“The King and the Dark”
I never thought I would take a predawn wildlife shot that was a keeper. In fact, I was happy enough with this shot that it made it framed onto my wall and into my portfolio.
I was following this guy for a while. It was grey and overcast and I was shooting through the foliage to try and bring in some colour and warmth. When he stepped into a pool of light, I grabbed this frame.
I was shooting on a 30-year-old, manual focus 300mm 2.8 and the stag held just still enough that I could get a sharp image at 1/30 sec and ISO 3200. Thank goodness for IBIS and high ISO performance (and the bit of luck that I needed to nail focus.) Wildlife photography is not my mainstay, but getting a good wildlife shot is one of the most gratifying experiences I’ve had in photography.
This picture was was taken near the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park.