Stalking 'erm stuff

Stuart Philpott

Stuart Philpott

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Stu
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Tis a funny ol' game this stalking beasties lark ,One day one can't put a foot right if there is a twig to break it's broken ,if there is a chance of wind shift it happens. Sometimes these stalks are incredibly long and drawn out ,ha ha bloody painful at times. Sometimes ya just run up behind a suitable obstruction,get to where it feels right lie down ,have a nap ;)
Opps 'erm.lie down and gradually work out what next: where exactly are they, what move to next make etc etc

The week before this I described myself as mr clutz stalker. jeepers I was awesomely bad:rolleyes: jagged movements bad choices not reading my intended ,you name it I'll own it . I haven't been able to get out much and man it showed. This roe is one of those classic easier short winded ,run up behind a tree:LOL: ( i really do on occassion cover ground very very quickly), type of stalk's. It's the total opposite of what one really should be doing and risky,That said with one tree as cover and completely open ground it can work to one's advantage.

Spotted from the road we just pulled up and sat there waiting untill they drifted round the copse, I would have been on them in mins. Then I waited until I was spotted............. she had me but couldn't work out what exactly I am so as is oft the case, came to me t. 800mm was a mistake but hey I never expect this to happen . Hmmm it did the next day too,hmm and the following time I got to spend 10mins with a munty,ironic after chatting to Russ. It makes me wonder whether i'll ever get a set of chances like that in a run again

One of three roe, a buck, two does. doing the stampy foot " what the hell are you" thang as she circled, Canon 1dxii 400doii and cough ( DOH) 2ext iii. 1/4000 f8 iso 2500 processed in dpp nowt more crit always welcome I'll try and get a frame or two up from the other chances this was the best for light but the others gave more frames. waaay more .

anyway here's me roe doe I am a bit under. I'd exposed to shoot in direct sun , worrying on bright hi lights but got caught out by the shade of the tree it's around 4.30 pm .

_S2I2076 sm j curious doe by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

take care

stu
 
I 'll come to the other deer later, I'm playing with them .................... I was going to take you through a whole set of images a very simple very direct stalk of a hare I've spent hours trying to cull and sort but maybe that won't have the same effect. As just putting the first shot and the last next to each other.

Often we are static we let animals come to us,this ploy is terribly effective but limiting at times . Beasties can walk right by one just out of real range,and slip by without an image made,so I often put both stalking and waiting together. A little portable chair, gets us comfy in the "right " (lol Hmmmm sometimes ) spot, and then the camo and a willingness gets me that bit closer and provides more chances of a variety of images. when it works that is !!

It's a good pair of images to illustrate as the subject barely moves at all. In fact I took me piccies and backed out equally slowly to my approach, with the hare still in the same spot. Fella was there when we left so would have provided no other chances bar the first image

So here we have a hare he's wondered. out of the woods found a cool spot settled down and is aware of us . He probably been aware of us for 20 mins now. My route to him or probably her,was pretty much direct I basically slide down on my tummy always in view .Down a shallow gradient grass bank. Then very slowly circled, came in a bit closer backed off and left. It was the end of the day so I basically went for it thinking nothing to loose. This was directly after the second roe encounter. It's funny I was utterly buzzing yet I took some pictures of only two animals in a whole afternoon Better than no piccies huh... it is wildlife nowt is given. It is beyond conceivable that this hare might know me in some way shape or form. The best bit for me was right at the end fella pulled in the ol' front legs and utterly relaxed started to doze. It was so lovely I kind of felt that more pics was a bloody liberty and so snuck off quietly.


Images made with the 1.4 ext iii camera/ lens combo as above. Both as framed( no cropping) played with the latter in dpp first is pretty much SOOC (cloned a dust bunny First image 1/1250 f8 iso 4000 second image 1/1000 f9 again iso 4000

So, two images of the same hare in the same spot the only thing that moved essentially me and a bit of light that I'd have cut my arm off for when shooting the roe earlier in the day

_S2I2248 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and a wee bit closer

_S2I2322 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

ya gotta love 'em

stu
 
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A great read as always Stu, love to hear your little hints and tips about the stalking - an area I can really improve in, so thanks

Both the deer and the second hare are lovely shots, but I think they could both do with a little more help in PP. On both shots I tried using the dodge and burn technique Showed you a while back - really simple but I think it helps on both shots.

