Autumn Roe Deer

A couple of weeks back I was out looking for roe deer again. It was during that ridiculously hot spell, and it seemed to bring a wave of wildlife activity. I don't think I have ever had so many quality views of wildlife in one day. From roe deer to foxes, red kites, hares and more.. It was wonderful.

This image shows one male roe deer chasing another male. Roe are funny animals; you never know what they are going to do next. At first they wandered casually into the field; then suddenly broke out into a frenzy of galloping. After a few seconds they were back to normality and carried on happily grazing together. I managed to stalk pretty close with a straight 300mm lens. Annoyingly the deer I was concentrating on didn't spot me at all; but the other one did..  One bark and they were both off, leaping away to safety and putting end to another morning's wildlife photography...

Too close to a Roe Deer?

It's been a while since I've been out to photograph my roe deer, having other wildlife and landscape subjects to concentrate on. With a good forecast I decided to set out early in the hope of a successful stalk that would lead to good pictures. This particular morning I got lucky, spotting a lone buck resting in the long grass. I stalked nearer using the hedgerow, then carefully crawled between the barb wire of a fence. Finally I was at the edge of the meadow and could see that the buck was sleeping. I was already pretty close but needed to get a little nearer. A minute or so later, after dragging myself through the wet grass, I was ready. Now was the time to rise above the grasses. I rose up and made a noise. No reaction. I did it again. Nothing. Finally after getting louder and louder the deer opened its eyes and looked in my direction. By this point I was half stood, ready with camera. I fired the shutter as he looked my way, and then quickly he was up on all fours. I was in fact too close!! I fired just two frames before he fled, then watched him leap towards the wood, barking gruffly in annoyance. From the two clear shots I took, one had the antlers out of frame: the other was perfect. I had got lucky..

Wildlife Photography Techniques: stalking mammals

I've recently spent a lot of time stalking a variety of wildlife including roe deer, brown hare and red fox - so here are a few tips that I've learnt that can make all the difference in getting closer:

1. Research your subject: not all animals have the same senses or see in the same way. Roe Deer for example see in monochrome - their sight is much more sensitive to movement and human outline.

2. Camouflage hoods are great, but it's still worth adding extra camouflage to break up the outline of your head. Stitch in green netting which can be stuffed with various grasses, bracken and even branches to make your head as un-human as possible.

3. Be aware of ground cover. Smaller mammals can be well concealed in summer - so you might need to keep a check with binoculars as you approach to be sure you're not being seen.

4. Stay low. It's hard work but keeping close to ground level is the best way to ensure you're not spotted.

5. Use AV mode so you don't have to worry about changing light as you get closer.

6. Try to use sunny days so you can use faster shutter speeds and hand-hold. Tripods/monopods can be very impractical in stalking situtations.

Hopefully off to try for my local short eared owl again this evening... fingers crossed!!

To Photograph Wild or Captive..??

The subject has been written about many times - by many amateurs and professional photographers alike. Is it right to photograph captive species..? Personally I don't think the question should be: is it right; but rather - what's the reason for doing so.? Yes, I have spent a fair number of hours photographing captive species, including falcons, hawks, owls, hedgehogs and red squirrels. These subjects are constantly in demand, and as a professional wildlife photographer I need to have them on file. In fact, my reason for shooting these types of images is often not in the expectation that they will sell as invidual pictures, but rather in their use to illustrate my written articles on nature. In this way I guess it's more of a journalistic approach. I'm not naive in the reality of just how many of these pictures are available, so I know that it will take some luck for one to find its way onto a greetings card or calendar.

This brings me to my main point: just how sensible is it to shoot these images in the current climate.? Do a picture search with any photo libary and you'll find page after page of red squirrel, goshawk, red fox and the like.. So, yes these images are saleable - but where does it go from here..? As these types of images become increasingly common, they begin to lose impact; and there is a crucial part of the image missing - the story. For these images, there is no story - no background, no preparation, no tale of discovering a wild animal and working the site to finally achieve that special image. For me, it's not just about the ethics of shooting captive - it's simply about the surrounding story of how those images came to be. I make no apologies for photographing captive species and no doubt I will continue to do so on a relatively small scale. But I honestly believe that the future is in story-telling. Things often come full circle (look at some of the clothes out there these days) and photography is no different. Editors and readers are always looking for something new - and I think that the 'new' future will be once again in photographing completely wild animals in their natural habitat, and the stories of how photographers achieved the images.

This recent roe buck image illustrates my point pretty well. I could have photographed roe deer in captivity but would never have been able to capture the animal in this natural setting of a wild buttercup meadow. Shot in captivity - once asked how I got the shot, my answer would have been: "I turned up, used a telephoto lens, made the most of the light and composed the shot...oh, and I paid some money too.."

