Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so trophy bucks come in all shapes and sizes. But regardless of the size, paying attention to a few Do’s and Don’t’s when it comes to photographing your buck will go a long ways in capturing a moment that will last forever.

  • Instead of wrapping your meaty paws around the antlers, hold the backside of the main beams to the greatest extent possible. This will keep your hands from covering up what usually is the most massive part of the antlers.
  • Don’t be disrespectful. Tuck the deer’s tongue back into his mouth so it’s not dangling. Wipe off as much blood as possible. Don’t sit astride the animal, rather position yourself behind it. And don’t try the “long arm” trick; We’re on to the trickery.
  • Tuck the legs under the deer almost as if the deer is laying naturally. This is a great way to get the deer to balance so you aren’t fighting the weight of your buck throughout the photoshoot.
  • Pay attention to your background and utilize a natural scene whenever possible. Pictures in the back of your truck are fine, but unless that’s where you killed him you are missing an opportunity to tell more of the story with your photograph.
  • Have your photographer get low to the ground—on their belly if they’re willing—to shoot at an upward angle. This helps by putting you and the deer in the spotlight, and allowing the background to fall off to the distance (as opposed to shooting downward which will share focus with the ground and foreground). If possible, position the sun to your flank; the sun behind you will make your face dark in the pictures, and the sun in your face leads to a squinty memory. Use the flash to reduce shadows and take as many photos, from as many different angles and with different camera orientations, as practical.
  • Use the tried-and-true Rule of Thirds with your photo. If you mentally divide the frame into thirds—both horizontally and vertically—try to position the subjects of your photo along those lines. This will help make your photograph more visually “comfortable” to the eye.
  • Get in close. Again, the main subject of your photo is the hunter and the deer, so zoom in so that they fill the frame of the photo. This eliminates background “noise” and draws the viewers focus on the true subject.

These are just a few easy tips to help make the most of your trophy deer photographs. Do you have other tips to share? We’d love to hear ‘em. Go to our facebook page for The Lexington Hunt Club and leaving a note in the comments section. You can also follow us on Instagram @lexingtonhuntclub.

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