Autumnal Doe
Photographed on Cannock Chase
Photographed on Cannock Chase
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Nov, 2015Views
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Winner in Your best animals shot Photo Challenge
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Never Stop Exploring Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 5
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Peer Award
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Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
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jackiegoodwin
November 27, 2019
thank you for entering your lovely photo into my challenge "animals of any kind" - good luck
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken on Cannock Chase. A 25 square mile area of outstanding natural beauty in Staffordshire, England. It was a few feet off one of the roads that cross the area.The trees on the right screen from the road and give the picture the impression of being taken in a glade. The deer on the Chase are very used to humans and whilst wary will often remain in place when you approach to within around twenty feet - even closer if you remain in your car.Time
It was an early evening, in November, it was the 'golden hour' although at that time I was just learning proper photography and didn't know what it was.Lighting
I didn't know what the golden hour was but I knew that there was nice lighting to be had before the sun went down, and I was lucky that the light was where it was when I spotted the doe. The golden glow highlights the hairs on the left side of her which gives a lovely clarity, and makes something beautiful magical to look at.Equipment
The only equipment I had was a Pentax K10D, a lovely camera to use for a beginner, (I can't remember the exact lens) although dated and a little limited it is very intuitive. The ISO was 400; anything above 500-600 tended to be grainy. f8 was probably more by luck than judgement because at that point I was still using auto and not bothering wit RAW either because i did't understand what it was.Inspiration
I was looking for deer, which I see almost every time that I travel over the Chase. Often I don't get out of the car because the deer notice the moment that you put your foot on the floor. However, this beauty was partly obscured by trees so I parked the car and walked quietly round the trees whilst she watched my every move. Once I was clear of the trees she was revealed in this gorgeous light and taking the picture was a forgone conclusion. I love wildlife and being permitted to get this close to her and with her having the kindness to stand perfectly still for me, well......it would have been rude not to.Editing
From memory I drew the shadows and blacks up a little and increased the clarity a slightly to make the photo pop a little.The main thing though was the removal of a black branch diagonally crossing her shins. It was very obtrusive and distracting so it really had to go. Cropping, also helped produce a more intimate looking scene.In my camera bag
These days I have my cameras which are now Canon Eos 5D MkI's with battery packs - I was lucky to buy them off a wedding photographer friend who was upgrading, and wouldn't split the cameras up. They are old but very capable and the battery packs and twin cameras apparently make me look like some kind of professional - it might be true if they were Mk5's. I have one normally fitted with a Canon nifty fifty, and the other with a Tamron 150-600mm lens which again I was lucky to get cheap as it was a bit battered. It stopped working a few before the warranty's due date, and the repair company turned it back into what looks like a new camera (although they did note, rather sniffily, the state it was in when they received it!), I also have one of the kit lenses that the cameras came with. In addition I have two Metz 48 AF-1 flashes, one of which is a carry over from the Pentax. I use that one with a remote slave trigger brought for a few pounds to provide extra lighting to the propper Canon one. I always carry spare flash batteries, a cable release, negative filter and a decent Manfroto tripod again bought cheap from an auction - I can't afford to buy expensive kit, but if you keep your eyes open then occasionally you will get luckyFeedback
Patience. Know your area, respect your wildlife and love what you do. I got really lucky; subject, background and lighting all came together for me. As I write this I took this photo five years ago when I knew next to nothing, with basic equipment. I've never bettered it or even come close. So do keep trying, talk to other photographers, ask for tips, if your not sure what to do then pay money to go on a course with someone who knows what they are doing and is passionate about taking photos, which is how I learned an awful lot of what I do know.
