I was there too
We were lucky to spot this stag and a number of hinds as we entered Killarney National Park a few weeks ago. The light was terrible. It was just after sunrise and we were walking through a wood. I’m thrilled with this photo of a magnificent stag.
Here’s another photo of this stag.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 600mm |
| ISO | 12800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/60s |
Early Saturday morning a few weeks ago we gathered to photograph deer as the sun rose. Walking through the forest in Killarney National Park we spotted a group of deer. The light was terrible. I’m sure this was shot at ISO 12800 to get a crisp image and I’m really happy with it.
This group of deer stayed in the forest away from curious humans for the rest of the morning, though we could hear this stag bellowing several times off in the distance.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 600mm |
| ISO | 12800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/50s |
I travelled to Kerry this morning to photograph the rutting in Killarney National Park there. There weren’t many stags to be seen but this fellow was lying in the middle of a field I suspected would have a stag or two. After a few moments he stood up, digging his antlers in the grass and tossed his head from side to side with grass flying everywhere.
Despite the dramatic behaviour, he looked over at the human photographers again and lay down, chewing some grass and ignored us once more.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 387.6mm |
| ISO | 12800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/640s |
I visited the National Park in Killarney, Co Kerry, today to photograph the deer with other members of Blarney Photography Club, and a few friends.
There weren’t many stags or deer to be seen, apart from in a field up a hill beyond the Castlerosse Park Resort golf course. We found this stag near the Torc Waterfall side of Muckross House. No other stags nearby, they were all calm and relaxed. I think the stag was slightly worried about the silly humans pointing long lenses at him from some 300m away. He needn’t have worried.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 600mm |
| ISO | 1000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
A few photos of the deer in Killarney National Park a year ago when I visited there with Blarney Photography Club. These have been sitting in my “Unpublished” collection since then, so I might as well make them public.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 600mm |
| ISO | 3200 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
A stag buries his head in grass, to decorate his antlers and make himself more attractive to female deer.
Killarney National Park, October 2023.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 514.7mm |
| ISO | 1250 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
We went to Killarney National Park this morning to photograph the annual rutting. This is when stags come down from the mountain and look for romance and court any nearby female deer. And they’re quite vocal about it.
This particular guy was on one side of the tarmac path occupied by us human photographers, and it didn’t occur to us that he wanted to get to the other side, where a large group of younger stags and some does had gathered.
In frustration, he bellowed, pawed the ground, and ripped grass from the ground.
When we finally realised what he wanted, we made a hasty exit to the side. We watched this huge, powerful creature walk over ground we recently vacated.
Unfortunately, the other deer, male and female, all ran from him. None stayed around to challenge him. If you look carefully, you’ll see his right eye is weeping and injured. He has lost the use of that eye, whether through infection or injury, but it hasn’t slowed him down.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 473.2mm |
| ISO | 1600 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
A stag in the field opposite Muckross House in Killarney on a very wet October afternoon this year.
I was there with Blarney Photography Club and after a not so successful morning we retreated to the café in Muckross Garden Restaurant for lunch.
It was still raining afterwards, but some of us stopped outside to photograph this stag. In a lull in the rain I stupidly ran out with only a light jacket and took cover under a tree that was still heavy with leaves. Got a few shots and then the heavens opened. Got a bit soaked!
Totally worth it. Great day out with great people.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 600mm |
| ISO | 2000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
I remember seeing a shot Alkos took of this stag or deer on a wall near the English Market in Cork. I must dig up a link to it. Anyway, that shot was on my mind when I took this photo and I really like how it turned out!
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 20D |
| Focal length | 10mm |
| ISO | 1600 |
| Shutter speed | 1/50s |
