Portraits of Wildflowers
Perspectives on Nature Photography
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Portraits of Wildflowers 
Magnificent!
melissabluefineart
June 7, 2018 at 7:39 AM
He seemed unperturbed by my picture-taking.
Steve Schwartzman
June 7, 2018 at 8:31 PM
I noticed his nonchalant air, and wondered about it for they can get belligerent.
melissabluefineart
June 8, 2018 at 9:06 AM
Maybe I should have been afraid, but I wasn’t.
Steve Schwartzman
June 8, 2018 at 8:41 PM
That may have been the ticket~your energy was right.
melissabluefineart
June 9, 2018 at 10:19 AM
Let’s hope that was it. Or maybe I was just lucky.
Steve Schwartzman
June 10, 2018 at 9:47 PM
Wow…look at those antlers!
Indira
June 7, 2018 at 9:35 AM
They sure were big. I’m glad the elk chose not to charge at me with them.
Steve Schwartzman
June 7, 2018 at 8:32 PM
Wow Steve! What else can I say!
Maria
June 7, 2018 at 2:44 PM
This was a great find at the end of a long day photographing landscapes in the Rocky Mountains.
Steve Schwartzman
June 7, 2018 at 8:34 PM
It looks like his antlers are covered with the same sort of velvet that deer have. I like the way the light emphasizes it, and makes the texture more obvious. This is one example of a “busy” background really working, too. The size and the solidity of the elk are a great contrast to the grasses and shrubby trees.
I presume you were making use of a telephoto lens here. Just this week, two women were attacked by female elk in Yellowstone. The women weren’t doing anything to provoke them; the elk had calves with them, had wandered into populated areas, and just were being their protective selves.
shoreacres
June 8, 2018 at 5:05 AM
I noticed that velvet, too. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, given that the elk is in the same genus as deer.
In general, I avoid a busy background, as it tends to distract from the picture’s subject. In this case I had no choice, so I’m glad you find the background works in this case. And yes, I did use a telephoto lens; while I never felt in danger, prudence is still prudence. My across-the-street neighbor in Austin told me a few weeks ago that a female white-tailed deer with a nearby fawn had charged her when she was out walking her dog.
Steve Schwartzman
June 9, 2018 at 5:07 AM
How wonderful to see such detail on this buck, Steve. Seeing the “velvet” on the antlers is a real treat.
Jet Eliot
June 9, 2018 at 8:41 AM
It was a great way to conclude that photo-taking day in the Rocky Mountains last year. I’m glad it made your day, Jet.
Steve Schwartzman
June 9, 2018 at 7:51 PM
Such a beautiful creature!
janaline's world journey
June 10, 2018 at 7:51 AM
It is. Glad you appreciate it.
Steve Schwartzman
June 10, 2018 at 9:46 PM