Despite being surrounded by London’s urban sprawl, Richmond Park has got to be one of the best places in the UK for wildlife photography. There are around 600 wild deer living in the park and they’ve become accustomed to people and traffic, so getting close enough for good photos is a lot easier than in most other places.
It’s a real privilege to be able to photograph these magnificent Red Deer in a setting as photogenic as Richmond Park, especially when it’s so close to the beating heart of the capital.
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Occasionally mist blankets the park first thing in the morning
On a perfect day, the rising sun will break through the mist and bathe the deer in beautiful golden light
On one spectacular morning, a small stag paused to contemplate the sun bursting through the trees above
Female deer (called hinds) are often overlooked in favor of the more impressive stags, but the hinds can be wonderful subjects too
As the temperature drops in the evening, a stag’s warm breath is lit up by the setting sun
I made three separate multi-day visits to capture these images
Wildlife photography is all about the light, so for the best photos I would arrive an hour before sunrise and only leave after sunset
The rut takes place every October. This is where the stags compete for mating rights over a harem of females
The stags regularly bellow out a challenge to their competitors that can be heard up to a mile away
After a few weeks of posturing, chasing females and fighting other stags, some deer become exhausted and can hardly move until they’ve rested
The rut is extremely popular with photographers, and it isn’t hard to see why
But it is hard to believe that one of the most impressive wildlife spectacles in the UK happens in the middle of London
An unusual challenge in Richmond Park is making sure that there are no signs of human presence in the background
And once you’ve made sure there are no fences or buildings in sight, the photos could have been taken anywhere
It’s a surreal experience to stumble through the pre-dawn mist, hearing bellowing stags all around but not being able to see them
Once the sun rises, the scenes could be straight out of a fairy tale
It’s important to remember that these are wild deer that can cause serious damage – this big stag came far too close for comfort
My favorite photos are generally those where the deer is small in the frame anyway, so there’s no reason to risk getting too close
The huge size of the park and its variety of habitats provide endless opportunities for a photographer
And there’s always the possibility that you’ll capture a unique moment
Low morning mist might hide the runners and cyclists, but the urban surroundings are given away by the contrails in the sky
The deer in Richmond Park are always alert, but there are no predators here…
…and fortunately they still have plenty of space to roam
