Not a Mushroom

Gallery: WildlifePosted January 1, 2015144 views7 comments

Went to the local nature area this afternoon with my wife to take photos of mushrooms as they had been doing well earlier this month. Well, they've all gone by. Nothing to take a picture of. Maybe we need some more rain. So I was forced to take photos of the deer and this big guy showed up again. Far from an excellent photo, but I thought the light on the head was pretty good and showed off his rack fairly nicely. I cropped this a lot to get rid of chaotic veg on all 4 sides and created a standard comp. I added some warmth to the scene, reduced the whites and highlights, and then added contrast, clarity, and vibrance. I cloned out some twigs around his head which improved the look, although I wish I could have done better. This guy is still in the rut as he was following a doe and was keeping close tabs on her. He got a good smell and did a lip curl but apparently she wasn't ready. He obviously was. Anything more I could have done to this? Curious as to how you might have approached this one. Starting over maybe the best option. Your comments and critiques would be appreciated.

Tech Info

Canon EOS 60D with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS at 135mm
1/250th at f/5.6 and ISO 400
handheld
Lightroom 5

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on January 1, 2015 at 12:45 PM

Hi Peter,

I never get tired of looking at images of this big guy. It's interesting that he looks a bit thin. You can see his ribs. Perhaps he has other things besides eating on his mind.

I would still try to bring out a bit more detail in the area at the base of the antlers. I would also try to tone down the brightness along the front of the neck and chest. Nice capture. Thanks for sharing this big guy again.

Jerry

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

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on January 1, 2015 at 12:59 PM

Perter,

I hope you don't mind, but i took a quick shot at making the changes I suggested. See what you think.

Jerry

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

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on January 1, 2015 at 1:00 PM

Peter,

I forgot to mention that I also darkened the background to make the buck stand out a bit more.

Jerry

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

Comment posted by John Tobias on January 1, 2015 at 2:40 PM

Peter, nice one of the big guy. Those antlers are really something. I agree with Jerry's comments and like what he has done to your original. He does look thin, which could be another indication he is still in rut mode, as many males will focus on breeding instead of eating and will suffer for it when winter comes. A nice addition to your collection. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on January 2, 2015 at 10:42 AM

Peter, this guy is an absolute dandy specimen, so the only thing I can add is to encourage you to get out there while he is in the neighborhood to see if you can isolate him in a pleasing background!

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

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on January 3, 2015 at 4:32 PM

Your lighting conditions were harsh - but you did a pretty good job of pulling it off. The biggest problem is that the background and foreground are quite busy and (with fine details - mostly vertical lines) which distract from the deer and huge antlers.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on January 4, 2015 at 6:03 PM

Peter, my comments basically echo Lon's and Luke's comments. I cleaner BG would certainly make him stand out more and have less to compete with your subject.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments