How to take incredible turkey photos
Turkey
Good info that can be used by beginners or someone who wants to make their turkey pics better. You can also do all that bird positioning (body, wings, etc.) stuff without the firewood with the hunter utilizing his position and his feet. I don’t have firewood at a lot of the spots I hunt as I’m a good way out in the back 40 ;-) Also re the flash that depends on the natural lighting as sometimes it can ruin the picture lighting and kill the awesome colors of the feathers iridescence and darken the background/scenery. But overall I agree there’s a lot of turkey pics that can be made better and this is some good starter steps. Good info Pat!
Nice! I pin the wings out to the ground with two little aluminum tent stakes and then hold up the rear and spread the fan with one hand. Stakes are handy for helping hold the blind down in a moderate wind as well.
We all strive to take great photos with our thunder chickens, but there are really only a few guys on this site that actually do.
Thanks for the props Nick but there a lot of great photographers on here and some that do it with turkeys. I enjoy seeing others pics when you can tell they take the extra time to make a good presentation to lock in that day that memory that will last a lifetime. I constantly get pm’s about the photography joe as I do and try and help as many guys and gals as possible. I, like pat give a lot of beginner tips that gets people in the right direction but honestly every location/terrain, time of the day, conditions and lighting of the day, birds condition and type of hunt is different which they all require an open mind to capture the best photos. Not every pic is a “hero” shot and my favorites are the natural photos that tell a story with raw emotion. This requires knowing your cameras capabilities, setup, and more which takes a while to learn. Again this is good stuff and a good thread for a lot of guys!
Great suggestions for posing a turkey! Turkeys are spectacular with all their colors. It takes just the right light to catch all the irredescent colors. It's definitely worth the time figuring out the exact angle with the sun.
I'm usually in the field hunting all day for multiple turkeys so it's not really possible to carry a hammer and logs. I'm pretty sure the same pose could be done using rocks, tree limbs, or what ever is available in the field. A rock or log could be used to drive the nails through the leg....so no need to haul a hammer around. I often prop the legs in a similar fashion by propping them down with rocks, log, or what ever is available in the field.
Another suggestion if you are hunting alone is to buy a remote for your Iphone to take selfies. That way you don't have to run back and forth using the self-timer. Here's a remote you can pick up for around $5: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wireless-Remote-Control-Bluetooth-Selfie-GO-Camera-Shutter-for-Monopod-US-iPhone/292136573603?epid=1543253181&hash=item4404b25aa3:g:yRAAAOSwZrhaXtwe
I also bring along a micro tripod with Iphone attachment. It has bendable legs that can be placed on the ground, log, or wrapped around a tree limb. I sometimes place the tripod on top of a decoy or pack. It may be good to position the Iphone/camera at different heights to get the best closeups and background. I often take gobs of photos from different angles and distances from the game animal to take advantage of the background. It's also possible to take photos super close to get knarly photos of the head, beard, and feathers. In fact, I often take just closeup photos of irredescent feathers or striking closeup photos of the beard, spurs, etc. It's sometimes good to change things up rather than taking all the same exact hero shots. You may want to add a call, arrow, or something else to the photo to add memory to the particular trip.
Here's a pretty good micro-tripod. There are some that are a lot less expensive on ebay https://joby.com/gorillapod-tripods The tripod hardly weighs anything and easily fits in a pack. I use the same tripod on fishing and big game hunting trips.
The most difficult part is getting the beard to show. Posing the rest of the bird is pretty easy. As was said, take many photos. I like to get a sense of habitat/terrain in the photo. And weather/lighting doesn't always cooperate. The wind was howling when we tried to get photos of my wife's bird this year. We couldn't get out of it. That prevented the "typical" fully fanned photo.
And use a real camera. iPhone cameras are getting better, and can be used in a pinch. But they get their results through processing electronics. That isn't nearly as good as good optics and sensor, and the ability to shoot in RAW format.
Great idea, I never thought of that. I have used the foot thing but it's a royal pain since you have to keep running back and forth to the camera. This makes it a snap. Thank you.
And Nick, I'm pretty sure you're not a dick, but you sure sound like one in your post.
