Doe Portrait
When in the rut, both male and female mule deer are more tolerant of humans.
When in the rut, both male and female mule deer are more tolerant of humans.
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Dec, 2013Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
Snows within the Wasatch Plateau, UT, eventually force deer herds to move to lower elevations where they feed upon grasses and sagebrush interspersed between forests of pinyon and juniper. During rutting season, (October-December) mule deer bucks select their harem of does for breeding. A road leading to an abandoned coal mine at Wattis, Utah, offers photographers easy opportunities to photograph these herds at close range if their car is used as a blind.Time
Lte afternoon in November.Lighting
This photo is enhanced by the lack of contrasty light which would have occurred had the picture not been taken when high thin clouds diffused the late fall light much like bouncing light from a reflector.Equipment
Canon t3i equipped with a 150-500mm sigma OS lens. I used a bean bag to reduce any possibility of movement.Inspiration
Wildlife of any type is one of my favorite photographic pursuits.Editing
I adjusted contrast and sharpened the image using Adobe photo shop.In my camera bag
150-500mm telephoto lens, 24 and 50mm lens, 18-135mm lens, 18-250mm lens with macro, 80-300mm macro lens, 150mm macro lens, 80-400mm lens, two sets of extension tubes, two tele-converters, various filters, and two canon electronic flashes, and two tripods.Feedback
Use your car as a blind and approach the critter very slowly. Come to a gradual stop, turn off the engine, and move your equipment slowly when shooting since any sudden movement will provoke them to scamper. I like shooting animals best under thin clouds because the light is less contrasty and creates life within the eyes; however, one can use this approach under any lighting conditions and though serendipity comes into play, early morning and late afternoon will increase one's chances of capturing good images.
