Clay Pidgeon Shoot Anyone?

KIPAX

KIPAX

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KIPAX Lancashire UK
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Got a last minute job today to do clay pidgeon shooting tommorow afternoon and I never done it before... Confident I can get whats needed by the customer but appreciate any tips from anyone who has done this before


yeagh i know.. dont go in front of em..
 
Take a piccy of your sen in stalking clobber...I wanna see that.
 
Take some ear defenders and try not to jump every time there's a bang :)
 
+1 ear defense

and slightly obvious advice but try to not get in the way of the day, i've shot clay days before (as a gun and as a camera man) and being a photographer always feels unnecessary, the shots you'll want to get probably won't be aloud due to safety concerns etc, and if there are others in the shoot then you don't want to hold them up so you can get your perfect shot off

what sort of images does he expect you to take?


Trespassers Will Be Shot, Survivors Will Be Shot Again by pretty in pixels, on Flickr
 
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mrjames said:
what sort of images does he expect you to take?
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Its a charity event in Congleton.. So its just pics of people there enjoying themselves for use on the charity website...has to show its a clay shoot event of course.. so i was thinking wide showing everyone and some close ups..

close ups being with a long lens..

would be ideal if theres somewhere out of the way i could camp out and just take shots as stuff happens...is there much room at these places?

12-6 so plenty of time 6 hrs:)
 
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KIPAX said:
Its a charity event in Congleton.. So its just pics of people there enjoying themselves for use on the charity website...has to show its a clay shoot event of course.. so i was thinking wide showing everyone and some close ups..

close ups being with a long lens..

would be ideal if theres somewhere out of the way i could camp out and just take shots as stuff happens...is there much room at these places?

12-6 so plenty of time 6 hrs:)
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there will likely be plenty of room, probably an entire field's worth of room
although you will always have to be behind the shooters- which will suck because all your images will be from behind/the side, when the best images would be taken from the front- ask if you can get permission to take a few 'staged' shots from the front with unloaded guns

if it was me i'd get in close with a fairly wide angle
something like this, but better...
tgr_Clay%20pigeon%20shooting%20one-to-one%20tuition.jpg
 
I have ear plugs for when I do music events:) always in the peli case..

with 6 hrs I can try all different lenses.. I guess nothing special to look out for.. as Tobers says the shells ejecting will be good. .. I dont even know if teams and do group shots.. guess will know more on the day..

Apart from not getting in danger spots.. no actual big do/dont then.. thats good:)

off out to shoot footy now so not being ignorant.. thanks for the replies.. much appreciated:)
 
I'd be interested to see some shots afterwards if poss.
 
match postponed this evening waterlogged pitch

Its a profesional footballer running the event tommorow so will have to see whos there and what I can do with the pics.. Am charging a day rate so am working for him for the day and handing over all the pics.. but he is putting on website so presume i can :)
 
If it is a casual shoot then just ask whats ok. If it is a registered shoot or similar you may find some shooters takes a dim view of shots being taken before he has shot (similar to golf). I doubt this will be an issue though to be honest.

It is very unlikely that you will find many positons that allow you to see the front of the shooter, so i think the best opportunity to see emotions of people enjoying the event will be after they have shot when they turn around to either receive advice from instructors/the trapper or get berated by their mates.

With regards to the amount of room - this is totally dependant on the ground. If it is a hay bale shoot then it could just be a field with 5 stands setup or it could be one of the very 'proper' established grounds. These can be really lovely photogenic places, although you will struggle to get anywhere than behind the shooter as the grounds are laid out in such a was that health and safety is paramount. Also expect cage's to be used on many of the stands, these are literally metal cages around the shooters position to prevent inexperienced shooters from moving outside of a safe angle (or prevent shrewd shooters from shooting clays in places not desired by the organisers)

I shot (in every respect) an event i organised a few years back. Frankly i wasnt pleased with the shots. But never the less these might provide you with a basis for a better shot.

621476141_dyxAh-M.jpg


621479231_HEjBB-M.jpg


621472398_BXNVV-M.jpg


621479849_vbD27-M.jpg
 
I loike those type of shots.. However with it being a charity event and they want pics of all the guests havign a good day out.. there will be less scope for this type.. but with 6 hrs as I say.. I am guessing i can give them a go :) thanks

sounds like a proper place ...just googled the place.. been real busy in and out tonight... anyways its here http://www.cloudside.co.uk/
 
thanks for the tips NICK :)
 
Very posh. Better wear some Hunter wellies and a barbour jacket or they won't let you in ;)
 
yeagh am wonderinf if my cords and trainers will hack it :( they will see me coming in my 10 yr old astra :)
 
It's been pishing down here so I'd imagine Congleton (8 miles away) will be well soggy by the weekend. I'd get wellies or some cheap walking boots!
 
srichards said:
It's been pishing down here so I'd imagine Congleton (8 miles away) will be well soggy by the weekend. I'd get wellies or some cheap walking boots!
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its tommorow :)

going posh.. pants and shoes.. taking other stuff get changed if need be.. see what everyone else looks like.. asked about rain and said big marquee .. dont even know how many people.. all sorted today for tommorow so a bit rushed.
 
bit of advice. talk to the instructors as they will be able to help you. ive done these types of photos before and you can sometimes get infront of the guns if you agree it with the instructors. they make the gun safe by not loading it obviously but the pics are really cool.

carry a pile of business cards and make sure you get photos of people holding guns. everyone likes to hold a gun
 
my feet are killing... first stop in 6hrs

got some great shots will share later... some great positions wit a long lens from official view spots... side to frontish shots

got the sitdown meal and presentations next
 
Home at last.. 12 hrs after setting off... long long dayt.. downloading pics now :)
 
Just a quickey

fire.jpg
 
Nice photo... but as both a photographer and a shooter it doesn't look very genuine...
The flame, which isn't usually visible in daylight, is actually much longer than that, and the smoke comes after it.