So how did I get this roe buck..? Answer -"I've been watching a group of roe deer for the last 3 months. I arrive at 5.00am and reach my usual check-point wearing camouflage. I spot a buck and hind towards the far end of the buttercup meadow and contemplate going for the stalk. The decision to stalk is made by weighing up the benefits of extra stability (stuck in one position) against potential camera shake (hand-held stalking). In this light I can use ISO 200 and get 1/1000 second - but I need to get damn close with a 300mm lens! I manage to get to the opposite side of the hedgerow in the adjacent field - there's plenty of cover, but it's a true crawl all the way. What the hell! In wet grass, I crawl around 50 yards trying to make zero noise all the time. I stop and look up. They're still there. Just get past these bushes and I'm close enough... My camouflage hood has netting with various grasses stuffed in to break up my outline, so I should be o.k.. The female has disappeared, but the male's still there making his way to the corner of the field. There's a barb wire fence in the way.. so I have to rise higher to get a clear shot. One click... the buck doesn''t even seem to notice! He moves forward and now the shot's there. I compose with the deer looking into space and have no option but to use the out of focus hedgerow as foreground. A couple more shots - perfect!!"

I'll continue to concentrate on wild subjects and have a story to tell. There are many pictures out there - but there are also many, many more that have never even been taken. It's only by putting in the time and gaining the knowledge that these will come about.

A great many thanks to Andrew and Fiona for allowing me the opportunity to watch and photograph these fascinating animals on your land.

How to Photograph Roe Deer

Although I've entitled this blog "how to photograph Roe Deer" I'm not sure I still really have the answer to that. Having said that, after many hours of watching these incredible animals and trying my hardest to get close to them, I've finally managed some close up shots of the deer in their natural habitat on the farm.

It's funny how some days, everythings seems to happen at once. This was the case on the morning I took these images. Hidden behind a straw bale, with my camouflage, I was treated to a beautiful buck wandering into the field at close range. the sun was just beginning to break as I watched him sniffing and snorting. I had to make a few clicking noises to get him to look up: he eventually decided not to trust the strange 'clicking' straw bale and slowly stepped through the hedgerow into the next field. About an hour later I spotted a female grazing at the edge of the field and was able to use one of the bales to quickly move about 50 yards or so to get withing shooting distance. I hit the ground with camera on beanbag and waited for her to step out. I didn't have to wait long before she was in full view, allowing for some lovely portraits..

I've learnt a lot about the deer - particularly in the last couple of months. Above all it's important to keep your head camouflaged, and I've found that with no movement they will largely ignore you - even at relatively close range (provided they don't catch your scent). But perhaps the biggest lesson has been in realising just how easily they move around the farm without being seen. I totally underestimated this - and now I know to keep a constant check with binoculars when approaching their feeding grounds. Many a time they stick to the hedgerows and are surprisingly well camouflaged. This probably explains how I have suddenly come upon a deer when turning a corner on so many occassions!

With the grass now getting longer I will go for pure hand-held stalking, using the long grasses as concealment. Watch this space as hopefully there will be more roe deer images to post.!

Wildlife Photography on the Farm

Farmland wildlife is an ongoing passion of mine and I have spent many hours over the years learning about the habits of the animals that live on a local farm - in particular brown hare and roe deer. Taken this morning, these pictures show that I am finally getting close to capturing some intimate images:

A roe buck wanders past one of the straw bales - pefectly relaxed.

Hares have always been a real favourite of mine which made today's encounter even more special. Lying on the ground in camouflage I was suddenly joined by up to 6 hares as they chased each other in circles; running, jumping - and momentarily stopping, allowing me to get some low level portraits.

I think I may have actually cracked it! I know what works, so it's a case of trying it again and being ready. Let's just hope the hares are still bounding with energy..!

Frustrating Mammals

The last few weeks have been frustrating ones. Amongst other subjects I have been trying to capture decent images of an animal that I have never got close to. They are roe deer. Having seen them from a distance, and having erected a permanent hide at what I thought was the perfect spot, they still continue to elude, surprise, and just downright baffle me. Although frustrating, they are fascinating creatures. I have now been lucky enough to see them at much closer range, and watch a range of behaviour from 3 does and 2 bucks.

This image shows a somewhat lucky encounter with roe deer on a morning of thick fog.

This was a truly wild encounter and one that will stay in my mind for ever. At around 7am I entered this meadow, and through the fog, the unmistakable shapes of 3 roe deer suddenly appeared. With little option, I ducked down and stayed low whilst slipping on my camouflage hood and positioning my beanbag and rucksack. Slowly, one of the does got closer and closer, picking her way through the wild grasses, until eventually she reached a little clearing. Forced to to use manual, I focussed quickly and fired the shutter, managing just 2 shots. She looked in my direction - paused... then turned round and trotted off. The combination of the long grasses and thick fog make this quite a special image. It also makes me think how some of the best wildlife images are truly wild ones - uncontrived, completely natural... and a snapshot in time from a wild animal amidst its natural landscape.

As I write this, I am about to check the wind directions for the next couple of days. A westerly wind and I will be in my new hide - downwind of the deer, and in a spot that should see them walking straight towards me. Fingers crossed! If that doesn't work, then there's still the recent addition to the farm that may be 'photographable'. A beautiful short eared owl that seems to have taken to quartering the meadow - even in broad daylight...