This is one of my favorite pix. Sun was behind the subject but flash and lightin all worked perfect. Many different situations call for different style or angles. It’s recognizing those that make the difference. Takes time and trial and error. I say this a lot about a lot of hunting things. If you want to be good at something, you’ll figure it out with desire. If you want to be half ass, well it’ll show. half ass effort half ass results
This was a cell phone pic...
Lighting, angle and a vision for what you want all lead to good photos. Chris and I constantly are trying things that don’t work but once in a while something just sticks an stands out. Most just don’t care and that’s ok. Also takes a buddy with same desire as you to capture good pix. Chris is one of the best photographers there is and I’m lucky to have him as a huntin buddy. If I had to give one piece of advice, it would be to just experiment and see what you get
Good teasers Jf for upcoming thread ;-)
The fanned out toms look fantastic....but the other odd=ball shots similar to a couple above by joehunter definitely add character and variety to photos from trips.
I'm not sure if any of you make photo books of trips or experiences but they are a lot of fun. Shutterfly and other websites make photo book making super quick and easy. Photo books are fun to share with family and friends! The more photos you have of the country, other critters, and special events...the better to remember great trips! It's always worth it to me to sit back and relax for a moment and look at the surrounding country and other animals....that are fun to get on film!
Jim’s you sound like you know your stuff. You got some cool pix we can see?? Post em up
How do you get the shiny look?
I don’t understand all the seriousness with some guys pics. Take the stick out your a$$ and smile.
That cell phone photo is a fantastic photo, from the way that bird is naturally positioned, the angle of the tail feathers, the lighting, the wooded backdrop to the smile on the hunters face as he looks down at the bird. Well done. I don't like photos that are overly staged.
Nice article. Thanks. Picked up some nice tips. Yes, im photo challenged lol.
Good stuff! My wife owns a photography store. I showed her this thread and she was quite impressed.
I think the pic of joe looking at the spurs is photoshopped. One of his toenails is on backwards! ;-)
"First, find an incredible turkey"
Self photos of turkey kills is tough. Getting the focus right, lighting, timing ... it is all a real challenge. It is much easier if you have an experienced photographer along to help. These below are two versions of a double that I killed in Nebraska a few weeks back. I was alone and had to get everything down to get a decent trophy shot after the kill. I used the headlights from my truck to give me some general lighting and then my external flash for my Sony A6500 camera to get certain highlights. The wind was blowing so getting feathers to lay decent was a challenge. I bet I snapped 25+ photos ... most crap mainly due to timing issues just to get a couple "good enough" ones. From there is all post processing. I'm not a big fan of the HDR look, but here are a couple comparisons. Too each their own as we all have a "look" that we like. Both edited in Lightroom, one is more of my normal tweaking of the curves, saturation, and other edits. The other is more of an HDR type of edit that pushes various parameters. Regardless ... a self turkey trophy photo is tough to pull off. I would much rather shoot photos of someone else and their trophy.
Step #1. Kill a turkey with my bow. I am out.
(Turkeys are my nemesis) But I will not give up!
Good article and tips!
How much $$$ do you spend on a camera, accessories and editing software?
OK- is it just me......................................or does anyone else get immediately drawn(no pun intended) to the bow in the pic that is being held upside down?
I used to assume that when guys were holding their bow upside down in a posed pic that it was because they were so caught up in the moment that they mistakenly gripped the bow incorrectly. But then when I pointed it out one time on one of the threads here, some folks stated that they do this purposely. I am assuming that Pat is consciously holding it inverted, since he is going to great lengths to take all other aspects of the photo into account.
I just can't help it, but every time I look at that photo, my eyes are instantly drawn to those fletchings sticking up in the air. Just wondered if anyone else experiences the same thing?
Not me, I never noticed it until you pointed it out, to busy staring at a beautifully posed turkey!!
Great thread. I have always been impressed with Chris and Joe's turkey pics. Incredible! Chris and Joe-do you guys use enhancement features when editing the pics or are they as you take them? If so do you have any apps you recommend etc? I have taken all my other pictures for the last ten years with a timer and sprinting blocks;) This pic I actually had to put their heads back on after using the DCaps but always try to get better lighting etc. One things that drives me crazy and that I envy Chris and Joe is getting the knee pics.