And the shooter has a terrible stance and his left hand is far too far along the fore end
 
That is a nice shot, perfectly timed too(y)
 
Great capture Tony, and another one to tick off in the 'what have you shot ' thread ;)
 
:shrug: I shoot also and I thought it was genuine

Like to see the others when you have had chance to edit them(y)
 
KIPAX said:
Just a quickey

fire.jpg
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Excellent work Tony. that shot is an absolute belter, if that bloke doesn't buy a copy of that I'll be extremely surprised.
Superb!
 
Good work Tony :)

I did a trade event at EJ Churchill's grounds new High Wycombe and loved every minute of it. The pros were really helpful when it came to shooting from in front (guns not loaded of course) and the flurries in the enclosures were really interesting.


_DSC5056 by Pat MacInnes, on Flickr
 
admirable said:
Excellent work Tony. that shot is an absolute belter, if that bloke doesn't buy a copy of that I'll be extremely surprised.
Superb!
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Hes got my card :)

This job was for the organisors and giving them a DVD of the pics.. got a day rate... So no for sale gallery .. but he really wants a copy so is gonna get in touch and I said will sort.. organisor OK with it.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Nice photo... but as both a photographer and a shooter it doesn't look very genuine...
The flame, which isn't usually visible in daylight, is actually much longer than that, and the smoke comes after it.

And the shooter has a terrible stance and his left hand is far too far along the fore end
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Thats opinion. Personally i use a forward hand positioning to lower my head. I would suggest his right hand elbow is low for that forward hand positioning and he is very upright but there is nothing fundamentally wrong with his forward hand position. The muzzle flash is completely dependant on light conditions, if you have ever roost shot then you will have seen plenty of muzzle flash and the flame length is dependant on powder burn rate of the cartridge. Given those appear to be long barrel it could be perfectly normal. Just saying :)
 
The guy in the pic.. pretty sure it was his first time/day.. I ahve earlier pics of him being instructed in the cage areas...

its a shooting club with 5 areas and different types of shoots.. loverly setup.. there as 100 shooters in groups of 10 and each group got experience and novices
 
Well, if that's genuine then I'm surprised, and you did well and/or were very lucky to get it. I've got the occasional lucky or well timed shot in the past, but they looked quite different.

Yes, you're probably right when you say that it was his first time. His stance indicates that, and his head isn't straight. As for his hand position on the fore end, different people have different ways of doing things but holding it that far forward requires very long arms, holding it further back allows a much easier (better) swing. Also, he seems to be gripping it very tightly, the hand only guides, a tight grip also affects the swing.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Well, if that's genuine then I'm surprised, .
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How can it not be genuine? Where would I get the blast from to put in.. How would I know to put it on bottom barrel not top? but most important.. Why would I?

6 hrs i shot people shooting guns yesterday.. this was my first time at this sport.. I decided not to shoot hundreds of shots for each person hoping to get a blast out the end. 6 hrs of that? no thanks... .. but I was trying to time the shot..

I got this with flame and one shot with the pellet in the air.. alll the rest are either stances or smoke or cartridge popping out depending on gun used

Theres no if.. for the second and last time.. its genuine :)
 
KIPAX said:
How can it not be genuine? Where would I get the blast from to put in.. How would I know to put it on bottom barrel not top? but most important.. Why would I?

6 hrs i shot people shooting guns yesterday.. this was my first time at this sport.. I decided not to shoot hundreds of shots for each person hoping to get a blast out the end. 6 hrs of that? no thanks... .. but I was trying to time the shot..

I got this with flame and one shot with the pellet in the air.. alll the rest are either stances or smoke or cartridge popping out depending on gun used

Theres no if.. for the second and last time.. its genuine :)
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I'm not saying that it isn't genuine, you say that it is and I accept that. All that I am saying is that on the odd occasions where I've managed to catch the right moment, it has looked different.

The barrel is neither here nor there. Most people set the bottom barrel to fire first, because the muzzle flip is less from the bottom barrel and makes life easier for the second shot, but we normally have less choke in the bottom barrel. Because of this, if the first target requires a tighter choke we normally switch the barrel firing order.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Well, if that's genuine then I'm surprised, and you did well and/or were very lucky to get it. I've got the occasional lucky or well timed shot in the past, but they looked quite different.

Yes, you're probably right when you say that it was his first time. His stance indicates that, and his head isn't straight. As for his hand position on the fore end, different people have different ways of doing things but holding it that far forward requires very long arms, holding it further back allows a much easier (better) swing. Also, he seems to be gripping it very tightly, the hand only guides, a tight grip also affects the swing.
Click to expand...

Power is nothing without control - or some equally silly phrase ;)

Each to their own, but there is nothing fundamentally incorrect with that hand placement and it matches mine which is done for considered reasons.

Also consider that the shot shows the shooter during recoil, so i wouldnt expect a picture perfect mount.

I actually wouldnt be surprised if he was an experianced shot. The Gun has been modified to have an increased length of pull, something that would perhaps suit his quite side on stance and broad sloped shoulders.

Anyway, great pic. Would love to see some of the others.
 
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