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On the Run

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Hi all,

I woke up at 5 AM yesterday and could not fall asleep again so I decided to hurry out to some fields, where I have seen rhoe deer many times, to try to capture them in the first light. Just after parking my bike, before the sun rays had reached the ground, I saw this buck coming right at me and he obviously had not taken notice of me. I was panting and steaming after the bike ride so my viewfinder fogged up... Bugger! - I had the MF 300/2.8 on and now I could hardly see what to focus on. The deer passed right in front of me and didn't discover me until it actually had passed me at a distance of about 10 m. Of course, I took many photographs during the encounter, trying my best to focus in the low light with a foggy eye-piece...

Back home by the computer, my fears were confirmed - I got almost all pictures out of focus. Out of 14 images, only 2 of them were of acceptable focus and in one of those (the one consecutive to this one) I cut all four the legs...

Nevertheless, here is the one and only good picture that I got of the buck. It is the full frame so I was lucky that it was in this position, otherwise all of its extremities would not have fit in the frame.

As you see, also a blind chicken eventually finds a grain...

However, looking at hw good all the missed shots could have been reminded me of how badly I want* that ZD/90-250/2.8 zoom.

Cheers, Jens.

PS. Try pressing F11 if the image is too large for your screen.

* I would have written "need" if I was a professional wildlife photographer.

Photographer:	X Jens Birch
Folder:	Jens' Wildlife
Uploaded:	20-Aug-2006 05:48 CEST
Current Rating:	10.00/7 View all ratings Delete my rating
Model release available:
Camera:	Olympus E1
Exposure time:	1/320 sec
Aperture:	f/2.8
Focal length:	300 (600) mm
Lens:	Tokina AT-X 300/2.8
Focusing method:	Manual
ISO:	400
White balance:	Auto
Flash:	no
Image format:	SHQ
Processing applied:	Sharpening, saturation.
Various:
Image resized to:	675x900

Comment/Rate Share this Image

NO SUBJECT

This is an awesome capture, imho. I think it was worth to waste some 14+ shots to get this one! The deer is in good focus, nicely separated from the background. The position of its legs and the foreground give a good hint of the movement.
Very well done, Regards,
Dietrich

Dietrich Gloger at 12:32 CEST on 20-Aug-2006 [Reply]

It's a "10"

I give it a 10, Jens. And it does not matter if you have to take 10 or 100 shots, if you in the end manage to get a photo like this. Congratulations!

BTW, does it happen often that you wake up at 5am and can't sleep anymore?

Alfred Molon at 15:58 CEST on 20-Aug-2006 [Reply]

Thanks Alfred and Dietrich

I appreciate your positive responses!

Alfred wqrote:
> BTW, does it happen often that you wake up at 5am and can't sleep anymore?

Unfortunately yes, but it is not often that I manage to take advantage of it as in this case.

Cheers, Jens.

Jens Birch at 17:29 CEST on 20-Aug-2006 [Reply]

NO SUBJECT

A great photo, jens.
Very sharp for the top of the body, a little less for the bottom; so it's great like that because idea of movement is suggested by this fact...

Well done.
Regards
Bruno.
(Clearly a 10)

Bruno Nardin at 17:52 CEST on 20-Aug-2006 [Reply]

NO SUBJECT

Jens, I believe you are at least as good as, and more often better than most professional nature photographers.

You don't *need* that ZD 90-250 because you do quite well with what you have, but I think you should go out and buy it anywat if you want it - because you've certainly earned it!

Loren Lewis at 20:01 CEST on 20-Aug-2006 [Reply]

NO SUBJECT

Absolutely a great shot Jens , special when I read to story with the fogged up lens...Well you have a image that came out excellent , tells us again how important it is to shoot sequences when shooting in the wild...Luckily you did and are the proud owner of this beautiful photo....Congrats....
PS
You will own that lens pritty soon I guess....;-))

Best regards,

Fonzy - at 14:39 CEST on 21-Aug-2006 [Reply]

Fantastic Shot

Jens,
I would like to let you know I agree with all the previous comments regarding this picture.
I think this could be a once in a lifetime shot.

