Critique Chatsworth Estate Red Deer

[rpsmith79]

This is probably one of my favourite shots to date of a Red Deer Stag, i had been a regular visitor to my local Moorland, and even though they are fully wild deer, the backdrop is somewhat drab as there is very little in terms of vegetation (other than heather), and after a trip to Chatsworth last weekend i thought i'd make the effort to make an early visit (without the Mrs in tow) to see what i could come up with with a little more of a colourful backdrop, and even though they are a somewhat managed herd, they are just as skittish as the deer up on Big Moor

Anyway, enough rambling, here is the shot, let me know what you think


Deer In The Park by Richard Smith, on Flickr

 

[Kodiak Qc]

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Majestic creature, great setup, and fine rendition!

 

[rpsmith79]

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Majestic creature, great setup, and fine rendition!

Thanks Kodiak, was worth the very early start

 

[Box Brownie]

Has a real touch of Monarch of the Glen, good wall hanger potential.

 

[BillN_33]

Hi Rich, nice image ... is there just a bit too much purple/magenta in the animal .... I can see it in the face and antlers ........ maybe others can comment?

 

[holty]

good shot

 

[Stuart Philpott]

On the highlight on nose 'n' antler slight bit on left shoulder Bill,I can see it but i'm unsure of more than that !!.

Richard,sorry mate that might be rude I'm not being,It's a lovely image I love the depth to the backdrop and the colours plus you have caught regal in all senses of the word and finally I'd be proud as hell of that. Richard I was on fallow yesterday bloody rain low light but take what one can huh. anyway we saw this slight purple tinge in a couple of images and it's been on my mind how exactly that happened it was there in the raw but less so than my feeble editing had a real fight with it and don't know now whether I won....sorry mate that's why I replied to Bill first. i'm learning almost typed it our loud.

Rich were you prone for this shot? I'm very interested in distance and how you were dressed too and what happened immediately prior to you taking this. The fallow I'm chasing are so damn alert they are such a challenge to get close too,so with such a sucessfull shot as above It's worth asking about the mechanics of the shot plus the fieldcraft side.


Cracking image mate god knows about the purple maybe some prince got to it??

I'll see my self out



Stu

 

[TimmyG]

Magnificent! I too can see the magenta cast, but it's a minor issue but well worth trying to resolve. Not sure the cause though, could it be some kind of lens flare?

Regardless, it captures the season perfectly and is wonderfully composed.

 

[Kodiak Qc]

Not sure the cause though, could it be some kind of lens flare?

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No, not a lens flare as they are by nature light on specular surfaces and,
as such, do not spread to this level of "evenness".

As for the magenta, It may have been forgotten by Rich but I preferred to
accept it as part of his artistic intent.

 

[rpsmith79]

Has a real touch of Monarch of the Glen, good wall hanger potential.

Funny you should say that, i'm in the process of getting this printed for hanging on the wall

Hi Rich, nice image ... is there just a bit too much purple/magenta in the animal .... I can see it in the face and antlers ........ maybe others can comment?

Yes there is a slight magenta cast as i was trying to bring out the colours of the season, but this has also affected the Stag himself

Magnificent! I too can see the magenta cast, but it's a minor issue but well worth trying to resolve. Not sure the cause though, could it be some kind of lens flare?

Regardless, it captures the season perfectly and is wonderfully composed.

Cheers, as above, the magenta was partly to do with bringing the wonderful Autumnal colours out

 

[rpsmith79]

Rich were you prone for this shot? I'm very interested in distance and how you were dressed too and what happened immediately prior to you taking this. The fallow I'm chasing are so damn alert they are such a challenge to get close too,so with such a sucessfull shot as above It's worth asking about the mechanics of the shot plus the fieldcraft side.


Cracking image mate god knows about the purple maybe some prince got to it??

I was crouched for this shot, so tripod about half height and crouched under a tree/to the side of the tree trunk, i was also wearing a pair of army surplus trousers and RealTree type hoodie (printed tree camo), distance i would guess at 50 meters or so, but it was taken with a 300mm f4 with 1.4x TC on a crop sensor D7100, and there is no cropping of the final image

This is my 2nd year stalking deer now, so have had a least a dozen or more attempts now at photographing these magnificent beasts, it does take a little time and patience, and getting up at silly o'clock, but getting images like this makes it all worth while

Still not got the illusive rutting shot i have been after for the past 2 years though, but still plenty of time left this season

 

[BillN_33]

Hi Rich - I agree - wonderful autumn colours in bg - the only way that you can remove the cast from the Stag is just to isolate the animal in PS and reduce the magenta and maybe play around with the other colours - then reverse the selection and work on the bg - should be easy, as you do not need to be exact with the selection, and I think that the image is so good that it is worth just looking at these little details without over doing it.

I tend to be better at looking at images than taking them, some find my comments annoying and too critical, I hope that you take them as mean't

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Hi Rich,my web is very bad,so just a brief note of thanks(hugely appreciated),hope this get's to you. Yup they are not easy,but you did great mate all credit for putting in the effort,lovely to see you rewarded
thanks so much

Stu