fallow deer
Fallow deer
It has been an incredibly busy last few weeks. I feel as though my feet have hardly touched the ground! This has been down to me doing a number of workshops (group and one-to-one), finalising the exhibition (which is now on view) and preparing for 4 days camping in the Brecon Beacons, one day of which will be spent holding a workshop. Today was the opening day of the exhibition and with that led 3 2 hour photography walks. The weather kept at bay for the first 2 but sadly on the 3rd we had to conclude for the last 30 minutes in the centre. It was a very nice indeed. I met some old friends and some very enthusiastic and fun photographers.
In between doing all this I did manage to get to a local deer park to shoot the fallow deer rut. On both days the weather was very inclement but as can be the case, these marginal conditions often provide the most dramatic imagery.
The forecast for the region was for a clear morning and the good old British forecast didn’t disappoint, it wasn’t! Blanket cloud and mist hung low but I gathered my gear and set off anyhow. You just never know. In these conditions I look for silhouettes so headed to the lower parts of the park. 3 does appeared on the horizon just as the sun began to burn through the mist.
Fallow deer does at sunrise.
Fallow deer buck
This individual was scraping the ground, presumably to move the sweet chestnut so as to get a more comfortable bed.
Fallow deer buck
fallow deer buck and crow
At sunset, as the temperature began to drop, the bucks became more active and awoke from their slumber (they conserve as much energy as they can at this time) and began chasing the does and making their presence known by grunting and bellowing. No fights took place but a really moody sky presented itself.
Damp morning
I headed out yesterday, pre dawn, to a favourite bluebell wood about 30 mins from where I live, in the hope of getting some panoramic images with the morning sunlight filtering through the trees. But, the weather forecast wasn’t quite as accurate as I had hoped and instead of clear(ish) skies, it was cloudy and rain threatened.
As I entered the Forestry Commission car park, I was greeted by the sight of a rather large herd of fallow deer, that are wild here and totally unlike the park deer of nearby Knole. I hoisted the pack on my pack and headed to the spot where I hoped to get the pictures. But, as you can see from the results, although it brightened a little, it remained heavily overcast turning to heavy rain. Thank goodness I brought my umbrella! In the first image it was so dark, I needed to use the AF on the 28-105 to focus!
Beechwood at dawn
Both images were taken in portrait mode, the first requiring 7 images and the second, 5 and were then stitched using PtGui.
Bluebells in beechwood
Although I didn’t get the pictures I wanted, it is always good to be out early, especially at this time of the year. Seeing the deer in the woodland and listening to the dawn chorus made me forget, albeit only for a short while, just how wet I was!
About Robert Canis
Robert Canis is a professional photographer specialising in the natural world.
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