Tuesday, November 10, 2009

SNP: Tuesday Morning

Once again the alarm jolted me from sleep at an ungodly early hour reminding me that it was time to get moving if I were to make it to Shenandoah National Park in time for the whitetail activity. Twenty minutes later Andy pulled in the driveway and by 2:30am we were headed south. With fifty odd miles of secondary roads to traverse before reaching I-81 it was necessary to keep our speed in check because of the increased deer activity this time of year. Motoring out of Pennsylvania, across Maryland, West Virginia and on into Virginia our headlights frequently illuminated whitetail deer feeding along the roadside.

Expecting to find the SNP Whitetails rutting we were somewhat disappointed with the mornings activity as the deer were mostly feeding and for the most part only small bucks were able to be seen.




Soon after photographic light arrived we spotted this young buck feeding beneath an evergreen in the lower end of Big Meadows. When I saw the buck positioned here I knew exactly how I wanted to make the shot. During one of my visits last year I had noticed the potential of this tree silhouetted against the morning sky. That time no deer were present under it boughs, today there was!

Now if only we can get Andy to post some of his shots from the morning :)

Note: This image was made while the sun was still beneath the horizon with the exposure set for the sky. 135mm focal length, f5.6, 1/3200 sec, ISO200.

11 comments:

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

That's gorgeous.

Heather said...

Spectacular shot! I am a novice when it comes to composition, only now shooting manually and would love to know how you exposed this image!

Peggy said...

This is a really great shot! Nice comp with that tree!

Montanagirl said...

Oh this shot is just toooo GOOD! I love it. What a great silhouette portrait. Enter it!

Anonymous said...

This is a nice look shot, Coy. I like the one below this one too. Both are extra nice shots.

Chris said...

This is an excellent shot Coy.... Wonderful light and composition!

The Riverbum said...

Makes me wanna head up there even more. We are planning a couple week long leisurely trip up the entire Blue Ridge Parkway and up Skyline Drive in Shenandoah N.P. in June. Wish I could go sooner, but that pesky job thing keeps getting in the way!

Ranger said...

Great shots bud. O:k you got me I'll put one up. Check it out.

troutbirder said...

A Great Photographer Captures Magnificent Shots of Fall Bucks! Thats my headline for today. Good job Coy

Gwendolyn L said...

This is also a great photo. Well worth the effort. Thanks for sharing.

Chad Oneil Myers said...

Nice one, Dad.