Most of my time out shooting in November was spent taking photos of the deers at one of my favorite local spots. I was out looking for the big bucks running around during the rut. I saw my fair share of bucks, both big and small but never had a really good photographic opportunity with any of them. Most of the bucks were too busy chasing does around to stay around for very long, so I only walked away with snapshots.
Two weeks into the rut we were greeted with an early-season snowstorm that dropped about 8 inches of snow at my local photo spot. I was extremely eager to get out shooting in these conditions. On this very cold morning, I hiked to my go-to spot to see deer, an open field surrounded by woodland. I got to the field just as it got light enough to take photos. I set up my big lens on the tripod and sat down behind a patch of tall grass to give myself a little bit of cover. I settled in for a long period of watching and waiting for any deer who might come walking across the field.
After a couple hours of waiting, a lone doe came out from the cover of the tree line to feed on the remaining tall-grass not smothered in snow. I watched as the deer walked closer and closer, waiting to begin taking any photos. Sometimes even the click of the shutter will be enough to put a deer under stress, which I try very hard to avoid. Eventually, the deer got close enough to see me sitting in the snow, recognized I was not a threat and went back to business nibbling on the frost-covered foliage. Once the deer settled into eating, I began to take some shots. I positioned my self so I was partially shooting though the grass and snow to give the photo a blurry, ethereal look. My time with this deer only lasted a couple minutes before she went on her way back into the trees.
I feel I did a good job of achieving the ethereal look I wanted in the photo while also conveying the bitter cold I felt sitting in the field of grass and snow. With the end of November and winter quickly approaching, my focus will begin to shift from shooting deers to shooting snow and ice. I look forward to seeing what this winter has in store, I’m hoping for a very snowy and cold winter, though many people will disagree with me. I’m excited to see what photos I come away with in the coming months and I can’t wait to share what I experience.