I don't know about you guys but I have seen a lot of trophy photos where the hunter looks way too serious. I like mine with a smile like this one of a duiker yes it's only a duiker but check out the smile. It was my first duiker and I cannot wait to get it up and hanging on my wall.



And I like the photos much better with smiles at least it shows that the hunter is enjoying the hunt.

I agree. I've taken a lot more time and effort in the last few years with taking pics of my hunts and kills and smiling is part of the "process". My pics used to be taken in the back of a truck or hanging from a skinning pole. It only takes a few minutes to do it right and the pics ars so much more enjoyable down the road.

When I looked through the photos of my recent Namibia trip I realized that way too many were of the staged “hunter with trophy†type. While they’re a nice record to have, I almost like the candid snaps better. The couple of photos I took of the PH and tracker setting up for the “real†photos look more interesting to me.

- stu

I agree Stu, after a couple hunts the album looks dizzingly familiar with dozens of 'hero shots' with only minor variations.
In addition to the 'official photograph' I take a few pics of the animal alone, as well as a group picture with those who were involved in the hunt itself.

I agree, I see so many pic's of hunters that look pissed off because they shot a great trophy! Figure!

I'm giving a talk at our Safari Club meeting about "How to take a better Photo!" That is one area that I want to stress..... Smile!!!

Nice photo and good Duiker! Sounds like your doing a shoulder mount, You should do a pedastal mount on him, looks alot nicer.

great going!!

Widowmaker,

Youre right it is a shoulder mount and it is done as well it just needs a lift from the taxidermist in the Free state to Pretoria.

A pesdestarl mount will take up too much space at the moment and I don't think the wife will like it very much. I'm going to go after a red hartebeest next week and maybe I should get it done as an offset shoulder mount.

Not to highjack the thread but I agree with widowmaker about doing a pedstal mount. I had one done with a steenbok (see him on the table in pic below) and it turned out great. All the women that see it try to steal it and most of them are not hunters.



Also, I agree about the smiling. I have looked back at some of my pictures where I was not smiling and it does look like I was pissed off about taking a nice animal. I plan to change all that for future pics.

quote:

Also, I agree about the smiling. I have looked back at some of my pictures where I was not smiling and it does look like I was pissed off about taking a nice animal. I plan to change all that for future pics.

See that, my speech is working already!
Really though, I lot of hunters don't see these "little" things that make a photo really, really good.

And remember, when setting your trophy up for a photo, you have all the time in the world, make it right. You can't go back and take another photo later when your back home.

To me, my photo's are just as important as the trophy!

David,

Ok I see yes it does look nice and not big at all I was thinking pedestral from the ground. But unfortunately it's too late now I will have to shoot another one or do it with the steenbuck next.

Safari-Hunt,

I couldn't agree more. The photos I enjoy most are the ones where the hunter has a huge uninhibited grin on his/her face reflecting a joyous experience as opposed to the "hero shot" which comes off a little pompous sometimes.

David,

That pedestal mount for the little guys may be just the trick. The life size is exorbitantly expensive to do and I think the shoulder mounts on these small animals often get lost on a wall. I'm trying for a couple of the little ones this year and will keep that mount in mind.

Mark

I forgot to mention that I liked the pedestal mount of my steenbok so much, I am having the duiker and klipspringer mounted the same way.

Oh, and I did smile in those pictures.