red deer rut

taken early morning in the rut last week on the quantock hills.canon 40d 300mm f2.8 L IS USM Lens 1/100, f2.8 iso 800 Monopod slight crop

Hi Mike, nice colours to this, but I'm afraid that the focus seems off, as the Deer's head is very soft. A better bet is a sturdy tripod, heavier to carry, but so much more stable.
Regards,
Paul Rosser.

I like the setting very much, but I too think that the subject is a little soft. The problem though, in my opinion, is the slow shutter speed selected and movement of the subject while delivering its roar. The bracken near the stag looks sharp enough, especial the fronds in front, but a little more sharpening would probably help to confirm this. Although this is entirely subjective, in terms of general composition, I would prefer a little more space to the left of the animal and ideally, I would like to see it placed higher in the frame, though there may well have been something in the foreground which suggested otherwise. Looks like you have found an excellent area for photographing these guys. I hope you also have the time to go back and exploit the potential.

re post

Much better in my opinion, but I'd loose the Deer, bottom centre. Hope this helps.
Regards,
Paul Rosser.