Is it live or Memorex?

E

edhunter

Guest
Reading the Dec/Jan issue of Muley Crazy magazine brought a flood of emotion. The article is titled "Colorado 200 inch Hat Trick". The 1st paragraph outlines perfectly what I'd like to post,

"The weatherman was calling for 4-8 inches of snow and temperatures in the 20's overnight. The storm would be breaking by morning and with the date being November 25th, the bucks should be sick with love in the morning. Fresh snow in the peak of the rut. I told my buddy on the phone that night that it was going to be an epic day for big buck photography".

Two hunters were searching for photos that morning. One was out of bed well before light. He braved snow packed roads and drifts getting to the deers winter range. His spotting scope found the big bucks and his feet took him to their haunts. Miles of Kodachrome burned through his camera and the weight of extra batteries and film burdened him. By days end he had caught on film 3 buck over 200 gross inches and one 180" buck. What a day.

Our other photographer didn't bother to load equipment the night before, no point in that. He rose well after the sun and slipped into his house shoes, noticed that it was a little chilly and turned the thermostat up to 72 degrees. A few minutes later coffee was streaming, hot and flavorfull, out of his percolator. Ah, now lets get some big buck pictures. He fired up the latest version of Adobe Photoshop Professional and searched through his archives for the perfect shot. There it was, a fat doe perched against the bluest sky God's hand had ever painted. Save that one and now find the material to make this imposter a buck. The rack he picked was huge. The deer won the big buck contest in his state two years earlier. He was at the checkpoint when the lucky hunter brought it in. Luckily the guy didn't understand and let him burn 3 rolls of film on this one buck's antlers, side view, quartering forward and away and straight on. He had just the shot to transform the estrogen to testosterone. By days end he had created one hell of a buck. What a day.

What is real? I salute the former. I've crawled through the cactus for 3 days trying to get one picture of a coues buck in the snow. It wasn't good enough for Outdoor Life but did make the cover of AZ Outdoors. I've had the batteries die just when a large buck mounted a doe for the final rutting surge. I damn near died in the Black River one spring trying to get to 2 huge rams on the other side. I'm not a world class photographer but I've done enough shutter snapping to know what it takes to get a quality shot in the field and I'm not talking Yellowstone or the den where the computer is.

What do you prefer? Does your heart skip a beat seeing 12 of the biggest bucks ever taken posed like manikins against the rimrocks? If so my hat is off to the animater who created that for you. Just my thoughts.

Ed,
 
I believe I understand what you're thinking/feeling. I place much more value in any trophy that was hard fought and earned through blood, sweat, and tears, than one that was easily or unfairly attained.
Would we be as happy with a trophy from a high fenced hunting ranch as we would with one that we harvested by hiking 7 miles into a roadless area to escape the pressure of the crowds. I think not. Yes, it's much harder, and the odds of success are less, but the satisfaction that you did what only a few are willing to do is what this game of hunting is all about.
So, I think the photagrapher who earned his photo's is the real "king".
Scott/Couesbitten
 
I don't think "King's" if that is who you are refering to is trying to take credit for photographing these animals. I think they are simply trying to bring some great animals that have been taken in the past to life. Its just eye candy. But a live picture is better in my book also.
 
Nunya,

I guess if Mr. King wouldn't have accepted two "Photographer of the Year" awards I wouldn't be talking about him and others who are nothing more than animaters. Personal opinion I guess.

I'd liken what is happening with photography in the name of "Art" would be more like shooting a huge buck in a computer program, getting a life-sized replica made and then hanging the thing on the wall. At least the deer behind the fence is real, although a unethical trophy.

Ed
 
Well thanks for the praise edhunter. I appreciate your kind words. To give you a little insight, I had a couple of photos in this years Kings Calendar and it was a sale through a stock agency, not me directly. Had I known prior to the sale what they would have been used for I would not have approved the sale. When I saw the calendar I was a little surprised to see that Robert KING had signed each photo page like he was the artist. Photo credit can be found in miniscule print on the calendar page. So I guess if you swap antlers out in a computer you can take credit for someone elses original artwork.
 
Interesting post Ed. Knowing how much dedication is needed to get good pics of LIVE animals, I greatly respect someone who can take good, quality photos.

For me personally, once I know an image is doctored, it loses ALL of it's draw. I'm no more interested in looking at digitized deer than I am at a fake 'Britney'! ;-)

S.


:)
 
Very well thought out post there Ed. Specially for someone with a pack of flea motels staked out in his back yard and a friend named HoundDawg.

I agree 100%. I have never had an interest in even looking at one of those calendars. I'd much rather look at a real picture like DK, Yelum, BS or some of the others post. Taking pictures like they do is a real talent.

Course the picture you posted of Dawg naked in bear camp was a beauty too so don't feel slighted buddy.
 
Very interesting post indeed. However, CB, I don't think my photos could be put in the same class as DK's and Buckspy's. These guys literally invest hours hiking in absurd weather conditions while I shoot from the comfort of a heated cab.

But I also have a different take on the calendars. I love seeing big bucks, dead or alive. And I love the calendars for the simple fact that they have shown me a ton of buck racks that I had no idea even existed. As long as I know they are created. I am one however, that looks at the photo of the deer itself, and many times think, How did the photographer get that close, and admire their work. I look at the credit of every one of the months pictures to see who the real photographer is. And I wonder what real rack used to adorn that body.

As for taking credit for the photos, if Kings are doing that, then its just wrong.

Again, great post, and kuddo's to the real photographers.
Yelum
 
I have been told that a LOT of the close up photos that you see in magazines of predators are taken behind a fence, especially wolves,wolverines,lynx etc...
It is commendable to be able to do it in a non artificial environment!
 

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