I have spent many an hour trying to photograph deer, including last weekend in the rain but have never come close to what you have achieved with this photo.

I have just purchased the Olympus 50-200mm Ed lens to try and improve my results but I don't think it will achieve what you have in the near future!

It's shots like this that give people like me inspiration to capture the perfect moment.

Keep up the good work: Kindest Regards Peter (Scotland)

Peter French at 20:56 CEST on 23-Aug-2006 [Reply]

NO SUBJECT

Congratulations Jens.
Fantastic shot..... in spite of you did not have the "perfect" lens and that you consider yourself no a Pro photographer. The existence is a continuon of transitory moments....so is wonderful when you can do the best with the tools you have in this precise moment.
Best regards, Ricardo

Ricardo Rico at 17:28 CEST on 27-Aug-2006 [Reply]

Thanks Bruno,

> Very sharp for the top of the body, a little less for the bottom; so it's great like that
> because idea of movement is suggested by this fact...

I like your comments. I was a very fortunate man to get this photo in that particular moment.

Cheers, Jens.

Jens Birch at 20:25 CEST on 27-Aug-2006 [Reply]

Thanks Loren,

Loren Lewis wrote:
> Jens, I believe you are at least as good as, and more often better than most professional
> nature photographers.

well,.. now we shouldn't exaggerate it...

> You don't *need* that ZD 90-250 because you do quite well with what you have, but I think
> you should go out and buy it anywat if you want it - because you've certainly earned it!

I wrote a note to Santa Claus today. Hopefully, he will put in his order to Olympus in time (there is several months waiting for such a lens ;-)

Grretings, Jens.

Jens Birch at 20:29 CEST on 27-Aug-2006 [Reply]

Thanks Shelley,

Shelley O'Connell wrote:
> This is really an excellent capture and worth all other 13 you took: very sharp, excellent
> color (only a little color noise around the base of the neck), and motion shown.

I agree, 13 pictures cost me nothing but this one is worth everything...

What about the colour noise? I don't see it.

Cheers, Jens.

Jens Birch at 20:31 CEST on 27-Aug-2006 [Reply]

Hi Fons,

> Absolutely a great shot Jens , special when I read to story with the fogged up lens...Well
> you have a image that came out excellent , tells us again how important it is to shoot sequences
> when shooting in the wild...Luckily you did and are the proud owner of this beautiful photo....Congrats....
> PS
> You will own that lens pritty soon I guess....;-))

thanks! That lens is on top of my priorities right now. We will see if Santa can come with anything or if I have to sell this photo 500 times to earn it...

Cheers, Jens.

Jens Birch at 20:33 CEST on 27-Aug-2006 [Reply]

Hi Peter,

> I would like to let you know I agree with all the previous comments regarding this picture.
> I think this could be a once in a lifetime shot.

Thanks. I hope to get more of this kind though... ;-)

> I have spent many an hour trying to photograph deer, including last weekend in the rain
> but have never come close to what you have achieved with this photo.
>
> I have just purchased the Olympus 50-200mm Ed lens to try and improve my results but I don't
> think it will achieve what you have in the near future!

Peter, you should get the book: "Life in the Wild - a Photographer's year" by Andy Rouse. It is one of the most inspiring wildlife photo books that I have read. He has an extensive section about photographing rhoe deer that inspired me for this expedition.

> It's shots like this that give people like me inspiration to capture the perfect moment.
>
> Keep up the good work: Kindest Regards Peter (Scotland)
>

Thanks again! It is praise like this that spurr me to try taking even better images...

Good Luck! Jens.

Jens Birch at 20:44 CEST on 27-Aug-2006 [Reply]

Hi Ricardo,

> Congratulations Jens.
> Fantastic shot..... in spite of you did not have the "perfect" lens and that you consider
> yourself no a Pro photographer. The existence is a continuon of transitory moments....so is
> wonderful when you can do the best with the tools you have in this precise moment.
> Best regards, Ricardo

Thanks for the kind words. I do my very best to improve on my skills. I do practise a lot on horses, dogs, crow, sparrows, squirrels, etc. in order to be ready when such a special moment appear.

Regards, Jens.

Jens Birch at 20:48 CEST on 27-Aug-2006 [Reply]