Then, with the deer I gave her some extra sharpening, mainly on the head but a little on the body

46856656684_10a9cc2617_o-RP.jpg

and with the hare made a really subtle but worthwhile change, using the selective colouring layer to take the cyans out of the whites

47616210581_ecdd7a5dbc_o-RP.jpg

Keep 'em coming pal, great to see

Mike
 
'ello buddy thanks so much for stopping by and even more for the post tips. Long time no speak Mike ,i hope you're good !!

It struck me that the photo ops over those 3 days were all down to a stalk of one form or another. Each of those stalks were incredibly different so I thought maybe telling a little tale about each might be useful to someone . Ha ha I didn't really expect any crit....................... tis blummin welcome though.:) I haven't spent a lot of time processing these Mike just starting to get back in the saddle as it were. We haven't been able to get out that much either mainly due to the camper,but long run I'll hopefully be able to get more time in the field. .

Great tips, it didn't occur to me to use the burn trick,roe looks much better. With the hare I'm struggling if i'm honest ,Mike, it is very subtle , it makes me muse one thing: when this train ride eases I'm going to need to think about calibration!!

cheers

stu
 
Back to that long old stalk. We have spotted some roe from the road The wind is blowing from us to them. So we drive past and slowly wander the half a mile or so back ,on the off chance they'll still be there. Just before we rounded the gap that would putus on the same hedge we caught sight of a little buck munty,I just couldn't get a clear...ish image of his face shame he was shining in the sun. Just as I stood up I caught a pair of ears hurling towards me round a bend,just got to the knee,this fella nearly knocked me over ,I only got 4 frame off,a simple cras movement to portrait broke the spell and he was gone. Guys togs rely on light,I'm posting this one adjusted in auto WB as with the next bar that both are pretty much SOOC i'll probably have a crack at more post on the hare,I really want to sit that aside the next image taken 1/2 hr later also posted in AWB again SOOC. ( Iknow about the DB on the hare,just wanted to show that 1/2hr light change around 5:30PM god I wish I had that light for the later stages of this one. So I'm sneaking along the base of a hedge on me gut, still a good way from the roe. The doe has me, so I watch her through the lens and get photo bombed by a muntjac doe.

She just sauntered out in front of me and started feeding towards me. From the images she was out around 10 miins before getting fed up with the racket me camera makes and ambling back into the hedge. This last frame i've tried to process a bit more seriously. I came back with 100 or so images obviously much to bin,but probably my best munty encounter to date. Funny really the light went I had little faith that I would get to those roe went half a mile on the blummin off chance...doh....... then lady luck steps in and suddenly I'm scratching me head after having this little charmer for that long. As per ,usual lying on the deck full camo stuck too far out from the hedge. If she looked at me I froze,sure took pics. but no other movement . They are so damn sharp I didn't dare try for portrait.

First that hare funny chap thank god fella got the brakes on before min focus distance 1/3200 f8 iso 2500 pretty much sooc sharps in DPP
_S2I2333 sm j by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

2nd around 35mins later part way into the roe...... bottom left is as I saw it. Again pretty much sooc really to compare the light with the above
_S2I2334 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

and one of the later images I call "Yeah" what a sweetie huh,I know they shouldn't be here but what can ya do ?? 1/1250 f7.1 iso 6400 processed first in D{PP then pscc layer of sharps and NR........ 560 mm.............Oh for that light from 1/2 hour earlier

_S2I2444 yeah smj by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Having a bit of luck of late with deer but seriously not with the light. I guess ya can't have ya pie and eat it !! A roe mum and probably last year's female kidlet had us in stiches tues eve........................... but that as they say is for another day :)

stu
 
A shame this,the roe buck was sleeping/ dozing/ lying when we first spotted him. He got up to stuff his face just as I started to try to stalk him , he wasn't aware of me ,just bad luck . I'd have loved a low shot of him lying in pink flowers somewhat along the lines of this one. It is one of the last frames of that encounter. only more of him showing in the pink version as it were. I've got a particular spot where the field edge conservation headland thingy:LOL: is swathed in pink with the rape behind it's a pretty place to shoot anything really

Part of me wanted his whole head part in this frame of rape flowers part of me likes it how it is. I know you can't see much of him yet ,but one of the most mature bucks we have seen of late and we've seen a goodly few..............been incredible actually

.... 1/1600 f 8 1/1600 R n R what can I say:)

_S2I3080sm j by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

You hopefully will see more of him and said flowers .
 
Them flowers as mentioned above ^^^^ and what I believe is a yearling doe, she was acting like a kid and no where near the size or bulk for that matter of her mum . She's part of that hilarious stalk mentioned earlier. Frankly we waited on hares for hours.... yonks !!!!!! at a hoped for good spot ,no show . So went for a wonder in the hope of pointing a camera at something before the dread of work and as the light fell got to these two. So techs of 1/320 f5.6 which is wide open for me at 560mm, and ISO 12800 Again usual mistake ext in the way. i've done what I can the file is under exposed a bit I've had a go in DPP mostly and then in PSCC gentle sharps and more heavy NR to bkg and subject on layers.

Ha what a cutie........does my bum look fluffy in this?? They are so funny at this stage in the molt...one end all svelte and beautiful shades of red showing on the neck and the other end a fluff ball to withstand a midland winter in the wolds...................Oh for more light huh........... younger wanted to eat mum wasn't sure whether to go past me, come to see me,run away or be with baby. You could see her thinking . One thing that's really struck me of late.: being close to several roe now in a short space of time they are so small . The robuck in the rape is standing I think i'm kneeling maybe hunched over they only stand a couple or maybe 2 and 1/2 feet at the shoulder. I always thought they were much bigger.

_S2I2803 sm J by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr
 
Marvelous! The photos and especially your recollection of how you took them is just plain great!
 
Really good to read things like this, I love to hear how people achieved the shot, you always get a better shooting angle than me, I think I am bit too old to be crawling face down nowadays, a pity as it does often add to the shot. Being a Hare lover too, I really like reading about your exploits, keep them coming!

Paul
 
Love these Stu. It's the stories and the respect you obviously have for our four legged friends that make them. The muntie looks like it's having a chat with you.
My partner saw a muntjac crossing the road the other night. I thought it must have been a roe, but no, it wasn't. He's worked in Hertfordshire and stayed on a farm where he saw quite a few, so knows the difference. I didn't know they'd got as far as South Somerset but they are so secretive, aren't they? I look forward to my first sighting.
 
Luftwalk said:
Marvelous! The photos and especially your recollection of how you took them is just plain great!
Click to expand...
Thankyou , I wanted to try and encourage others to try this,so have made a point of trying to tell the tales.:) I guess i'm also studying ,going through what went right where I might have been better not only image wise but the actual getting to a position to try and snag an image.....the stalking

What I can't really show is the results, they are too numerous , I'm not saying they are any good just ya get lots of chances when it goes right : sure in part the joys of these fast frame cameras . but it's more than that . The deer are far more sketchy...jumpy' harder to out wit, less tolerant, as a whole than hares Put it this way I've simply never been able to spend an hour or even two with a wild deer. Maybe once the lad was asleep what can I say :D That happen quite often with the hares ,...hmmm let me say that another way....sometimes I'm blessed to have a hare just let me be with them ,for a long time hours deer not so much !!. The hare/s utterly knows I'm there,why the hell doesn't it run off. The deer I try to not let know i'm there as a rule,but if you have enough in your favour , to take the edge of their senses Roe especially can be so curious. These animals are all built to run away,yet there's this curousity to them I find fascinating,. It's also kinda nice having them not running away on the image front:LOL:.

