Have you ever wondered how the glossy hunting magazines get such clear, clean photographs of hunters and their game? The fact is, it’s not rocket science. Follow a few simple guidelines and you can preserve your own hunting memories forever.

First, always carry a camera with you. There are numerous models you can get nowadays, digital and film, that are compact and waterproof. These can easily slide in a pocket. It’s not a bad idea to place the camera in a sealable plastic bag, with a little bit of wadded up paper towel, to help keep the moisture off the camera. This way you can take your photos in the field and avoid those “in-the-front-yard”, “hanging-already-skinned-out” and “back of the pickup” shots that just don’t do justice to the experience you have just gone through.

Take your photos before field dressing the animal. Take a moment to wipe off any excess blood around wounds, the nostrils and mouth. If the tongue is hanging out, place it back in and firmly hold the jaw shut for just a moment or two. If the hunter has blood on his hands or equipment, take a moment to clean it off. Yes, hunting is a blood sport, but a clean photo looks best, which means you should also take a little time to clean any mud or dirt off the animal.

Watch the background. Blue or even overcast sky makes a great background, really bringing out the features of your take. If that’s not possible, try to make sure the background is not so dark or “busy” it will draw away from the subject of the photo. The pros like to make sure the background doesn’t blend in with the subject, such as a branch or twig that, in a photograph, appears to be growing into or out of the subject. If there’s extraneous gear around (water bottles, pop cans, etc.), get it out of frame.

The sun should be behind the photographer. This allows maximum light on the subject. If the sun is bright and your subject is squinting in it, here’s a little trick: Tell the subject to close his or her eyes tightly and to open his or her eyes wide when you say “now.” It might smart their eyes a little bit but they’ll look a darn sight better in the finished photograph.

Mind how you hold the game you’ve taken. For big game, avoid the temptation to hold the antlers or horns. Instead, grab the hide at the back of the neck below the ears. This way you can turn the head slightly from side to side, up and down, and your hands are not covering up any of the headgear. For game birds, you can hold them by the neck or by the feet, though the neck-hold tends to look more “dignified,” somehow.

Get close. If you have a great background, snap a few shots wide, but chances are, like most of us, you have taken photos where you thought the frame would be full of your subject but instead your subject looks like it’s 40 miles out. Get up close and personal, fill the frame to overflowing and you’re going to get a better, more detailed shot.

Take a LOT of pictures. The pros know, if you shoot a 24-exposure roll of film, you might get one or, if you’re really lucky, two really good shots, worthy of publication. Have your subject adjust his or her position slightly from shot to shot (turning their head, adjusting the shoulders, holding the chin up, etc.). Also have your subject turn the head of the animal slightly from shot to shot, and later you can pick out the shot that makes your subject and the trophy look best.

Looks like a lot of stuff to remember, but really, it’s not much, just a few moments’ work, and the results you get will surprise you. Give it a try!