Two Bucks
NIKON D3300
Aperture 56/10 ISO 1400 Shutter 10/3200 Focal Length 2000/10 
Republic, Missouri, US
Jan, 2019Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I was driving around the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (a Civil War Battlefield) during the last Government shutdown. This would be during the month of January 2019Time
The main gates are opened at 7:00am for people to access the parking lot for early morning walkers. The gate to the tour road though was also open because of the Government shutdown, which allowed me to drive to the best spots for deer viewing on the tour road. It was cold and there hadn't been anyone else on the tour road to scare the deer away. I saw several different groups of deer that morning!Lighting
It was early morning and a little overcast. I did nothing special except fiddle with the aperture setting. I took several shots at different settings.Equipment
I use a Nikon D3300 camera. This particular morning I had on my 55-200mm zoom lensInspiration
The Park Rangers (Before the shutdown) had told me that there is a big 14 point buck that frequents the battlefield, so I had been out early several mornings hoping to catch this one buck in my sights. Anyway as I was going around a left hand bend in the tour road with a large open field on my right, I could see there where many deer in the field ahead. also on my right was a berm that hid the car as I approached. I stopped while still hidden and got out of the car. I walked to where the berm was lower and just my head was above the berm to see the deer. After several shots of the deer feeding I think they sensed me there somehow (movement or sound on my part) but they both raised their heads and looked right at me as I took the shot that we are talking about. Not the 14 pointer I was looking for but a couple of 8 pointers anyway.Editing
I don't do a lot of post processing maybe used some Clarity or Contrast. I don't have a very good processing program to begin with and don't really feel like messing with the shot.In my camera bag
Besides the Nikon D3300 and 55-200mm Nikon lens I carry a 18-55mm Nikon lens and a Tamron 18-400mm lens. I don't use a tri-pod as I don't care to carry one around while hiking which is when I get a lot of my shots.Feedback
Patience and quietness or stillness. I have another Deer shot on my page where I stood in one spot for over an hour watching this Buck work his way downhill. He practically came to within 15 feet of where I was standing. I got off 2 shots. The first he had his head down and after the 1st shot his head snapped up and around and we were staring eyeball to eyeball when I got my 2nd shot. Then he was gone in a flash.