How do you balance those damn things on your knee. I'd love a few pics like that but by the time I run back and grab the bird his breast knocks him off my knee...:(
Rut Nut: I immediately notice bow upside down in many trophy pics and it looks very odd to me also. I assume people do it to show off the arrows/fletching?
Not sure what happened to my two photos ... LOL. I screwed something up obviously ... LOL. Try this again.
They don't show off well, in my opinion, unless they are elevated. With that being said, I don't like a vertical hang either as it tends to hide the beard. I prefer an inclined drape with something lighter as a background to show off the beard (like a stump, log or rock). I forget sometimes to get the wings extended while focusing on the fan. The extended wings adds about 5 pounds the bird:)
Ok- then it's not just me!
I think I'm with smarba- it is not necessarily the color of the vanes that grabs my attention, but more the orientation of the bow. Guess it just seems un-natural to me. It's kind of uncanny how my eyes immediately go to the bow, no matter how hard I try to focus on the bird!
Stump shot
Stump shot
Here’s one with a the stump approach Taken with my cell by a farm hand.
LOL! Pat! : )
It wasn't at all about liking or disliking the pic. YOU obviously like it and that is all the matters!
I was just curious if anybody else was seeing it as I did. (I've been told sometimes my perception is not "the norm"! ;-)
Those beach boys are pretty good at taking turkey pics, I guess. :)
The kneeling pose is impossible without a buddy or a remote on your camera. If I’m solo I pretty much throw that option out the window. It’s a tricky pose and can hurt the hell outta ur knees. I usually back up to where I wana be (as cameraman) for the pic look at it and see what adjustments are needed. Try to gap the bow, deeks, hunter all nicely proportionate and don’t cut out ends. Then it’s the bird. Tail fan gotta be evenly spread and I like the wings down as much as possible. It’s hard to get both wings perfect but it can be done. The beard is the hardest thing to see but I usually jus say the heck with it for my pix and try to make the bird look pretty. It take patience no doubt lots of times I take a round of pix and look at em and go naw I got better idea let’s try this and do it all over again. PITA and most don’t care enough to get them perfect. We do :) I am also a fan of pictures with various colors. Sky, woods, grass all add appeal. That’s enough typing for now here’s a few fall pix from past few falls.
Bearded hen from last fall
This was a solo hunt I did 2 falls ago. This was a timed solo pic just worked out there was a log jam that I was able to tie the bird up in and run back an forth. Took bout 15 tries to get the perfect pic I was satisfied with
This was a solo hunt I did 2 falls ago. This was a timed solo pic just worked out there was a log jam that I was able to tie the bird up in and run back an forth. Took bout 15 tries to get the perfect pic I was satisfied with
Cool photos an great tips. Thanks Joe!
Some nice photos guys. Maybe its just me but why put decoys into the shot, especially them humping...lol
There's some great turkey shots that don't need a lot of set-up either. Especially ones that tell a story.
But I’ve taken a few other good ones
But I’ve taken a few other good ones
But I keep using the same tree and I can’t keep the years straight. Lol
But I keep using the same tree and I can’t keep the years straight. Lol
Great article Pat!
I always search for the perfect tree.
And as you can see someone has to be the hot sexy model for joe when he’s the photographer! Bahahahaaaa. That first kneeling pic is from this last fall and probably one of my favorite fall turkey kill pics to date.. with the fall colors and pose it just flat out worked. We probably took 20 pics before we got what we were looking for. And as someone mentioned why are the deeks in the picture... well cuz we like the gear used to be shown.. Me personally I like seeing a hunting picture with the tools (bow, gun, deeks, whatever..) being shown as majority of hardcore hunters want to see that stuff knowing how the animal was harvested and with what gear. Plus maybe a little product promo ;-)
Gould's Turkey taken with Ward's Outfitters.
Gould's Turkey taken with Ward's Outfitters.
Here's a beautiful Gould's. They always look great with wings spread.
steven that first photo is awesome display of a gorgeous bird and perfect natural lighting. well done! only small nit picking thing id point out is he could show the bow just a little better. man i need a goulds bird bad!
