Stag or Stick? – 135mm; ISO 400; 1/25 sec; f/5.6 (click image to view larger size)

One evening last week I took a stroll with my camera in Richmond Park, hoping to find deer in a pleasing woodland setting with some nice late sunlight. It was a venture destined with failure!

I envisioned a group of stags, moving slowly through a summer woodland vista of green trees and ferns with shafts of slanting light picking them out. The image in my head as I set out was something similar to the one above, although antlers would have been better than a stick!

I had decided to travel light, discarding my Canon DSLR + 100-400mm zoom for my Fuji X-T1 + 18-135mm zoom. Planning on capturing the deer “in their environment” so to speak, I felt the Fuji would give me more scope for wider shots. As I left the car park the light was looking good but it took me quite a while to find any deer. By this time the clouds had rolled in and the light was very flat. Also, I saw no deer as I passed through the woods and only found them out in the open. They’d obviously been enjoying the warm sunshine which by now I had missed!

I took several shots of stags and hinds resting in the long grass but with the flat lighting the images feel a bit lifeless.

Before long, some idiots ermm, people moved too close and the herd moved on. I had to move out of the way, as the aforementioned idiots/people were driving them in my direction!

With domestic duties calling (cooking dinner) and a 2 mile walk back to the car, I had to leave disappointed. What joy to find on my hasty return walk through the woods that the evening sunlight I wished for had returned!!!

Evening Light

I even saw some wildlife …

Bunny

… but without my long zoom I couldn’t capture a closer shot.

I did actually see some deer in a woodland setting with some nice light, but they were away in the wrong direction and I was out of time.

Oh well, it just means I will have the pleasure of a return visit some time soon!