A photograph, a story

Like many mornings during the rutting season, I got up very early to be at my hide before sunrise... That morning, the fog was particularly dense. It would take a long time for the sun to break through it.

The light is still very dim when the does cautiously climb onto the grazing land about 150m from my position! For 45 minutes, they gently graze on the grass still covered with morning dew, while paying attention to the numerous roars of the stags that inevitably make themselves heard nearby! They then begin to cross the grazing land in my direction.

While taking photographs, I remain attentive to the roars of the stags bellowing all around... answering each other... and regularly attracting the attention of the three does! But none of them come to the feeding area, a temporary refuge for them!

For another 45 minutes of increasing intensity, the does continued grazing, listening intently for the slightest sound! Their agitation was particularly evident in the nervous twitching of their ears! As for me, I became more cautious as they drew closer! I slowed my movements and limited my camera shutter release, even with the use of noise-canceling gloves! At such a distance, there was no room for error!

They finally left the feeding area about ten meters to my left and gradually disappeared into the undergrowth. At that moment, as the tension eased, I was very excited and aware that I had just experienced something exceptional!

This photograph was awarded the title of best regional photograph

at the Namur Nature Festival 2015