Dear Deer, Please Stand Still… And a Little Closer ?

Just a few days ago, I set out early in the morning on a misty walk. On my gallery today, I posted a photo taken in that same mist: a dried-up flower covered with cobwebs and dew, creating a jewel-like effect. Since my goal was to capture “misty scenes,” I hadn’t packed any telephoto lenses. Instead, I carried only my sturdy Olympus E-M1X with the 12-40mm Pro lens. As always, whether hiking or cycling through the woods, I stay alert and in silent mode—anything else, and the wildlife vanishes before you can even spot it.

Then, suddenly, a deer appeared, about 10 to 15 meters away. Normally, I keep my trusty Olympus TG-4 or TG-5 in my pocket, as they offer a bit of zoom. But this time, I was limited to the 40mm max on my setup. At first, the deer was another five meters or so beyond that, but by moving slowly and carefully, I managed to get closer and capture two shots. I cropped them to 16:9 at 2500px from the original 4:3 5232px files. You’ll find both versions in my gallery below, with the originals resized to 1920px for web display.

Above 16/9 crops – about 50% of the original

Above original 4/3 pictures resized to 1920px

I’ve come to realize that cropped photos aren’t as bad as I once thought. But the real purpose of this post is to show that even with a smaller focal length, you can still capture beautiful photos of deer. It’s not necessarily an expensive camera with a massive zoom lens that will get you great wildlife shots—in fact, my experience has shown that the further away your subject is, the less impactful the photo often becomes. Several factors play into this:

1. Optical limitations at long distances – lenses may lose detail when shooting from afar.
2. Shallow depth of field – achieving a pleasing depth of field over long distances is challenging.
3. Atmospheric conditions – extreme weather, whether too hot or too cold, can distort or degrade image quality.
4. Your own physical condition – heavy breathing or minor movements can blur shots.
5. Camera settings – using a shutter speed that’s too low or an ISO that’s too high can also reduce quality.

While technical skills and gear are essential, what makes the biggest difference is how you behave when you’re out “hunting” with your camera. Moving slowly, staying quiet, and, perhaps most importantly, wearing camouflage make a big impact.

Tips for Wildlife Camouflage

Wear earth tones—browns, greens, anything that blends in with the natural surroundings. Hunting clothing is excellent for this; it’s often designed to withstand cold and wet conditions. Military gear is even better. If you stand still, deer can barely see you, although they’ll still be able to smell you. I once had a roe deer come within just a few meters to sniff and investigate what I was. For about ten minutes, the deer crept closer, and though I didn’t take any photos, the experience itself was worth a thousand pictures.

With age, I’ve come to appreciate natural fabrics like merino wool, which is ideal for outdoor activities. It insulates well, manages moisture effectively, and outperforms fleece, which can make you overheat.

Most of my older hunting clothes come from Decathlon (sometimes branded as Solognac), which is available in many countries.

Solognac at Decathlon

You can also find military gear at surplus shops or army surplus stores. My favorite supplier today for military, hunting, and outdoor clothing is Varusteleka in Finland, which has reasonable shipping costs.

Varusteleka

Of course, you’ll likely find local or online stores in your area for similar clothing and gear.

Hope you find this helpful! I’ll be back on Monday with a new article. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Update 15:00 24/11/24 : A good friend of mine reminded me of something interesting and quite popular among certain photographers: fishing vests. These sleeveless vests come in a variety of colors, including beige, green, brown, and camouflage, and are packed with numerous pockets to store all sorts of gear.

One of the great advantages of these vests is that you can easily wear them over your regular clothing. They help break up the shape and color of your outfit, allowing you to blend in a bit more and stay less noticeable.

Thanks for the tip, Ted!