Deer in the golden hour....C&C please!

[JustJazzie]

Here are a few of the more decent shots I got last night. I struggled with the AF on the new camera, (which is the reason there are no shots that include feet. ) and by the time I figured it out the deer were scared away by my puppy. I would really appricate some honest c&c on how I can improve the next time I get this opportunity, as well as perhaps on the post processing. All I have done so far is sharpen eyes, up the vibrance a bit, and of corse a little cropping.

Which one would you consider the strongest of the bunch and why? Which is the weakest?

Thank you for your time and comments!

1)
2)View attachment 76179
3) I love that his tounge is out in this one, but I am not sure I nailed the focus?? Or is it just a bit noisy?
4)
5)

6) This one is rubbish, correct? I have a love/hate reaction to it....

 

[PropilotBW]

2 and 4 are your best shots, in my opinion. I like the composition and the focus seems to be pretty sharp on the face.
The 6th is anything but "rubbish". I think it would definitely have been a nicer photo had the body not been hidden behind the bush, but the halo effect around it's head is pretty darn cool!

 

[wyogirl]

second, fourth and last are the strongest. Practice is really the best thing you can do. Wildlife is hard to do because animals do what they want, they don't pose or let you try again.
The best advice I can give is leave the dog at home...lol.

 

[JustJazzie]

Thanks for taking the time to comment! I'm still undecided on the last one, but at least it's not total junk!

second, fourth and last are the strongest. Practice is really the best thing you can do. Wildlife is hard to do because animals do what they want, they don't pose or let you try again. The best advice I can give is leave the dog at home...lol.

:giggle: this is at home. Right outside my bedroom door. But I'll try to lock her in next time.

 

[CD51]

I like number 4, but I also like the composition of number 1 (the young deer with the older deer).

 

[pjaye]

Those are really fantastic

 

[jryan5646]

What a great scene to get to see and capture! Overall I enjoy all of the shots however I would have to say #2 and #6 are my favorite while #3 the least. Aside from focus or a bit of noise, #3 just doesn't do much for me, it's a little too straightforward. The others all leave more room for imagination.

I love their look to the side on #2 and others like it, always makes me wonder, what's over there? I can understand the love/hate on #6, I love the the backlighting however I feel like it's a bit flat (maybe due to the backlighting of the scene and fill light in post? The noise seems to stand out a bit more. But with that said, I still really enjoy the shot, not even close to rubbish imo, the back lighting and head out from behind the bush! Nice captures

 

[JustJazzie]

I like number 4, but I also like the composition of number 1 (the young deer with the older deer).

I liked that part about it too! It reminds me of the snap shots I got last year! The momma and 2 babies (still had their spots) were grazing outside my window. I had no choice but to shoot through my dirty window to capture it without scaring them. But the momma reached down and was licking their ears! It's SUCH a sweet snapshot. I always wish it were better.

Those are really fantastic

Thank you!

What a great scene to get to see and capture! Overall I enjoy all of the shots however I would have to say #2 and #6 are my favorite while #3 the least. Aside from focus or a bit of noise, #3 just doesn't do much for me, it's a little too straightforward. The others all leave more room for imagination. I love their look to the side on #2 and others like it, always makes me wonder, what's over there? I can understand the love/hate on #6, I love the the backlighting however I feel like it's a bit flat (maybe due to the backlighting of the scene and fill light in post? The noise seems to stand out a bit more. But with that said, I still really enjoy the shot, not even close to rubbish imo, the back lighting and head out from behind the bush! Nice captures

thanks for such a detailed explanation of your thoughts! As for the backlit shot, I didn't do anything in post besides a crop (and it's cropped more than others, hence more noise) if you or anyone else has suggestions on how I can bring some life back to it, I am all ears!

 

[randyphotoforum]

#4 for sure....eye contact almost always win

 

[Designer]

I like #6 the best.

 

[mnmcote]

I like number 4... I have one similar.. I really like the ears...

 

[jryan5646]

thanks for such a detailed explanation of your thoughts! As for the backlit shot, I didn't do anything in post besides a crop (and it's cropped more than others, hence more noise) if you or anyone else has suggestions on how I can bring some life back to it, I am all ears!

Absolutely, glad to! I'm no editing expert, however I did open it up in Lightroom and adjust the white balance, bring the blacks in a little more and reduced a little noise and it came out looking quite nice I think. I didn't see anything indicating if it was okay to edit your shots, so I didn't post it but would be glad to if you'd like. (Reminder: I'm pretty novice in the editing world, it's nothing fancy)

 

[Radical]

I like #3, 4, 5.

 

[LarryLomona]

I like 4 & 6

 

[Raj_55555]

I really love#2, but IMO #6 is your best shot with a little retouching. I could have tried something, but it says it's not ok to edit, further higher resolution image is much better at these things. But cool shots.