Harvest Buck

Gallery: WildlifePosted September 13, 2014188 views7 comments

Hi everyone! Jenaya, Josiah and I have been working hard this summer to end up with images of mule deer in local canola fields. With the amount of bucks around our place you'd think that wouldn't be so hard to do, but man alive these guys have it out for me. We've managed a COUPLE of frames, and a few sweet ones of does in the blossoms, but I never did nail the shot I wanted of a solid buck in a field of yellow.

This guy doesn't qualify as "solid" for my corner of the world, but he is a fine looking young buck with attractive, symmetrical antlers. He may not have cooperated by being in a canola field at the time, but I liked the textures of the crop immediately around him, plus as you know I'm a sucker for muley's in velvet. I also wanted to share one of the first pictures I took using the Kirk window mount I bought from Jim on NPN's classifieds - I'm loving it!

If you have the time, the LARGER version is certainly a nicer view.

Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions!

Nikon D600
Nikkor AF-S 500mm f/4 IF-ED
ISO 1800
1/250sec @ f/4
+1 EV to compensate for light field reflecting a lot of evening skylight
On Kirk window mount with Feisol ballhead
Slight crop from original full frame

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Peter Cross on September 13, 2014 at 5:50 PM

Jeeze, I'd like one of my bucks to be standing in a field like this. Certainly a nice buck by anyone's standard. Nice symmetrical rack that he should be ready to start polishing soon. Well composed but wondering about the exposure. It looks really good but when looking at the techs I see a high ISO and a fairly slow SS and a wide open aperature. That says that this must be either early or late and the lighting on this looks more like mid-day. Nevertheless a very nice shot of this buck and I'd keep it in my portfolio. I'm a bit jealous as the bucks aren't showing up in my area so I must be content with does and fawns. I'm thinking the drought in CA is drawing the animals to greener pastures so to speak.

Registered on April 3, 2010, 271 Posts, 1342 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on September 13, 2014 at 9:28 PM

The mono surroundings really work here, as does the slight effect of horizontal banding in the planted field. Well seen.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Sandor on September 14, 2014 at 11:33 AM

John: it's a rare treat to see a mule deer in such a clean and uncluttered environment as well as being in soft, even light. The buck is well positioned. My only suggestion would be to darken the canola stems at the bottommost part of the frame. Great shot. Richard

Registered on January 12, 2014, 453 Posts, 1625 Comments

Comment posted by Ingrid Vekemans on September 14, 2014 at 1:46 PM

What's not to like? Great shot?
Grt, Ingrid.

Registered on August 2, 2010, 138 Posts, 780 Comments

Comment posted by David Bogener on September 15, 2014 at 3:42 PM

Nice mule image with good eye contact.. I really like the clean mono background as it serves to showcase the buck.

Registered on October 30, 2013, 417 Posts, 1255 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on September 16, 2014 at 7:05 PM

this just works, John, very pleasing image!

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on February 25, 2015 at 10:13 AM

Great setting and great image. Well done.

Registered on January 6, 2012, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments