Gun club shoot

Skwaz

Senior Member
Hi guys
a little help would be appreciated.
i have d7100 d3100 18-55vr 18-105vr 35mmdx and sigma70-300
i have been invited to go on the first Partridge shoot of the year on our local moors
The only shooting I will be doing is digital.
any tips would help
I would think a lot of shots will be against the sky with the dark moors in foreground .
Ok do I crank up the ADL ? Do I bracket shots , but maybe miss the moment ?
Raw or JPEG ? I only use Faststone and Nikon View for pp.
My main concern is getting the shooters well exposed but not losing the sky .
I know it's probably pretty basic stuff .
I read somewhere it's easier to get back overexposed pics than under ? Would it be a good idea to set all for
A touch over compensation but then I would burn out the sky .
Maybe I just take a couple of hundreds shots , sure to get a few keepers , i just get the feeling these guys are expecting great things but I'm no expert
Any thoughts
Thanx
 

Deleted

Senior Member
Thanx Gorf that's probably the best advice I'm going to get

Lol! ;)

TudorHatScarby061med.jpg
 

Skwaz

Senior Member
Yes Lawrence there's a reservoir just up the road .
If it stops raining today I will go up there it's sort of in a bowl so should be able to create what I expect next week.
 

Skwaz

Senior Member
Hey Lawrence Sue and me are coming to NZ in Dec
Christchurch to see my daughter , we came three years ago , beautiful place.
We have organised a two dat trip to Milford Sound any thoughts on that .
 

Squaredoch

Senior Member
Hello, i don't know if you have been to a shoot before but there are huge
chances for good photographs. For birds in the air, you could think about landscape kind of shots showing perhaps the line of guns with the birds in the air. Think about portrait type shot of both shooters an dogs. Think about close up shots of the actual guns, some of the engraving on guns is really beautiful. The opportunities abound.
Good luck on your outing, but remember to heed the advice of the gamekeeper on the day and stay safe.
 

nikonpup

Senior Member
will the hunters be walking or stationary? Your 18-105mm should be fine, most shots (gun) will be under 40 yards. Shoot the people, their dogs and guns. Birds in the air are ok if you can establish a relationship with the hunter.
 

Krs_2007

Senior Member
70-300, put your camera in shutter priority and set shutter spread to 500 to start with. Also set auto ISO, would mess with any of the auto settings but that's only if your comfortable with your camera. I would use spot metering and meter off the shooter. Composition will be based where you get shoot from compared to the shooter, from the back or side if I imagine. If they want you to shoot from the front then wear bright colored clothes and be prepared to duck....
 

Squaredoch

Senior Member
The shoot is in the UK. If you turn up with bright coloured clothes you will be sent home. It is not the custom in the UK, unlike in USA or some countries in mainland Europe. The gamekeeper will advise you where to stand but you will definitely not have a chance to shoot in front of the guns. Safety is paramount. The best positions are out on the flank of the line of guns or at the side of one of the shooters. If you really want to shoot in front of the guns you will have to join the beaters so that you are controlled all the time and safe from forward shots as the guns will be whistled when to stop forward shooting. As you have been invited I assume that you are either there at the request of a shooter or, if you are there thanks to the gamekeeper, he will keep you right.
 

Skwaz

Senior Member
Wow thanks squaredog and the rest if you guys
You give me something to think about
squaredog , you will probably recognise where I'm going , it's on the Bowland Fells near Tosside
There are twelve guns and the target will be Partridge .I really need to research , will Partridge flush high or low ?
I think I will probably concentrate on shooters and as you said dogs and close ups of guns and apparel
Its not too serious of a photo shoot more for myself but I'm sure the guns would like to see themselves as most do
thanx for help
 

Squaredoch

Senior Member
Hi, I don't know the lie of the land where you will be at but have an idea roughly where it is. Whether partridges fly high or low is difficult to say. In general they are not too high although there are exceptions. Much of that is down to where the guns are positioned. If the beat is undulating or with deep gullies, and the guns are positioned there, the birds will be higher by virtue of the topography. If on the other hand, the drives are on flattish land then the birds could be fairly low. Generally though the guns are positioned for the best sport and not for the highest number of birds killed.
Twelve guns is not normal though as the normal is eight. If all twelve guns are standing the line will be an enormous length so yo might be advised to try and be positioned about the middle of the line some of the time. Remember, you will not be able to move about in the line of guns when the drive starts. That is so that you don't interfere with the shoot and more importantly for your own safety.
I don't think you have been at a shoot before so I know that you will have a great day. Shooters are always very welcoming despite the image of the tweeded toff and I'm most cases are ordinary working guys and not the landed gentry.
Have a great day, enjoy yourself and stay safe.
 

Lawrence

Senior Member
Hey Lawrence Sue and me are coming to NZ in Dec
Christchurch to see my daughter , we came three years ago , beautiful place.
We have organised a two dat trip to Milford Sound any thoughts on that .

Beautiful part of the country. Be sure to bring a wide angle lens with you.
 

Lawrence

Senior Member
There's no ways you would catch me in front of any guns - not even if John Wayne or Clint Eastwood were the shooters. I would be hesitant to stand even slightly ahead from the side.
You don't live to my age by being brave …
the advantage of not getting killed in your first shoot is you will know what to expect at your second one.
 

Elliot87

Senior Member
Some great advice here in particular from Squaredoch. The main advice I'll give you is don't forget hearing protection, either ear plugs or ear defenders.

On the photography front I would say don't forget the small details. Like another poster said, capturing things like the engraving on the shotguns, the guns and or beaters chatting between drives, pickers up and their dogs retrieving and any other details that catch the eye. These will convey the feel of the day much better than just lots of shots of people shooting partridges.

I'm sure you'll have a great day!
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
Just get there and to your best. If I remember correctly, partridges usually are hunted in the woods or open fields. They don't fly very high. Depending on the light available, you'll have to just go by and do your best. I don't think you can expect to get the shooters in action with the bird being shot as in hunting everything happens very very fast. Your best shots will probably be of the hunters with their catch after they all re-group. If you make sure these shots are good, they'll be very happy. Don't be afraid to use the flash to fill-in if it's really sunny.
 
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