Doe Eyes
I surprised this lovely doe while hiking in Governor Nelson State Park.
I surprised this lovely doe while hiking in Governor Nelson State Park.
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Nov, 2015Views
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Staff Winter Selection 2015
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at Governor Nelson State Park in Madison, Wisconsin, not far from my home. I left that day intending to take some photos of migrating birds. I didn't have a lot of time, so I decided to stay closer to home. That day I tried a trail that was new to me called Morningside Trail that winds through prairie. It has since become my favorite trail in the park.Time
I ventured out in the late afternoon/evening near sunset in the hopes that the birds would be more active and visible, and, of course, to take advantage of the beautiful golden light. I got luckier than I had even hoped when I turned a corner and came upon this lovely doe bathed in buttery light.Lighting
The sky provided the perfect gold side lighting for me. I wish I could take credit, but this shot was mostly about being in the right place at the right time.Equipment
I was shooting with a Canon Rebel t5i at the time and my relatively new Tamron 150-600 mm lens on a Giotto monopod.Inspiration
How could I not take this photo? Everything was perfect - the blooming prairie, the beautiful and relatively relaxed doe who was so close to me, the gorgeous afternoon light. It felt like magic, honestly. I stood as still and quiet as I could, barely breathing and the doe stood for me for a few minutes - long enough for me to slow my heart and compose the shot to get the details right. This shot expresses everything I love about nature photography. I'm always out searching for moments like this - when nature surprises you with its extraordinary beauty and makes you catch your breath. I'm especially moved by the intimacy of connecting with animals in this way, when you make eye-contact and you can feel them assessing whether you're a threat. Even when this doe left, she didn't seem terribly hurried. It may sound odd, but I felt happy that she seemed to sense that I meant her no harm. I'm very aware of and concerned about the ethics of wildlife photography. I want to leave little or no impact on the wild places where I hike and create as little disruption as possible in the lives of the creatures who live there.Editing
I did only minor post-processing on this photo - standard adjustments to clarity, vibrance, exposure in Lightroom to the RAW file. I did use spot removal to get rid of a distracting flower stem between the doe's ears. It would have been too risky to move to an angle where the stem wasn't visible while I was shooting. I didn't want to startle the doe with unnecessary movement.In my camera bag
I now have a Canon 7d mark ii for my primary camera body, and I've kept the Rebel as a secondary body. Usually I have the Tamron 150-600mm on my 7d with a monopod and either the kit lens or my Sigma 10-20mm on the Rebel for any wide angle landscape opportunities (I guess I like the extremes). That's usually plenty to carry for a hike, with an extra battery, memory card and lens cloth in my pocket. I also have a 50mm 1.8 that I use for low light and portraits of family and friends, and Tamron 70-200 2.8 for low light (especially pre-dawn) walks.Feedback
The lesson I learned from this shot, and that I try to remember every time I go out, is to always be prepared. If I hadn't gone out in the late afternoon, if I hadn't adjusted my camera settings for the light, if I hadn't been walking slowly and quietly and scanning my surroundings, if I hadn't remained slow and calm, I would not have captured this moment. It seems obvious, but I know many times I've been in a rush or left my camera with settings from the day before and lost an opportunity because of it. The basics matter. I'm constantly learning new things about photography. It's one of the things I love about this art. But it's those simple basics that ultimately determine if you get the shot.
