About the Image(s)

Deer with Rim Light
Nikon D850, Nikkor 200-400 f4 lens, ISO 500, f4, 1/1250. Handheld while laying in thick brush.

I have lots of photo of deer but I’m always looking for an image that will be just a bit different. Having been to this particular area many times I know that groups of buck often come out of the forest to graze in the evening before heading back into the forest to shelter for the night. Having watched them the night prior I knew that as the sun set they would travel up the hillside and in so doing would travel through an area where the light would be somewhat behind them and would therefore illuminate the velvet on their antlers. I arrived early, while they were still below my intended position and crept into the thick brush without ever entering the meadow or the route they would likely travel. I laid down in the brush, using a black garbage bag to keep me dry after a rain shower soaked the ground. Knowing the sun light would be coming from the left at an angle that would likely strike the glass of my lens I made certain my lens shade was firmly attached. The setting sun, sinking behind the trees that were my background meant the travel route of the deer would be mostly in shadow. If I metered the scene my camera would suggest a much slower shutter speed so that the shadowed area not be dark. This would not allow the rim light to be vivid. I therefore spot metered a small area where the sunlight struck a grassy patch. I was metering just for the sunlight, nothing else. Therefore as the buck bounded through the brush heading up hill I had only to wait for them to pass through the area where the sunlight illuminated the velvet of their antlers and then take the shot. There were 5 bucks in the meadow. The first to pass my position was too close to the far trees and remained completely in shadow. The second passed by as planned but kept his head too low for a good shot. Bucks three and four came by together and while they were rim lit they were too close together for a good composition. The final buck suddenly realized he was alone in the meadow and quickly bounded up the hillside. He perfectly passed through the patch of sunlight that not only lit up his velvet, but the yellow flowers also caught the low angle light. Planning and patience have their own rewards.

In post I slightly darken shadows (the trees) and used a mask to select the body and very slightly opened the shadows on the body of the buck.