Tip 1: Practice, Practice, Practice.
The only way to get good at filming is to get out and do plenty of it. Learn from your mistakes and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Eventually you will get comfortable running a camera and get some great footage that you will be able to enjoy for years to come.

Tip 2: It Doesn’t Have to Move.
Also take plenty of photos with a still camera. Learning how to compose photos and work with lighting will help make you a better videographer. Use the flash if it is cloudy or shady to get rid of shadows. With today’s digital cameras, it doesn’t cost anything if you have to delete photos, so take plenty. Plus, if you edit your video on a computer, the still images can be included in your final piece.

Tip 3: Keep it Clean.
Take along some Scent-A-Way towels or wipes to clean up your animal after the hunt, before taking photos. Remove visible blood, dirt and debris, and pay attention to the background when positioning yourself and the animal for photos. Take photos and video from a variety of angles (right, left, centered, standing, and from ground level).

Tip 4: Be Prepared.
You should shoot plenty of scenery and ‘set-up’ shots of the hunt. Record the whole experience, not just the kill. Be sure to carry extra tapes and batteries. The last thing you want to have happen is to have a battery go dead at the moment the animal comes in. Get a good lens cleaning cloth and make sure there is nothing on the lens when you are filming. Put a trash bag and tape in your pack to cover the camera in case it rains (tape the bag so it does not flap in the wind and spook game).

Tip 5: Is ‘Auto’ Better?
Learn how to use the manual focus on your camera and practice using it. If you use the autofocus feature, the camera will be focusing on things close to you and not on the approaching animal. I like to manually focus on an object like a tree at the distance where I think the animal will come in. Then when I see it, I can get the subject in focus quickly. On most cameras you adjust the focus knob clockwise as the animal walks toward you and counterclockwise as it walks away. Practice following moving objects until you don’t have to think about which way to turn the focus knob.

Tip 6: Steady, Steady.
Zoom in and out slowly for better effect. Fast zooms or pans (moving the camera from side to side) can look confusing. If you can, use a tripod. The shots will be more stable and zooming in and out will be smoother.

Tip 7: Two Heads are Better Than One.
If you are taping for another hunter, set up close enough that you can communicate with each other. The cameraman should be able to see the same things as the hunter.

Tip 8: Ask and Learn.
Watch outdoor shows not only for content, but also to examine how they shoot their video and frame their shots. There is a section on the Hunter’s Specialties website (www.hunterspec.com) called Ask the Pros, where you can write to me for more information.

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