Deer are odd creatures, they seem to revolve around two competing emotions – fear and curiosity. Invariably, when ever I come across deer they either immediately run or remain immobile, unable to decide whether to get away or stay to find out what I am. Of course their fear may generate conflicting urges to run or remain still hoping they are not seen. But I often experience them wanting to come closer to me or pick up my scent. Fawns seem to be especially curious, maybe they just don’t know any better. Maybe deer are just trying to be energy efficient. After all, why expend the fuel to run away from me if I’m not a threat, especially if they are busily munching some delicious vegetation!
Whatever their motivation, they seem to live in fits and starts. When I came across this deer the other day, it’s first response seemed to be curiosity. But then it started eyeing its escape route. I placed my tripod down and began the focusing process (always a challenge in the snow). The snow created an interesting atmosphere to the scene so I wanted to include as much of it as I could given the constraint of 1000mm focal length (500mm w/1.4 TC and 1.5 FOV multiplier of a Nikon D7100 camera).
The image is very different without the snow. The vertical snow pellets falling throughout the image add a graphic component but also contrast with my horizontal framing of the scene. The snow on the deer’s head and back elicit feelings of compassion and a sense of cold, even survival. I am conflicted though, because snow can also elicit feelings of joy and childhood memories. Well, if the image really does all that, then all the better, right?