Stag and the moon

One from the last rutting season

Attachment 142674

I was planning on some sillhouette shots, and knew where the stags normally were first thing in the morning, and once I saw the low moon I went specifically for this shot. For some reason, they didn't come from the usual direction, and this was the only shot I got - one click, a quick chimp, then as I looked up again, he was off to tend his harem.

I've posted this elsewhere with a 50/50 split on whether I should clone out the tree on the left, but I've opted for the natural look

Canon 1d3, 70-200mm f4 is, at 200mm. ISO 800, 1/1250th, f9.

I would have lowered the ISO given more time, but as I'm sure you all know, wild animals don't pose at will !

Hi Mike - Nice colors and silhouette. You did well with your one chance. I do wish the moon wasn't so centered in the frame but probably not a lot you could do about that. Cloning out an element that large is a personal choice. I don't do it but it's up to each photographer how far they go. I would clone out the dust spots though including the large one off the top part of the tree and the one in the sky near the top edge.

TFS,
Rachel

Hi Mike, agree on Rachels comments & observations, might be time to pop the camera body back to Canon for a 'wash & brush up' to avoid the dust bunnies in the future. :bg3:

TFS
Steve

Hi Mike , where are your UW images ? Not that i do not like your wildlife/ bird images , but it seems you are the only one who makes UW images :bg3: and post them here.

I quite like the image design with the central placement of the moon .Nice colors/contrast and tones . In a really nice world the branches on LHS would not have been there, but nothing you do besides cloning .

TFS Andreas

Hello Mike,

Looked a few times already and there are some elements in this image I really like a lot: the BG is absolutely stunning and there is something there that makes me imagine a fire down below where the subject is looking, it almost looks as if the stag ran away from danger and once he felt safe he stopped to look behind. I like the colour of the sky and the silhouette itself, yet the branches on the LHS leave a bit to the imagination - I so wish the stag stopped under the tree, it would have been absolutely magic!

Indeed, wild animals do not pose at will - and I do hope you look for more opportunities like this! Lovely image, I would like to see another version where you cloned the branches, or perhaps left just one?
Thank you for participating in the July Theme:cheers:

Kind regards,

Mike, you did very well here. Love the colours and mood.
I'm fine with the composition as is, but for better balance I would have liked the moon top RHS - meaning you'd have the tree branches framing LHS, stag dead centre and moon adding weight to the RHS.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andreas Liedmann

Hi Mike , where are your UW images ? Not that i do not like your wildlife/ bird images , but it seems you are the only one who makes UW images :bg3: and post them here.

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I wholeheartedly apologise Andreas! I got a (non-too serious) injury at work that made me miss my diving on a recent red sea trip - I'll take a look in my archives!

Regarding the dust bunnies - schoolboy error and I should know better. I've had the soap out so shouldn't be a problem any more!

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions - much appreciated

Wonderful image and some great comments above.

Hi Mike, the 2 tone BG and the moon are stunning. You have good comment here already on the composition and you know the stag habit, so there will be always next time. TFS. Loi