After Sunset Mule Deer

Gallery: WildlifePosted February 25, 2014102 views10 comments

I was in the Klamath Basin of Oregon/California last week for bird photography and ran across a group of 5 mule deer as I was leaving the Tule Lake refuge just after sunset Wednesday evening. They were close enough that the birding setup didn't provide much more than head shots, but they were cooperative enough to provide plenty of them.

1Div, 500mm f4 ISL + 1.4TC, beanbag on truck window, f8, 1/80, iso 1250, Av mode with no compensation. Processed in LR5 & CS6. Cropped to a 4x5 aspect ratio. Taken February 19th at 5:46 pm.

Your comments would be much appreciated.

Thanks for looking,

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by Rick Cloran on February 25, 2014 at 2:44 AM

You have to love those Muley ears! Nice comp, beautiful BG and the detail sings. Definitely a winner.

Registered on April 6, 2004, 119 Posts, 1989 Comments

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on February 25, 2014 at 3:06 AM

Love that face, and those ears. The crop is a little unusual for me. If you have more room on the right and bottom. I would move the deer more into the frame, even if it tends to be centered. It just looks a little cut off to me. Otherwise, great capture.

Registered on January 6, 2012, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Cross on February 25, 2014 at 3:28 AM

Very nice shot, Dennis. You had cooperative deer so that you could get a set of nice images in spite of being rigged up for birds. Really nice detail in this. Lots of browns, etc. from last year. Hopefully recent and coming rain will bring some green. The deer down here are really enjoying the greenup from rain 10 days ago. Exposure is very nice and your comp works for me although the suggested change would look fine as well. I'm struck by a few differences between your mule deer and the black-tails in my area. The deer in the photo has way bigger ears than the ones in my area. Interesting. Thanks for posting. Enjoyed it.

Registered on April 3, 2010, 271 Posts, 1342 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on February 25, 2014 at 1:44 PM

Peter said: "I'm struck by a few differences between your mule deer and the black-tails in my area. The deer in the photo has way bigger ears than the ones in my area."

I noticed when processing images that this one had much larger ears than the other one I concentrated on. My wife suggests that it's a matter of proportion and this is a first year animal that hasn't grown into it's ears yet.

Thanks for the suggestions on the composition.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Bunch on February 25, 2014 at 7:47 PM

Nice portait. I like the alert look and the ears up. Almost looks like he/she could fly with ears that big. I think I would also move the deer a little more to the left of the frame.

Registered on May 18, 2004, 124 Posts, 2503 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on February 25, 2014 at 11:23 PM

Got to love the big ears on Mulies. Good sharpness and placement in the frame on this one Dennis.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Cross on February 26, 2014 at 3:01 AM

I haven't seen that type of growth occur with my black-tails down here. But it could be a possibility. Dogs often have to grow into their feet. Regardless, we all agree it has big ears.

Registered on April 3, 2010, 271 Posts, 1342 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on February 26, 2014 at 4:36 PM

Good image, Dennis. I am going to agree with the suspicion that this might be a relative youngster, not yet catching up with the ears. This works well and invites study. In a perfect world you would have been given a swath of golden light to really make it glow...but that is beyond photographer control!

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on February 27, 2014 at 4:57 AM

You never know what will come your way out birding. Wonderful close up with some nice detail in the larger image, way to go Dennis.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by William Bickle on February 28, 2014 at 8:34 AM

Hello Dennis

WOW, those Ears are impressive!

good capture

Bill

Registered on June 13, 2011, 183 Posts, 1702 Comments