In May, Stalk + Still Media launched, a joint venture with my husband, Robert, to showcase the wildlife he works with utilizing my skills grown from equine media. As we dive deeper into video, photography and content creation for Stalk + Still, I realize, deer and exotic wildlife are just life horses — well, almost.
Here, I’ll highlight a few similarities and show what we are doing to shine a light on the beautiful wildlife Robert works with in the hunting industry. It’s broadened my scope of work, and scope of learning, while allowing me to get more time behind my R5 mark ii, which I continue to learn about each and every shoot, be it video or photo focused.
FOOTFALL
No matter the species, watching the footfall, making sure the animal looks its best and not slightly downhill with a downward step in front, or awkward stride, is important. This buck is in the exact pose as I aim to get out of many horses at liberty in the pasture. It is mimicked by this foal, though the foal is caught in a higher step point of it’s front leg. Both images show action, have good light on the subject, and display the conformation and quality of the animal.
POSE
An animal that squares up to the camera, standing tall and straight, looks regal, no matter the species. It is startling how similar this Blackbuck and “Chico” are standing — all the way down to the catch light (sparkle) caught in their eye! Both show off their best qualities to the camera.
LIGHT
No matter the subject, good light is a must. Soft backlight, like these two images have, or perfect golden hour to shine on a subject, it all comes back to good light. A photograph is more interesting with the right light, and that can even mean choosing to include shadows (like below). I adore sunflare, backlit images and contrasty shots, as long as it makes the subject pop.
Using the knowledge gained from photographing equine models, and their humans, since 2010, I can show off wildlife with a flair. It been a joy to work with my husband and enjoy more time outdoors, plus use my camera to its fullest.
I’ve rented longer lenses recently, a Canon EF 100-400mm and also a Canon RF 200-200mm. Lens Rentals has been the perfect partner over the years, providing quality gear (cameras and lenses) with timely shipping and fair pricing. Utilizing their service allows me to try out lenses, and I even tried an R5 and R5 mark ii from them before I purchased. If you want to utilize their gear, use this referral code!