This particular morning I felt very lucky. Sometimes you find something you weren't looking for.
So, I had a client that was wanting a fawn picture. So several mornings I was scouting an area that I had seen a fawn earlier in the week (but didn't have my camera :,( ). I'm riding my mountain bike with camera hanging over my shoulder all through this area searching for the fawn. I saw a couple doe early in the morning so I headed down a trail in the direction they went. I came up on a guy that was hiking. He noticed my camera and asked if I've seen anything and I mentioned the doe. I'm now thinking I'm not going to see anything down this trail as this guy just came through there and didn't see anything. But I proceed. Just a little ways further down the trail I notice a deer laying just off the trail under some thick branches. It doesn't move, so I slowly get off my bike and get down on the ground where I can get a better look and a picture.
It's then, that I notice it has antlers. It looks like a 4 point buck. This is exciting as I haven't seen any bucks yet this year. It's late spring so they are still covered in velvet. So I start taking some pictures. As I'm shooting, I hear something to my right. I'm thinking "oh great, another hiker is going to scare off my subject". I look to the right and it's an even bigger buck (the one in the top picture) walking right toward me! So I move slowly and start taking pictures of this awesome buck. I can tell he hears my camera, but doesn't seem to care. So I stand back up to get some better shots.
Then I notice another buck behind him! And then another! Four bucks right there in my presence. What a lucky opportunity. They all seem to notice I'm there. My previous experience with most deer is they are pretty skittish unless you're in a state park...a couple moves and they run off. But these guys didn't seem to mind me being there. I started walking around to let them know I was there and didn't mean any harm.
The trail actually looped around behind them, allowing me to shoot all four of them from different angles. I just kept moving around like it was a model shoot and they just went about their business. They were so comfortable that they even laid down right there with me. I spent an hour and a half with these guys before thanking them and letting them have their privacy back. It was such a cool experience. Taking pictures is a big part of what I love doing, but it's the experiences like this that knock it out of the park.
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Great pictures Jim! I love that story - it brings even more meaning to the shots. Love how they're just peering at you through the brush.