Reinventing the typical trophy photo

[franzfmdavis]

A couple of my favorite “non-typical” hunting pictures. View attachment 686649View attachment 686650

Beautiful!

 

[franzfmdavis]

Both PHs, one in the Kalahari and the other at the Eastern Cape, were great photographers. Two pictures taken with me not knowing.

The Lioness picture, the PH caught me as I was paying my respect to the animal and crying like a 5-year-old.

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The second picture, I was in my own little world, enjoying God's creation and enjoying that once again I was in Africa and my safari was coming to an end. The PH without asking took the picture.

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Wow! Awesome!

 

[franzfmdavis]

I took this photograph in 1977. I’d like to recreate it with a bushbuck in Africa.View attachment 686658

I love all the photos you have!! I also love that you share them frequently when relevant - they are a treat to see!

 

[franzfmdavis]

Great thread! So many different ways to do this stuff. Here are a few I have taken lately and one vintage one from my grandfather. Aint saying they are great or anything, just a little different than the norm that we all have a bunch of. Cheers

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They are awesome and the uniqueness makes them captivating!

 

[franzfmdavis]

I´ll play, these are the more untypical I have.

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Beautiful! I do think that the interaction between the Hunter and animal, even in death, makes the picture more interesting!

The perspective on the black wildebeest with the sun peaking through it fantastic!

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I love all the photos you have!! I also love that you share them frequently when relevant - they are a treat to see!

In hindsight, it's been really beneficial to me that I have always had a habit of carrying a camera with me during all my hunts ever since the 1960s.

I never knew that someday I'd end up authoring a book where I could use them in.

 

[Red Leg]

Nothing worse than a photo journal of just me staring back at myself. I always try to get photos of the game animal and surroundings that also tell a story.

This is a Puku taken on @spike.t 's magnificent Takeri in Zambia with my Rigby .275.

Or a Texas Axis with my Baily Bradshaw 7x65R. The interaction between the pattern of the buck and the limestone rocks is fascinating.

Or my guide @PeteG on Takeri with the sable of a lifetime that we took there.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Non kill shots during the hunt. Giving one of CWO’s horses a water break. Using my hunting buddy’s “sippy cup”.

Without his knowledge of course.

 

[franzfmdavis]

Nothing worse than a photo journal of just me staring back at myself. I always try to get photos of the game animal and surroundings that also tell a story.

This is a Puku taken on @spike.t 's magnificent Takeri in Zambia with my Rigby .275.

Or a Texas Axis with my Baily Bradshaw 7x65R. The interaction between the pattern of the buck and the limestone rocks is fascinating.

Or my guide @PeteG on Takeri with the sable of a lifetime that we took there.
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Awesome pictures!

Our Highland Stalkers are just a couple hundred apart in SN .

 

[franzfmdavis]

Non kill shots during the hunt. Giving one of CWO’s horses a water break. Using my hunting buddy’s “sippy cup”.

Without his knowledge of course.


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So many of these candid shots are missed and eventually fade from memory. It’s great to have it memorialized!

 

[Altitude sickness]

Here ya go Phil Giordano

 

[thi9elsp]

@franzfmdavis Thank you for starting this thread and to other members' posts. It prompted me to revisit my Wyoming Elk hunt from 2012. I walk past the shoulder mount multiple times a day, but haven't looked at the photos in a few years. Here's a few you might enjoy.

It was 1 1/2 hour ride over steep terrain to the meadow where I shot my elk. The guide had to radio another guide who could get a signal back to camp and send someone out with mules to pack the elk back to camp.



I hunted with Triangle X, and Harold Turner (3rd Generation in Jackson Valley) was in camp and was the one who brought the mules - at that time I believe he was 72. That was a 2 1/2 hour ride to get to us which turned into 3 hour ride back with the mules loaded.



These are a couple of our ride back to camp.

 

[Goose Cracker]

Two of my favorites

 

[Rifleman97]

I've never been a fan of the typical grab and grin photos and don't take them.

Agreed. There’s only animal I’ve ever had a photo like that with, pretty much all of my other game that gets a picture taken of, looks like this

Just a simple picture of the downed animal with my rifle laid across them as a subtle way to know that they were taken by me. Smiling and especially sitting way behind the animal to make it look bigger feels wrong to me. Even on my one pic of me smiling with the deer (which I was pretty much made to pose for, or I wouldn’t have even had this photo) I sit very close to the deer in an angle that’s not meant to make the animal look like some humongous monster. I just think it’s more respectful and honest.

 

[Stetsonham]

I just always take tons of photos trying to catch something more special for sure

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

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This is an awesome photo and the Black and White makes it. I've thought about doing something similar to this myself

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I like to take an "as they lay" photo. Many times I'll snap one or a series of them as I'm walking up on the animal for the first time.

On my first Kudu, I think I took more photos of it where he fell from different angles to get the scenery on the side of the mountain, than I took of me with him. Part of that might also have been how exhausted we were from trying to move him to a suitable position for photos, and having more of our blood on the trees and rocks than his before we even started to bring him down the mountain.

 

[franzfmdavis]

@franzfmdavis Thank you for starting this thread and to other members' posts. It prompted me to revisit my Wyoming Elk hunt from 2012. I walk past the shoulder mount multiple times a day, but haven't looked at the photos in a few years. Here's a few you might enjoy.

It was 1 1/2 hour ride over steep terrain to the meadow where I shot my elk. The guide had to radio another guide who could get a signal back to camp and send someone out with mules to pack the elk back to camp.

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I hunted with Triangle X, and Harold Turner (3rd Generation in Jackson Valley) was in camp and was the one who brought the mules - at that time I believe he was 72. That was a 2 1/2 hour ride to get to us which turned into 3 hour ride back with the mules loaded.

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These are a couple of our ride back to camp.

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Beautiful! You can almost hear the classic western music playing in the wind. You did it right!

 

[franzfmdavis]

Two of my favoritesView attachment 686914View attachment 686915

I love the pictures showing reverence for the animal too! Its hard not to show excitement when you take game, but a reverent attitude certainly seems more appropriate.

I reached my wildebeest when he was just at the end and his lip was still quivering a bit. I gently stroked his muzzle for the few moments until he passed. Odd as it may sound to the non-hunter, it was a meaningful moment.

 

[franzfmdavis]

Agreed. There’s only animal I’ve ever had a photo like that with, pretty much all of my other game that gets a picture taken of, looks like this View attachment 686916View attachment 686918View attachment 686917

Just a simple picture of the downed animal with my rifle laid across them as a subtle way to know that they were taken by me. Smiling and especially sitting way behind the animal to make it look bigger feels wrong to me. Even on my one pic of me smiling with the deer (which I was pretty much made to pose for, or I wouldn’t have even had this photo) I sit very close to the deer in an angle that’s not meant to make the animal look like some humongous monster. I just think it’s more respectful and honest.View attachment 686919

It certainly seems there are many of us that freel the same way. Thanks for sharing!