White-tailed Deer, Upper Mississippi Valley, near Finley’s Landing, Iowa
I know this White-tailed Deer. Have seen it many times during the last few months while I took our dog Cooper down into the Mississippi Valley for a walk or hike. Quite often it is grazing beside the road that leads down to Finley’s Landing and moves out of the way as soon a car comes around the corner. Most of the time it isn’t worth to raise the lens because the deer hides quickly between dense underbrush, but that day, earlier in May, the deer stopped in a spot that had some good light. This is the time when optical stabilization in a lens can make the difference between a sharp or blurry image. The engine of the car is running, vibration is introduced, and of course, the photographer may not have the best position to keep the camera with the heavy lens in a stabile position. Practicing handhold shooting almost every day is the only way to make a successful click when it really matters. The avid reader of my blog knows that I like to go for the environmental shot in my wildlife photography. With the fallen trunk, of probably an old oak in the background, and new shoots of green around, this image has everything to tell the story about the landscape in this part of the Mississippi Valley and its side valleys. It was one of the moments when I drove up the hill with a big smile on my face. Photography has to be fun…. 😊
Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @ 360 mm, 1/200 s, f/6.3, ISO400