Monday, June 28, 2010

Rolex clock at Kentucky Horse Park

I spent several days at a horse show in Lexington, Kentucky and got this photograph of the Rolex clock outside the stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park. I was wandering the grounds shortly after sunrise one morning while waiting for the show to begin. I took a couple shots of the clock earlier but it was shaded by distant trees. It blended into the sky and the image was not anything special. When I returned about 10 minutes later the sun had just started to light the clock and really made the image pop. 6:58 AM and the light is sweet. Five minutes after this was taken the sun was already too harsh.
I was pretty lucky because I did not pre-plan this shot. Just happened to be in the spot at the right time.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Young buck deer in velvet.

This is a young whitetail deer buck photographed in a field. His velvet antlers are just starting to sprout.
It was about 9:00 AM and the sun was already quite high so the light was harsh and direct. Most of the field is open meadow and the deer blend in very well. I usually pass on taking photos there. In this case, though, the buck was standing in front of denser woods. This provided enough contrast that the deer's head stood out very nicely.
I much prefer softer light but I kept the photo because this was a buck in velvet, and his antlers show well against the darker background.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Whitetail Deer Portrait

This photograph of a female whitetail deer was taken yesterday at the edge of a meadow. I had been watching her from deep shade and cover as she fed in the open but the scene did not look to be anything special. Plus, the sunlight was strong and harsh. When the doe moved closer to the shade I began to see photo opportunities.
The challenge, then, was getting a nice background. Most of the open meadow was too bright and the contrast with the shade was considerable. I waited and waited until finally the deer moved to a spot with dark trees in the background. Some sunlight filtering through the trees and hitting her face, her head and ears showing well against the dark green, ears perked. Nice.