Need help with planning this shot again.

[dmmiller]

My Husband and I were driving down a road local to us, and saw about 7 deer in a corn field. I hurried up and whipped out my camera, trying to hurry up and fiddle with the settings before they hurried up and ran off. These are the best 2 shots I got out of 7-8.
From what we've been told, they go there almost daily. So if I were to plan this type of shot again, what can I do to get better results? I know these have alot to be desired, but since i have an opportunity for a 2nd chance, and with the leaves going to be changing soon, I think this could turn out with some advanced preparation.
Thanks for any and all help :)

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o108/dmmiller_photos/IMG_4783.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o108/dmmiller_photos/IMG_4788.jpg

[dmmiller]

Here are the readings from one of the two...

File name IMG_4788.JPG
Camera Model Name Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
Shooting Date/Time 9/30/2008 16:44:59
Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/1600Sec.
Av(Aperture Value) F2.8
Metering Modes -
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 400
Lens -
Focal Length 200.0 mm
Image size 1889 x 1336

[bwc]

Howdy DM,

Be there before the deer arrive.

Find a better vantage point. Get premission from the owner of the corn field to get closer to the deer.

[faw67]

Hey
First I kinda like the way these came out with the way the focus it , it kinda looks a bit surreal !
Deer seem not to mind people so much if they (people) are in the vehicle , if you get out things change. So, If you can when you see the deer and are where you want to or have to take the picture , cut off the vehicle and take a t shirt or towel and place on the window or window frame and rest your camera on this , take as many pictures as you can before the deer get going , gone.Sometimes though if you stop moving the deer will start moving, so taking them while the car is rolling slowly is a option, but if the engine is running , the vibrations will transfer , so dont rest on anything , even your body can pass these through to the camera. Most of the places I see deer regularly around here its always late in the day or just plain to dark so you have that to deal with also.
I also see that you are in Virginia , Im in richmond area myself.
Some of the best deer pics Ive ever gotten were in a campground in the mountains on the parkway, the deer just wandered around the campsites, not tame mind you but not scared either.
Good luck Ive been tryin for years to get a perfect shot and have succeeded only a fraction of times
FAW

[dmmiller]

Howdy DM,

Be there before the deer arrive.

Find a better vantage point. Get premission from the owner of the corn field to get closer to the deer.
kinda wondering if the deer will see me and stray to another area if I'm in weeds waiting? LOL
But i'll see what I can do. ;)

Hey
First I kinda like the way these came out with the way the focus it , it kinda looks a bit surreal !
Deer seem not to mind people so much if they (people) are in the vehicle , if you get out things change. So, If you can when you see the deer and are where you want to or have to take the picture , cut off the vehicle and take a t shirt or towel and place on the window or window frame and rest your camera on this , take as many pictures as you can before the deer get going , gone.Sometimes though if you stop moving the deer will start moving, so taking them while the car is rolling slowly is a option, but if the engine is running , the vibrations will transfer , so dont rest on anything , even your body can pass these through to the camera. Most of the places I see deer regularly around here its always late in the day or just plain to dark so you have that to deal with also.
I also see that you are in Virginia , Im in richmond area myself.
Some of the best deer pics Ive ever gotten were in a campground in the mountains on the parkway, the deer just wandered around the campsites, not tame mind you but not scared either.
Good luck Ive been tryin for years to get a perfect shot and have succeeded only a fraction of times
FAW

thanks. :)
I'd like this shot if I had the one deer facing me more in focus. My eyes are not the best and the screen on the camera drive me nuts. Plus I was in the car (while it was running), so maybe it was the vibration like you mentioned.. never gave that a thought when taking the shots.

I'm hoping to get up to skyline drive this fall.. and I know there will be a bunch of deer there.

[rdricks]

I had some similar shots last week with deer in the meadow. If it was me (and my advice is worth what you pay for it), I would step down the lens to about f/5.6 or f/8. When shooting at the deer in the field like that, f/2.8 will require pretty accurate focus. On that first shot it appears (to me) that the deer looking at you is just outside the plane of focus. By stepping down some you would have him in focus while still maintaining some out-of-focus areas.

The idea looks great to me - with those trees in the background in full color, it could be an amazing photo.:)

[luigis]

I would put the camera en Tv mode 1/200 or 1/250 speed to make sure the camera uses the minimum aperture it can use and get a better DOF. If 1/200 is not enough for a sharp picture try 1/320 and up.
Focus in Servo mode so the camera can track the deer if they move.

[dmmiller]

I had some similar shots last week with deer in the meadow. If it was me (and my advice is worth what you pay for it), I would step down the lens to about f/5.6 or f/8. When shooting at the deer in the field like that, f/2.8 will require pretty accurate focus. On that first shot it appears (to me) that the deer looking at you is just outside the plane of focus. By stepping down some you would have him in focus while still maintaining some out-of-focus areas.

The idea looks great to me - with those trees in the background in full color, it could be an amazing photo.:)

I would put the camera en Tv mode 1/200 or 1/250 speed to make sure the camera uses the minimum aperture it can use and get a better DOF. If 1/200 is not enough for a sharp picture try 1/320 and up.
Focus in Servo mode so the camera can track the deer if they move.


Thank you both for your advice.
I"ll take notes with me so I dont forget. LOL :)
I"ll post another pic later when the leaves change to peak color. (got a few more weeks for that)

[gasrocks]

I'd stop on the side of the road 1/4 mile before I get to that spot. Put my window mount on the drivers window, attach lens/camera. Check all settings. Pre-focus on about the right distance. Then with flashers blinking slowly approach the correct spot, ready to shoot.

[vkalia]

Before getting any further thinking about the specifics of what to do, think about what sort of image you want to take.

A few standard shots would be:
1/ Full portrait of a deer
2/ Closeup of a deer's head
3/ Wider shot showing the deer in its environment

These are the first shots that everyone goes for, and a useful addition to your collection of wildlife images. Once you capture these, think about raising the bar a little higher. Think about showing something about their behavior. Or think about taking #1-3 above and adding in special lighting.

Make this a project of sorts. You'll find that after you take the standard portraits and animal-in-its-environment shots, you'll start finding opportunities for more creative shooting. Try to shoot them when backlit. Try to shoot them interacting with each other, during first or last light, while sidelit, use motion blur and so on. The trees will make a very nice background when in fall colors, so that is another shot to go after.

Some other thoughts:
- leave out the house unless you think it adds something to the message of your photo
- there is too much OOF foreground in your first shot - a low angle is nice, but it is too low
- if the animals are small in the frame, compose the image as a landscape, with the deer being a point of interest - light and composition become a big factor in such cases
- dont shoot them walking away from the camera

You can get surprisingly close to animals if you stay upwind and do not move/stay hidden.

Vandit

[dmmiller]

Thanks for more great information. :)

Hoping to get out there in a week or so, leaves are just starting to change.