Photo Special: Shooting field
With Alex Tyler
Are you shooting or shooting? It’s a question I get asked a lot because, as well as being an archer, since 2012 I’ve been at the National Field Archery Society (NFAS) 3D and national championships, creating a record for the society and mementos for archers.
The idea of having an official photographer came about informally. It is my other hobby and I asked the committee whether I could bring my camera as well as my bow. The first time I tried, I found I simply couldn’t do both effectively. As people seemed to enjoy the pictures, concentrating on that was a natural step.
I start the weekend with a plan for what shots I would like to take but this will be dependent upon the courses, the weather, the light and what interesting things people are doing. It is imperative that I adhere to all the safety rules, so no going around the wrong way or wandering off the course to get a different angle on a shot, meaning I have to work with what is available.
When in action, nobody moves. This is not a sport where the photographer has a microsecond to capture the exact moment when a boot meets a ball or a bail falls from a wicket. In visual terms, archery is actually a bit dull. Add to that, at full draw, people’s faces are either largely obscured by their hand or their anchor point means they are pulling a silly expression.
Instead, I tried to capture all the things that make a championship and NFAS special. The bacon sandwich that is essential to a warm-up as the arrow check. Snapping a group that includes three generations all shooting together — it doesn’t happen in any other sport. Trying to record the beauty of a well-laid target where the animal could have just strolled into shot. The smile of relief when someone has hit, finished their turn and is now watching someone else shoot. And all the lovely little details like the things hanging from someone’s quiver, matching fingernails and fletchings, a beautiful piece of leatherwork. Oh, and lots of dogs.
Just as I would for a two-day shoot, I have to prepare a pile of equipment. My gear has to be carried around, so portability and reliability are the key elements. While I am a camping fan, taking between 1,000 and 1,400 pictures over a weekend does mean I use a lot of battery, so it has to be a hotel overnight to recharge. I have two full camera set-ups, spare batteries and lots of cloths for wiping things. One piece of equipment that made a real difference was a monopod – an extendible single pole which stabilises the camera. It’s lighter than a tripod but allows me to shoot in the lower light under the tree canopy.
While archers are waterproof and shoots continue, my camera is not. One invention of which I am very proud is the no-hand umbrella – by shoving the handle of a golfing umbrella into the back system of a rucksack, I am able to keep dry and have both hands free to operate the camera. There are two snags with this system – one is making sure the umbrella does not appear at the top of every shot. The second is following the tape marking the course where it goes between trees and getting stuck. Fortunately, because I walk the course faster than anyone else, generally this happens when I’m on my own and nobody can see.
And my desire not to look like an idiot has led me to a protocol: if someone is in an embarrassing position, is pulling a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp or has their eyes closed, the photo won’t make the final cut. The weekend is supposed to be an enjoyable experience and I want to capture everyone at their best. I haven’t always got this right and people generally let me know at subsequent shoots.
MONSTROUS HANGOVER
I am frequently asked to delete pictures. An expression I read as an archer lost in contemplation turned out to be someone with a monstrous hangover – though all of his family and friends thought this was very funny.
I also get complaints about the ones I don’t take. An archer I didn’t recognise stopped me at a championships and told me my pictures had got him into trouble. His wife, a non-archer, had checked the website then challenged him about where he had really been that weekend, given there were 600 pictures of the shoot and he hadn’t been in any of them. And that was nothing compared to the owner of a dog who was aggrieved her hound hadn’t been snapped along with the others.
Mostly, I record happiness. The joy of being out with your bow in the woods. And I’m really looking forward to getting back out because I want to capture all the joy.