Last weekend I encountered an adorable family of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) while walking along a sandy area of Holmes Run, a stream not far from where I live that eventually flows into the Potomac River.
I had unobstructed views of the deer and was able to get some shots with my telephoto zoom without scaring them away. Unfortunately, the loud sounds of a passing freight train caused them to turn and run into the brush as I was trying to get shots from additional angles.
Still, I am happy with my results and think the sand adds a different look to my normal shots of deer in vegetation.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice catch, Mike. I just love the askance look you got from the fawn in your third image!
Beautiful photos!
Thanks, Cornel.
wonderful photographs.. I like the doe walking in sand photo, and her alertness.. the fawns are very sweet.
Thanks. The walking shot may actually be my favorite of the group.
Amazing as always. I had two bucks and a doe just about jumping the fence to come into my yard when I came home yesterday! I am not sure who was more surprised. Also, we have “hosted” a nest of osprey on a piling off of our dock — three babies. I affectionately refer to them as Alpha, Beta and Chicken. In any event, I would like to send you a couple of photos of them to enjoy — if you don’t mind. My husband has been encouraging me to send some to you.
Penny-Ann Koch a HUGE fan of Michael Q. Powell’s work
Sent from my iPad
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Thanks so much for your kind words. For the longest time, I was more likely to see deer in my suburban neighborhood than in the “wild,” but this past week I have seen then in three different locations. That is so cool to hear that you have osprey babies on your dock. I’d love to see some shots.
Beautiful photos. Deer are so photogenic but, of course, it takes skill to be able to take really pleasing, successful images of them.
Thanks, Laura. They really are photogenic, though often they seem pretty skittish. In my mind, they seem to be quiet, gentle creatures and I love trying to capture their beautiy.
It looks like a family playing on the beach! They’re beautiful creatures.
Dynamite photos. Love the cleft in the hoof in the first photo & two feet off the ground, the twin fawns striking the same look, the spots on the fawns. The background of willow and sand is indeed unique. Really wonderful Michael.
Thanks, so much, Jet. You obviously looked very closely at the shots and commented on some of the very same aspects of the images that are so special for me.
Just lovely. So glad you were able to catch as many views as you could before the train came by.
Thanks. I kept my distance and observed the deer from a distance without spooking them. I figured the doe had enough to worry about without having to deal with me moving closer.
That second shot is especially good as it looks like you lined them up.
It’s hard to get humans to cooperate in getting a family shot and only slightly more difficult with animals. 🙂
Such beautiful photos.
Thanks. The animals were familiar, though the setting was a little unusual.