As brotsky mentioned sometimes not a perfectly displayed bird or birds is not always required to tell a story or make a picture great. This is one of my favorite double kneeling pics where joe and I arrowed these two toms within seconds of each other. Kyle took this pic with a great DSLR camera (if I remember right) on manual focus from a distance to get the blur clear blur effect. All smiles :-)
Geeeesh I think you guys are way over thinking this. A few good tips for sure but if I only get B+ photos instead of A+, I’m good with that. I can still look at that B quality photo and recount the fond memories of the hunt. I spend more time trying to kill another turkey than trying to getting the lighting for my photo correct
Longbeard cmon when you’re tagged out for the day I gotta burn a little extra time excelling at more then just killing them to carry on that special hunt other then in my own head ;-)
..... were closing in on our goal for this season so we’ll try harder,,, stay tuned :-)
Steven awesome! Those are awesome birds.
Another south of the boarder bird
Some great photos guys. Sometimes I like to keep my ugly mug out of the photos :)
No comparison to some of the others, especially with the lack of green during the early spring youth season, but has a lot of meaning to us both.
Natural
Natural
Bake does a fine job too:)
Tried to get artsy with the bird I bagged this morning.
Kansas Tom.... gun kill
Kansas Tom.... gun kill
SE Oklahoma Tom 2007 or 08'. Gun kill
SE Oklahoma Tom 2007 or 08'. Gun kill
Wife's first ever turkey... 2005. Took this with a 35mm throw away camera. :)
Wife's first ever turkey... 2005. Took this with a 35mm throw away camera. :)
A few of my wife's birds from a couple years ago. Taking quality pics is part of the process, imo.
My son's first turkey several years ago. I take lots of pics after the game is down to be sure to capture the 'moment'.
very nice pics...sure have come along way from the kodak pocket camera with a flash cube!
I don’t get enough opportunities to take pictures of turkeys. Only two in 31years! So I’m happy even with a bad picture!
You guys have it all wrong....lol
How old is your boy Scoot? That's awesome man! Congrats:) Love the walking away pics with the birch trees (or aspen?-always get those confused)
Absolutely LOVE the composition of some of those pics!
The simplicity of Stick n String's pic, the unique setting of Wilbur's with the tractor(top one) and the color and composition of Scoot's son walking thru the meadow. Among others...........
This was my last turkey with a bow, back in 2010. I'm posting it to irritate Rut Nut. Lol. :)
LOL! Good one Embry! : )
I would say nice bird, but I can't get a good look at it- can't take my eyes off that dang upside down bow! ;-)
Joe took this photo for me.....my favorite!
Charlie called me out!!! :)
I love a good turkey photo. I used to spend quite a bit of time with it. Anymore, I generally don't. The vast majority of my turkeys are killed on the same farm. They all look generally the same, they're 2 or 3 year old birds with 10 inch beards. I'm grateful and thankful for them all, and I love it. But frankly, except for my wardrobe which changes every 3-4 years, all my pictures look pretty much the same. I just continue to age in them.
Secondly, I kill most of my birds on early morning hunts before work. By the time I get home from the farm, my wife is walking out the door for her work. I'm needing to get cleaning so I can get to work not-too-tardily. And I just don't have the desire to spend 20-30 minutes primping and setting up a self-timer and all that jazz.
The only reason I took the picture Charlie posted above, was that I'm in a turkey "contest" that a cousin of mine puts on. It's between about 10 friends/family members. It's fun and no pressure (at least for me :) ). One of his rules is that you have to have a picture with you in it, with the turkey. I think he started that rule because I was just sending pics of a dead turkey laid out on the tailgate :)
This year, I learned that the above picture got posted to Facebook (which I don't have), so my second turkey I tried to take a better non-sarcastic picture :)
I'm a picture freak. I cherish them and keep them. but the turkey pics just don't mean much to me anymore, because they all look the same to me, except I have more gray hair and wrinkles in each successive year
I say that was worth the hike huh Roy :-) good memories
Sure was, buddy! We'll need to do something like that again.....once the house is all built.
