Tatton Deer
Jul, 2017Views
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Outstanding Creativity
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this picture in Tatton Park in Knutsford. I'm a self taught photographer with a great love of nature so every day is a learning experience. The deer are often too far away to be photographed preferring to keep their distance from people, howrver on this day they just stayed still and seemed not to mind when we quietly got as close as we could. We were lucky and I was able to take advantage of their willingness to stick around!Time
It was late afternoon, my favourite time of day to take pictures. I don't have any fancy equipment or even a very expensive camera so I rely massively on good natural light to take my shots - the afternoon sunshine proved to be perfect.Lighting
The afternoon sun and the deer being in the right place with the sun behind me was a huge help! I love the way the soft greens, creams and browns in the background, marrying so perfectly with fawn, brown and white of the deer and how the white of the antlers stands right out.Equipment
I used my Canon EOS 1100 D and a telephoto lens. Hand held - no.tripod. There were a whole herd and a a few very large stags so we were careful not to get too close. No flash, just the natural light.Inspiration
Im a huge admirer of wildlife photos - just to capture something that speaks through the lens is a wonderful.thing. I wanted to try and capture something that did just that. When the doe turned to look at me and we locked eyes, I knew I had the picture I wanted.Editing
I adjusted the brightness and contrast a little and zoomed in to get the close up shot I wanted. I tried different edits before deciding on the final one. I only have a very basic editing suite so I have to make sure my shots are as good as I can get them, as I see them, through the lens.In my camera bag
I carry my Canon AOS 1100D cameta, a standard and telephoto lens, a mini tripod, lens cloth and that's about it.Feedback
Its always risky when you are taking wildlife shots - the animals don't normally do what you want them to do and it's the luck of the draw when they do. Be ready! Choose the time of day when the sun is starting to dip a little in the sky to reduce the harshness of a bright sun at midday. Try and capture a little of the golden glow which you get in the later afternoon in spring/ summertime. Keep the sun behind you and make sure you are quiet and relaxed around the Deer, don't make sudden.movements or noises to try and make them move. If you stay still for long enough they get used to you and you can take plenty of shots. The light changes quite rapidly at that time of day and nature is at its best when the light is natural so grab it while you can!
