C&C: My weekend, Cervus canadensis

benlonghair · Jun 28, 2010

More commonly known as elk. C&C always appreciated.

This weekend my boss invited me to join him at a game preserve that he belongs to. Since I only hunt with my long lens, and this being off season, it worked out well.

We covered about 70 miles to find this one bull. It was damned exciting to find it when we did about half an hour before leaving.

So without further ado, here we go. The WB on the second one is off a little I think, a little too cool. It's too bad I didn't get a chance to hit the eyes well, but overall I like them.

300mm | f/5.6 | 1/320sec. | ISO 400 | +1/3 EV | Manual Exp

300mm | f/5.6 | 1/100sec | ISO 400 | +1/3 EV | Manual Exp

benlonghair · Jun 28, 2010

I hate bumping my own posts, but whatever.

Are these really that bad?

Derrel · Jun 28, 2010

A nice mid-life bull, in velvet. Cool. You got pretty close. It's hard to get close to a wild, non-habituated elk most places. Around here, you have to really work at it. As is so often the case, heavy timber is often between you and the elk, as in the last shot.

Boomn4x4 · Jun 28, 2010

benlonghair said:
I hate bumping my own posts, but whatever.

Are these really that bad?

Depends on your definition of "that bad". The shots themselvs are well composed and exposed....

HOWEVER.... I do happen to be an assman, but not elk-ass. And the tree branches are really distracting.

LaFoto · Jun 28, 2010

Yes, pity about the branches, and I can well imagine how they must be nagging you, too. But you got to see him, AND you got well focused photos of him, which is more than I'd have got had I been in your shoes. I'd have been too excited to get any of my settings right, I'm afraid...

The fern is a lovely colour !!! :biggrin:

(Those on here who've known me for long know why I'm saying this).

R.D. · Jun 28, 2010

Great shots, I have to assume getting a clear shot with no branches is near impossible but you still focused well and delivered a good shot.. the first would have been golden had he cocked him head back just a tad more.

Thanks.

benlonghair · Jun 28, 2010

Thanks for the comments.

As I said, this is at a hunting preserve. They feed the animals in the winter. However, even in the summer they tend to hang around the feedlots. The guy who was driving me around is an avid hunter there and knows his way around really well.

We met up with this guy with a cow in one of those feedlots. He took off into the woods a couple hundred feet and just stood there watching us watch him. I decided that I was gonna shoot, branches be damned. I'm gonna edit a couple more tonight, but they aren't as strong, imo.

The really cool thing is I'm learning to get a working exposure with manual. I kind of had an epiphany while shooting a waterfall on how to spot expose.