posing with their harvest. Taking these stationary photos seem simple enough. Hunter. Harvest. Shotgun, rifle or bow — all placed neatly within camera-shot. However, there are several points to keep in mind to increase your chances of taking a great photo. Here are four of the most important:
Fill the Frame – If your son shoots a nice buck. Step up! Focus on what is important: your son and his buck, not his shoes, his truck or any thing else. Step close enough or zoom in to fill the frame with your subject. If you’re snapping a shot of your friend sitting on the ground with the head of the fresh kill proudly displayed in his/her lap. I think you should take a knee to get eye to eye with your subject. Keep in mind this will dramatically change the background.
Avoid Background Clutter – Keep clutter out of the background. If it doesn’t add to the photo then it takes a little away. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid every single background object due to the surrounding environment. Instead of a beautiful sunset, rolling hills, or any other striking backdrop, you could have houses or a highway, etc. The solution?
Read the full column by Arkansas Outdoors Online contributing writer Todd Whetstine in the Arkansas hunting forum.
kevin December 11th, 2009
For many duck hunters these days, carrying a camera into the field is second nature. After all, the only thing better 
than coming home with a limit of ducks is having a camera full of great photos that enable you to relive hunting memories for decades to come.
But while you may have taken plenty of photos that have earned you praise from friends and family, when is the last time your pictures actually won something?
With out new Waterfowl/Duck Hunting Photo Contest, you can have something to show for your great shots.
All you have to do is upload your favorite waterfowl hunting-related photo to ArkansasOutdoorsOnline.com, and you’ll be eligible to win a custom acrylic duck call courtesy of Arkansas-based duck call manufacturer, Killer Kallz.
The contest is free to enter, allows multiple entries and unlimited votes, and will be judged by the readers of ArkansasOutoorsOnline.com via online voting. The three photos with the most votes as of Feb. 15, 2010 — the deadline of the contest — will each win Killer Kallz duck call.
Check out the most recent contest entries!
kevin November 23rd, 2009
Last week I wrote about ISO, aperture and shutter speed. That’s a lot to take in for one lesson. This week we’ll be going over the rule of thirds.
Most cameras today have a grid setting that puts two vertical and two horizontal lines in your view finder. This splits your view finder into equal thirds with a grid like a tic tac toe game. Ideally these intersecting lines are where you want the main features of your subject — eyes, head, etc.
The photo above shows my son looking to the right, so I placed him 1/3rd of the way from the left edge to have him looking to the wide side of the picture.
Many people would’ve shot with the “bulls eye syndrome” and placed him in the center. This would not have been a well-composed photo, as it would have looked unbalanced.
If he was looking down to the right, I would’ve placed his head a little higher in the photo to have him looking more into the picture.
This is a very simple tip that will spice up your photos dramatically, and can be applied to any wildlife or fish you may be photographing.
Read the full column by Arkansas Outdoors Online contributing writer Todd Whetstine in the Arkansas hunting forum.
kevin November 14th, 2009
Well it’s that time of year again: deer season.
Are you ready? Do you have your gun sighted in? Camo washed in no-scent detergent? I bet so!
But what about your camera? Do you have it sighted in? Right aperture? Correct shutter speed? How about ISO?
If you make it a habit of taking your camera into the woods with you while hunting, as many hunters do, it’s just as important to prepare your camera for the woods as it is your gun, camo, or other field gear.
Why? Because one of the most frustrating aspects of taking pictures in the field is getting those special hunting or fishing pictures back too dark, too light or too blurry — special moments of your grandsons or daughters first buck that you can’t get back … gone forever.
Here are a few tips that I hope will help you be able to pull that camera out of the bag in the heat of the moment and preserve these memories for everyone not only to see, but to feel and relive.
Find the full list of tips by ArkansasOutdoorsOnline.com contributing writer & photographer Todd Whetstine in the forum.
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