Sneaking a Peek

Gallery: WildlifePosted November 8, 2012181 views3 comments

Bachelor #3 took up with this doe and tended her. Following protocol of not looking directly at her, he still managed to check on what she was up to. Bingo time was when she squatted to urinate and as you can see his head looks one way but his eyeball is popping out of it's socket looking at her. I'll show you the lip curl behavior tomorrow. This photo is a terrible comp. With all the room on the left you'd think I'd could at least get the doe's head in the picture. Regardless it does document this part of the breeding black-tail's behavior. Warmed up just a bit and sharpened for web. Comments welcome.

Tech Info

Canon 60D with 70-200mm f/4L with 1.4 TC = 165mm
1/250th at f/6.3 and ISO 1000
tripod

Comments

3 comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on November 8, 2012 at 6:50 AM

I agree with your comments on the missing does' head. Still a very interesting image of the buck. Looking forward to your next post in this series. Too bad there is an OOF plant right over this mouth and nose, not much you can do about that.
Thanks for sharing.

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

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on November 8, 2012 at 11:58 AM

Again your self-critique is spot on Peter

. An interesting documentary image for a deer enthusiast, but it honestly does not work for me from a photographic POV. What I do like a lot is the mood, habitat and colors.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by John Clulow on November 8, 2012 at 6:57 PM

I cannot not comment on this image Peter Cross.

I actually try not to comment because all of these images here are so strong that they speak for themselves and don't need comment; they just need viewing....

And while your image clearly pssses that test; the test of passing it by without comment, although it is great; your image makes me stop and write the following:

I need to preface this, and perhaps the preface will be sufficient in-and-of itself, with a quotation from Alexander Pope from an essay he wrote "Oh Criticism". It was addressed to the critics of poetry, but some of it applies to art in general, I think.

So, and I'm sure I'll mess this up, but he says something like, "Life, force, and beauty must to all impart; at once the source, and aim, and test of art.", something like that.

When I look deeply into your image, Peter Cross, I can definitely see all three criteria fulfilled; life, force, and beauty.

But there is much more. And that begins with the rack of the male running into the frame and perhaps making that mating noise, especially with the lines of the rack echoed and reflected in the limbs of the trees. And I think that is even accentuated by the female running and partially already out of the frame on the right.

And the highest luminance spot on this image is on the buck.

This image has a genuine, organic quality. I really love it and think it worth the time to comment on.

Registered on November 1, 2012, 155 Posts, 1079 Comments