philnilsson
FollowViews
308
Likes
Awards
Way To Go
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Peer Award
Top Ranks
philnilsson
January 19, 2015
I got quite a few of him, I think he was a bit worn out as it was at the end of the rutting season. I managed to get up close with him, and he certainly wasn't bothered.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at Wollaton Hall which is a stately home and parkland in the center of Nottingham City. It was late in the deer rutting season and this old stag was worn out when I found him. He alloed me to get up very close and get the shot I wantedTime
This was late in the afternoon/early evening. The sun was all ready getting low. Always a great time to be out and about with the camera. I got plenty of fantastic shots that day.Lighting
As the sun was all ready getting low and with an overcast sky, I found the light was near perfect to give this shot some atmosphere. I was a little concerned as the sun was behind the subject, but in the end, it just added to the effect I wantedEquipment
I shot this handheld with my trusty Nikon D7100 and an 18-105mm lens. With the sun behind the subject, and as this is a wild animal I had to use a fair amount of ISO as I couldn't use any fill flash.Inspiration
The day was planned to shoot some street scenes in the City center and then spend the afternoon in the grounds of Wollaton Hall with a friend and fellow photographer. Naturally no real inspiration was needed other than the fact that here was this magnificent stag that was perfectly happy to pose for it's photoEditing
Because of the light I used a radial filter in Lightroom to darken the surrounding area around the deer. Again due to the light leaving the image a little flat I just boosted some of the colours and increased the clarity by a small amountIn my camera bag
I normally carry a full bag with me taking my camera bodies and all the lenses and bits and bobs. For lens I have my 18-105mm for general photography, but as a motorsports and wildlife photogrpaher my go to workhouse lens is the 50-500mm Sigma. I do also have a 55-300mm and a 50mm prime in the bag too. Along with the speedlight I carry spare batteries and have my trusty monopod or tripod with meFeedback
Know your subject and it's behaviour is a key part of wildlife photography. I knew that this was the rutting season for the deer so would be rewarded with spectacular action shots of the stags fighting. In this case it was the end of the season and the stags are exhausted. This allowed me to get up close, and as this animal is used to people being around I could get this close without spooking or worrying him too much. You must always remember that you are dealing with wild animals and that they are capable of behaving erratically especially if they feel threatned.