1999 Photo of the Year

Photo - Bruce R. MacQueen

Title: Buck in Ferns

Date taken: Unknown
Location: Western New York, USA
Equipment used: Nikon N70, Sigma 170-500mm lens.

Comments: My main subject is Whitetail Deer. I shoot mainly with Fuji Velvia film. All my shots are deer in their natural settings. They are wild and not farm deer.

Interview with Bruce MacQueen by: David Leeson

Field and Forest: What lead you to pursue your life-long dream to photograph nature?

Bruce MacQueen: Ever since I was a child, I always enjoyed being in the woods and was always thrilled with each new discovery I stumbled upon. Later in life, I tried conveying what I saw in words, but found that photography was more accurate.

Field and Forest: How has your nature photography effected your life?

Bruce MacQueen: It has made me pay more attention to my surroundings, amazed me with the complexities of nature itself, demonstrates to me the awesome power of God in all His wisdom through what He has created. Words fall short in any of my attempts to express what nature witnesses to my soul about our Creator. My photography is (getting) closer but still hasn't expressed what I am seeing, only because of my lack of skills. But, I am determined to continue until I can accomplish this.

Field and Forest: Its not uncommon for photographers to pursue a certain type of photograph (i.e., flowers, landscapes) but it is fairly unusual for someone to begin with a subject as difficult as Whitetail deer. Why do you feel a passion for this subject instead of others?

Bruce MacQueen: I've always had a fascination with Whitetail deer. I have hunted them since I was young, and was always amazed at how elusive they were. After a while I grew to respect them. When I first tried photographing them, it was even more difficult than hunting them.

Then one year, the town I live in, developed a hiking park through some deer populated woods and meadows. The deer began to lose the fear of people. In fact, we have such a large deer population in this area, that they have become more of a nuisance, especially during the rut.

Needless to say, the opportunity to study and understand these animals and photograph them could not be passed up so I am taking advantage of it while they are here. I want to spend one more season photographing this group of deer, than I want to move on to other wildlife.

Field and Forest: We alluded to the difficulties of photographing Whitetail deer in their natural surroundings as opposed to captured "farm" deer, so, tell us -- what are some of the difficulties you've had to confront since you began documenting this animal?

Bruce MacQueen: I think the most difficult part is understanding the animal itself and knowing how they react. Patience is the key. The problem with the bucks is that they don't come out into the open much. They love the thickets, which makes it difficult to get a good photo without a lot clutter.

I do most of my photography at daybreak. I find an area where I know they come through, look for the background I want in the photo and wait for them. Doesn't happen every day. I keep going back to the same spot till I get the shot I want. A lot of film gets wasted, but for the one photo, it's worth it.

Field and Forest: You said you expect to devote another year to your Whitetail project. What do you hope to accomplish in the coming year which you were unable to accomplish in your first year documenting the subject?

Bruce MacQueen: My goal is to document the deer from fawn to mature buck. Not the same deer ... but a number of photos from newborn up to the mature 5 year old buck in all phases of antler growth. The past year I learned a lot of things by the mistakes I made and the wasted film. I understand this group of deer and should be able to put together a comprehensive study of them.

But I'm not just looking for deer photos. The beauty of the animal in its natural settings can be stunning. Ive seen them in these settings and my main goal is to capture it. The "Buck in Ferns" photo is one of many scenes I want to capture and share. I'll know it when I have caught the essence of what I'm trying to say.

Field and Forest: Lets talk about your winning photo entry, "Buck in Ferns" for a moment. It's a stunning photo. What were you thinking when you raised your camera and saw this image in your viewfinder?

Bruce MacQueen: I first saw the ferns. I walked by this patch of ferns all year and would think what a great photo it would make with a deer in them. One summer evening, I decided just to sit and wait and see what would develop and this buck walked right in the middle of them. If I had not been sitting with a tripod, this shot would not have happened, because I was shaking too much. For me, this was as much of a thrill as a hunter would get with a shot at a trophy deer.

Field and Forest: Photographers are often their own best or worst critic. We want to know, how do you feel about your winning photo?

Bruce MacQueen: The texture and light and detail I'm happy with. The sharpness is a big disappointment to me. I know that the lens I am now using doesn't perform the way I wish it would. Hopefully, in the future I'll upgrade. If I could improve the shot in any way - maybe a little more of the cottonwood tree on the right.

Field and Forest: What are your top two tips for shooting better wildlife photos?

Bruce MacQueen: The most important rule for me is patience. Sit still and wait that extra ten minutes. Understand your subject would be the second. I'd like to add, however, that even though I have a golden opportunity with this group of deer (I have been photographing) doesn't mean that I'm guaranteed a great photo. It still takes a lot of time and effort.

Judge's Comments:

The Field and Forest Photo of the Year is chosen from the winning entries for the year and announced in February. All first, second and third place winners, along with all honorable mention awards, are automatically entered into this final contest.

Despite some very stiff competition, Buck in Ferns moved rather quickly to the top of our list for the following reasons. We are so honored to present it as our 1999 Field and Forest Photo of the Year. Congratulations Bruce!

Composition: There are a number of compositional elements which help make this a beautiful image. Aside form MacQueen's intelligent use of the rule of thirds, the trees on the left and right side of the photo serve as a visual frame for the photo keeping the viewer's eyes within the main element of the photo.

Lighting: A soft "keylight" obviously filtering through the forest canopy forms a muted "spotlight" in the center of the frame while also allowing the underbrush of the ferns and the woods in the background to remain in the shadows, thus, effectively forming the top and bottom framing of the main element.

Color: Deep saturated greens are a result of the shaded lighting but remain sharp and crisp primarily due to the full range of tones present in this photo. At upper left highlights take us to the upper end of the color range while the shadows at top and bottom correspondingly lead us to the opposite end of the scale without becoming muddy.

Aesthetics: This photo speaks for itself. The aesthetic beauty of the image are considerably more than the words we could find to describe it. But, nonetheless, the stately appearance of the buck is complimented by the soft "carpet" of ferns. He appears so confident in his element - his home. If a human were amidst these ferns, it would be said that they were "wading" through them. The buck, on the other hand, stands majestic and confident wrapped by flowing robes of nature's beauty.

Difficulty: This factor is not ordinarily a criteria in our contests. It became a factor in the Photo of the Year judging primarily because of the minutiae of trying to determine the best photo among the many wonderful images we had to choose from. Generally speaking, images should be judged at "face value." Nonetheless, the difficulty factor in obtaining this image soared over the other entries. We were pleased to learn later in our interview with the photograph that, indeed, we were correct in our assumptions.

Creativity/Originality: "Buck in Fern" is not an image which can be judged solely for creativity but it certainly stands on its own for originality. By this we mean that it is clearly not just another image of a deer. Deer photos can be as commonplace and ordinary as squirrel or pigeon photos. In this case, we are presented with an image which is certainly far from a run-of-the-mill photo of a deer in a beautiful setting. And why is that? We'll, that takes us back to the top of this list doesn't it?

“Buck in Ferns” by Bruce MacQueen

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