ITP- Photographing Deer in Richmond Park
Looking at my poster and pictures of Richmond Park I would like to try and improve my shots of deer, so that I can get an effective and professional picture. To help me achieve this I have done some research into tips and tricks on how to photograph deer.
From this post I found some helpful tips to where deer tend to be depending on the time of year, 'The Flying Field, the Sports Pitches and the areas around the Duchess Wood are particular popular with deer in the morning during the Spring and Summer months. Whilst In the Autumn and Winter months, it tends to be the Lawn Field, the Tercentenary Plantation and also between Spankers Hill Wood and White Lodge. But when the temperature drops, deer tend to keep to the woodlands and follow the path of the sun'.
https://www.simonwilkes.co.uk/blog/a-guide-to-photographing-richmond-park/
Despite this post containing limited information, there were a few good tips it was extensively visualised with a variety of pictures of the deer at different times of day and months. The tips I took away from this are 'wildlife photography is all about the light, so for the best photos I would arrive an hour before sunrise and only leave after sunset'. And also that 'low morning mist might hide the runners and cyclists, but the urban surroundings are given away by the contrails in the sky'.
https://www.boredpanda.com/i-photograph-the-stunning-red-deer-in-richmond-park/?utm_source=ecosia&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=organic
I found some useful information on the Nikon website, like which time of year the deer start rutting as well as the specific breed, safety concerning and which camera lens to use. 'Photographing deer means using a telephoto prime or zoom as these animals are fairly large – red deer, in fact, are the largest British wild land mammal. Your minimum focal length range should be around 70-300mm, and 200-400mm is ideal, especially with a teleconverter; these ranges will give you scope for wider scene-setting images as well as close-ups from a safe working distance'.
https://nikonschool.co.uk/hints-and-tips/top-tips-for-photographing-deer
I found this really helpful and since I own a telephoto lens on my next shoot to Richmond Park, I will bring it with me in my camera bag to help me get close up shots without having to get too close to the deer.
This blog post had some really helpful tips like go somewhere local to see the species in my case deer.
PROTECT YOURSELF & YOUR GEAR
Since I'm doing this project in February the temperature can be unappreciable, so it's best to 'keep a waterproof lens & camera cover with you in autumn & winter. As its often the best photo opportunities come in the most extreme or changeable weather, and you have to be prepared to be out in it'. Same goes for clothing, if wet and damp need a good quality rain coat and wells to keep you warm and dry.
FOLLOW THE LIGHT
'Like everything in photography light is an important part in photographing your subject as it can make or break your image, by making it really interesting or really dull. 'At it’s heart, the best photography is about use of light. 'When researching locations and observing deer, always try to keep an eye on how the scene is lit at sunrise & sunset, and which areas are best for each'.
https://www.georgewheelhouse.com/blog/2014/9/8-tips-for-photographing-deer
This blog was very intriguing to read as it had some quirky tips on what you should do to capture deer.
Skip a Shower – If you can swing it try to make sure that you have not showered at all the day that you go out. The deer can smell your cleaning products long before you will ever see them, so if you want to get close I suggest skipping a shower to up your chances of getting in close undetected.
Go out for a shoot in the evening – Deer, and other animals like them, do a lot of their feeding in the closing hours of the day as the temperatures start to cool. I usually try to be in my location and setup at least 2-3 hours before sunset, this gives me time to get settled and be quiet before the animals start heading my direction.
https://www.slrlounge.com/6-tips-for-shooting-deer-with-your-camera/
Reading these tips I've found some very useful with a few sounding interesting and unique. I'm going to try all of them out when I next go to Richmond Park, which should hopefully bring me more success in capturing deer for my poster.
