HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY ANIMALS OF “DE LAGE LANDEN”
Bert Kok | Lonely

Name: Bert Kok
Picture title: Lonely
Category: Animals of “De Lage Landen”
Nationality: Netherlands
Occupation: PE-Teacher and part-time photographer/author

Technical information
Camera: Nikon D810
Lens: Sigma 150-600 F5-6.3 SPORTS
EXIF: ISO: 3200 – F6.3 – 1/5000s
Accessories: Gitzo Tripod with gimbal head

Bert says:

This photo was made on an early morning in September. The rutting season had just begun, which is an exciting time. In the Netherlands there are a few locations to watch and observe the rutting season. This photo was taken in ‘het Weerterbos’. It was still dark when I arrived in the woods. Soon I heard the red deer stags bellowing in the far distance. Breathtaking!

It was a fairly cold morning. The weather forecast stated it would be a nice sunny day. Slowly the night turned into day. When the sun rose above the trees, my hopes were up for a nice layer of ground fog. It sure was cold enough! Soon the moist started to evaporate and a beautiful fog came in sight. It was at that exact moment when a lonely stag appeared out of the woods and crossed the open grounds.

My mind was trying to keep up with what was happening. I knew from experience, these moments normally wouldn’t last long. I decided I wanted a picture with merely the silhouette of the stag, while showing the beautiful environment as well. Fast shutter speed and matching ISO to make sure the background wouldn’t be overexposed, nothing complicated. While looking at the result I knew it was what I had in mind. These are the best days!