Dove Season... Again

I often don't give my lovely wife enough credit for all she does for me, especially outside the friendly confines of our four walls. But, if it wasn't for her this photo wouldn't have happened... as well as all the other ideas for photos, photo columns, stories etc. she has supplied me with. For the third year in a row we were doing a story about the opening of dove season, so as usual the plan was to have a portrait of a hunter to go on the front page of the Sunday newspaper. This year there was a catch... someone mentioned the last two time we had featured a young guy the first year, and an older guy the next year, so we should have a female hunter this year. Well, in thoery that's a great idea but... I don't hunt, and don't know any hunters. So, just finding a hunter was going to be hard enough, not to mention a female hunter.

So, while I was having lunch with my wife the Monday before this was supposed to run, I asked her if she knew any hunters (it was sort of tongue in cheek, thinking I already knew the answer). And she says yes, then I ask if his wife hunts. She tells me no, but I think his girls do (SCORE!!). So, with her help I got it all set up. Then called my boss to clear my schedule to shoot it, and told him I got two high school girls who dove hunt for the photo. Well, lets just say, my wife made me look really good on this one, and I was quick to point out to him my wife found them for me. After that it was just a matter of shooting the photo... that has become the easy part, I try to keep it the same relative style, it's worked out well so far. I probably should have asked for my boss to pay for lunch that day.

If you do it too good the first time, you have to do it again...

Sept. 1 is the opening of dove season. I don't know this because I'm a hunter, but because we do a story on it every year. As I've said in the past, I'm not a hunter. I don't have a problem with it and and if that's what you're interested in I say go for it. I'd just rather do my hunting at the grocery store since I know I'm going to catch what I want and don't have to clean or gut anything.

So, last year I was asked for a portrait for the start of dove season that looked like a "magazine cover shot." And, despite all the mosquitoes that were out there the photos turned out really well. This year I'm thinking it may have turned out a little too well, since I was asked for the same thing again this year. The basic photo was the same, hunter, gun and dog. This time though, I was a little more prepared. I knew what I was looking for and was able to set it up a little earlier, so it wouldn't be pitch black when we got done.

I still think I like last year's shot better, it just worked out a lot better plus the lighting etc was nicer. I just like the image better as a whole. But, I still like what I did this year too and got a lot of compliments on the photo. So, I guess I need to start thinking about how I'm going to shoot next year's dove season photo.