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Roaring Stag


Roaring Stag
Photo Information
Copyright: Joe Kellard (joey) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-10-11
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon EOS 400D (Rebel XTi), Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM, Digital ISO-800, Hoya 77mm UV Filter
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/800 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): CeltickRanger's favorite wild animal photos, Open Up....II [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-01-26 1:46
Viewed: 840
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This was taken at Bushy Park in London. This stag walked off into a big area of parched ferns and then just stood there roaring :-)

I hope you like this!

Red deer - Cervus elaphus

Red deer are the largest land mammals in Britain.

Life span
Up to 25 years.

Statistics
Shoulder height: 110-120cm, Weight: up to 225kg.

Physical description
Red deer have a reddish-brown coat, which changes to a brownish-grey in the winter. They have a creamy patch on their rump and a short, beige tail. Only the males carry antlers, which they lose in February to April. They grow new antlers in August.

Distribution
They range from W Europe, NW Africa, Asia to W China and NW America. Red deer have also been introduced to New Zealand. They live in open deciduous woodland, plains, mountains and moorland.

Diet
Red deer are browsers, and feed on grasses, herbs, leaves, buds, shoots and bark.

Behaviour
Red deer are active both day and night, but activity peaks at dawn and dusk.

Males carry out ritualised fighting to minimise the risk of serious injury. They begin by emitting a powerful roar that echoes through the forest. This often eliminates the younger males, who lack the deep, powerful bellow attained by experienced males.

After roaring, the larger remaining males size each other up, and if antler and body size are comparable, they battle for the females with their hardened antlers. The antlers lock and each male attempts to forcefully push the other away. The strongest and most powerful male wins and secures a harem (group) of females for mating.

Reproduction
After a gestation period of 33-34 weeks, the female gives birth to one calf, and very rarely has twins. The calf is weaned after 9-12 months and reaches sexual maturity after one and a half years.

Thanks!
haraprasan, horia, red45, uleko, eqshannon, nglen, Silvio2006, LordPotty, matatur, CeltickRanger, marhowie, val123, maurydv has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To nglen: Thankyoujoey 1 01-28 02:33
To red45: Bookjoey 1 01-28 02:29
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Joe,
A nice capture of this beautiful stag's portrait. Superb details and a lovely composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2173 W: 220 N: 4384] (14904)
  • [2009-01-26 2:28]

Hi Joe

A very beautiful close-up on this roaring stag!
I really like the composition here and the superb backlight effect that you've used perfectly here - with an excellent exposure control that allowed you to retain great details from the stag while still having that lovely halo around it created by the natural sunlight.
Very nice stuff!

Bravo and TFS
Horia

PS: sorry if i'm a bit short on critiques nowadays...i've been writing e-mail like crazy for our TN meeting this year :)

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2009-01-26 3:46]
  • [+]

Hi Joe!

This is what I envy you - Londoners. Deer in municipal park. Still owned by Queen like in Middle Ages? Fantastic subject and picture, perfectly taken during roar. I really like it!

By the way - talking about London - Samuel Pepys Diaries are one of my favourite book, did you read it?

  •      
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3001 W: 162 N: 989] (2897)
  • [2009-01-26 4:07]

Hello Joe,
A beautiful capture against the light of this rutting Stag. Excellent sharpness, beautiful light and colours and a very fine composition too. Well done!
TFS and cheers, Ulla

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1112 W: 23 N: 3660] (13089)
  • [2009-01-26 6:12]

Great moment you caught here Joe, well exposed and well framed too, with some sharp detail and lovely bokeh...looks like he's got a bit of fern growing out of his neck ;o)
Paul

hello Joe
beautiful picture
good colours and composition
greeting lou

He is a beauty Joey...this one belongs in the classics catagory..I shall add it..that place where you folks go and sometimes meet..is the kind of place I might travel to if we had it...
bob

  • Great 
  • zetu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 655 W: 15 N: 1629] (6333)
  • [2009-01-26 11:29]

Hi Joe
Nice capture. I like it very much.good job.
Regards.
Razvan Zinica

Hi Joe,
this one is perfect, the light is wonderful, the moment so fantastic, thanks, I like it very much
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2921 W: 34 N: 8658] (32266)
  • [2009-01-26 11:53]
  • [+]

Hi Joe. How are the exams going it may seem hard now to study but it will be worth it in the long run . How is the new lens going it will take some getting use to.
This picture of the stag is beautiful. The warm colours and detail . with good use of the late sun. well done TFs.Nick..

Keep at the school work so one day when i am very old i will be able to say you no that Joe kellard i meet him once ..

Ciao Joe, fascinating portrait with wonderful pose, superb light, very well done, ciao Silvio

Hi Joe,
A very nice capture of this roaring stag,with beautiful backlight.
Excellent shot mate.
Cheers
Steve

A powerful portrait in profile Joe, quite expertly reproduced here my friend. TFS this fine image.
Cheers,
Mehmet

hello Joey

excellent photography of the Red deer on his roaring,
shot with fine POV and framing, i love the againts day-light
(en contre-jour) effect of your photo with the luminous
light line doing the silhouette of the deer, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 987 W: 5 N: 2762] (10618)
  • [2009-01-26 22:52]

Hello Joe,
Very nice capture,lovely detail and colours,nice composition.
Nice work,very well done.

What a fantastic capture, this shot really has everything going for it. The composition is beautiful. Well caught.

Hi Joe,
a splendid close-up, i like the wonderful posture in a very nice composition; excellent POV, very good sharpness and very beautiful warm colour tones.
TFS. Greetings.
Maurizio

Hi Joe,
Great job on the exposure with the shadowed side well exposed.
The backlight looks great here.
Excellent DOF, color, details, and OOF BG.
Love the POV, and the pose makes it a winner :)
Howard

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