What do y'all do with the ones you shoot with Bullheads? Duct tape? =D
TD: seriously I had to lay my bird and creativly rearrange a sprig of pine bough to disguise that his head was not connected to his neck!
I agree with Scoot, that’s a great picture bohntr!
Hey guys, Do any of you use those apps that let you manipulate the color and shading of your pics? I don’t know the names of them, but an ice-fishing buddy of mine uses them and gets some amazing results! I don’t have any hunting related pics, but here is an example.
That's a matter of taste. HDR and other post-processing can be over done, as in that photo.
Yeah, that pic is definitely on the extreme end of the spectrum. Just demonstrates what can be done. Just wondered if any of you played around with apps like this. That last pic that bohntr posted got me thinking......................the colors are so vibrant. And some of the other pics posted look like they could have been possibly enhanced by one of these apps.
Some top notch turkey photos on this thread for sure. Thanks for getting it started Pat.
Most turkey photos are taken with a fairly short focal length. To make some of mine a little different I prefer to use a long lens (high zoom) and put a good distance between the subject and background to get good creamy bokeh.
As Chris mentioned above in the double kneeling picture, that was taken at 300 mm and F2.8.
This photo was taken by my 7 year old son at 200mm F2.8. He nailed it like a boss! Happy hunting all!
So glad I read this thread before my successful hunt yesterday afternoon. I’m not saying my pictures are great but they are at a higher level than they would have been had I not seen this conversation.
Curtis, great pic and nice display on them wings!
Nice bird Curtis! I can actually SEE that one! (Due to good bow orientation ;-)
Wow, congrats Curtis....gorgeous bird and photo!
Got one to come in screaming Tuesday. Only day we got to see the sun... Killed him at 25 yds with a magnus bullhead, no blind. Was quite a rush!
Great tips on taking those field photos, will have to give that a try. Here is my Miriam from SE Colorado. It was a wet morning and his feathers were a mess, but it is what it is.
Great pic with the sky/landscape Bo
Nice pic stick! He's takin' the 'ol "DIRT NAP!" (literally! ;-)
Love those Merriams! Looks good to me! : )
Hard to get a good picture with wet,wet bird. Here's mine from yesterday. SE Mn
Lots of nice pictures! Here’s one of my daughters bird Sunday.
Great insight and advice on here!
Not and easy topic to "master!"
Thank you all.
Mark
I need some photo lessons Lewis
My first bird . Head shot at 22 yards . Got lucky !
Took the first two Ohio gobbles on my property in one food plot strutting lane. Bullhead got the job done.
Took the first two Ohio gobbles on my property in one food plot strutting lane. Bullhead got the job done.
My buddy and his bird from this year, note the elevated angle and difference.
My buddy and his bird from this year, note the elevated angle and difference.
Good stuff on the mockup or staging blocks like you show to hold the bird and get the wings out. It was mentioned that to get pics a elevated camera position via those gippy tripods works very well. I'll be doing that and have the blocks ready for this fall.
Thank you for the post Helped me setup this pic of a young man with his first bird
Aren't this the guys that could also do a how to bait deer in CA thread?
I have one of my daughter and a young man carrying a pair of toms over their shoulders they shot when she was 9 or so and him a couple years older.It was part of the photo display at their wedding
Use light too.Here are a couple friends who came to hunt with me this Spring.
Nice birds fellas! Here is one I shot with a selfbow I made
Nice photos guys this is my favorite
I think we strategically placed some sticks to get this shot-
Backed the tom up to the small blind and spread the feathers. Against the brilliant green foliage.
Some times self photos can be hard to set up as all of these were.
Some times self photos can be hard to set up as all of these were.
I think we strategically placed some sticks to get this shot-
Timely thread brought back up, beings the photo option doesn’t seem to be working.
Here’s a pic of my buddy Nick’s (Midwest) bird that he didn’t shoot on my farm, last spring….
Not a bow kill but I always liked this pic of my oldest son's first bird on our NY property.
One of last year’s birds.
Great pictures y’all hope to see more soon Good luck Lewis
My best turkey trophy photo.
One of my favorite turkey pictures with my daughter / good luck charm with me when I got him.
Those are all well done pics.