Paul I'm def too old to do this waaay to old !!

Low POV can be a double edged sword all frames OOF tonight too much long grass between me and a roe doe for the camera to focus. One chance diddling squat pilot error too should have been on single point camera didn't have a chance

There is something intimate, almost, about being so low,it also creates luvverly soft stuff at times either side of subject DOF wise. I love trying to make images that have depth but really only the subject is in focus...the low POV lends it's self to that

hey janny,

I don't know how far south muntjac range is now, I see little to stop a continued spread.

Jan they stand so low,you wouldn't mix Roe and them ,imagine a beer barrel with little piggy legs as opposed to the elegance of Roe legs. They are super stocky but so low to the ground it's untrue when you see one you'll understand what I'm trying to say , about in the field ID; Great big fluffy tails Jan, much longer than you think. I don't think of them as more secretive than roe....a more developed sense of sight and being so low to the ground they can be under your nose and you not see them
they live a fair amount of time in rape this time of year they walk in and vanish:) Baby is absolutely tiny Jan no pics but one lives in hope . Two nights back I waited out a pair as they bumbled towards me,I had them right there and even off a knee could not make a pic cover was barely up to my knee and I should have been over it

. So probably no, not secretive leastways anymore than roe.............. very very sharp and easy to miss because of their height;)

Bit of a purple patch with roe at the mo Jan no idea why.".scratches head."..... I have a leveret near home " woohoo " and I nearly stepped on him tonight:(... always something to learn watch the deer and your feet !!


Holty cheers mate:)
 
I've just been informed this little guy is Mr Pickles, at least My darlin takes my efforts seriously:bat: ........... :LOL: !!

i'll tell you more about this day when have a mo. ,I've simply never bumbled into so many roe in one day on foot,that is. Driving maybe but not on foot minimum 8 possibly more dependent on no double sightings. Utterly nuts but really good . Any way one of two boys...probably the less dominant whom was being harrrassed by a bigger male:

_S2I2881 sm j Mr Pickles by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

techy stuff 1/1600 f 5.6 iso 6400 DPP : WB colours gamma bit of sat PSCC two layers nr one sharpening t'other NR . 560mm


Ha Mr Pickles lmao

stu
 
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The hardest thing in the world for me in this photography lark is processing I have lots of failings we all do it's cool,but something just slapped me round the head a tiny bit

It just dawned on me that the two images I've just tried to put me best effort processing wise into took half the time of actually getting the images...that's sort of shocking isn't it.

Ok i'm having the time of my life with the roe at the mo and the odd hare,I thought when I started this those 3 first outings were probably a one off ,but it just keeps running . These two are taken one in the vale one on the wolds, two days apart, around the same time of day. (8 pm) Paul above mentioned POV which is terribly relevent in these two frames

One I'm standing fella came through a hedge while I had my back to him fortunately I was moving slow enough not to really spook him.but he went back through the hedge, I made a judgement call and shot to the same hedge heading for a gap he might try to go round me. He didn't he came back on the same path. I don't know the grass species I was in ,but it's tall being lower impossible so a standing image of a standing roe buck fella is probably on slightly lower ground than I am . Dunno but this may well be Mr Pickles again.God I'm learning alot about Roe at the mo

_S2I3619 roe stance smj by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

ok the second frame......................... he is def slightly downhill of me. i've actually crawled about 150 yards over the dreaded wold scree after a leveret doubtless pictured elsewhere has to be the same fella, Leveret has just wondered off with a bigger hare, nowt to do with me. I'm sort of lay there saying to myself buddy are you completely mad,elbows knees guts all shot to bits nowt to show for it, This Roe buck on patrol just wonders up out of nowhere and makes me understand why i'm on the floor. The two images are so similar.... same subject sure different places but similar light taken roughly 48 hours apart. Same image maker same mistakes same base processing but this one for me is why me old bones creak so much. you have your own opinions you tell me

_S2I3556 the wanderer smj by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

No signs as of yet of any mums.

stu
 
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