So I am up early, very early for any day of the week, but this is Sunday. Off to Bushy Park for the first time this year to grab a few pictures of the start of the Rut. A good drive with very little traffic ( did I mention it was very early ) and only 80 minutes after leaving the house we arrive at an almost empty car park in Bushy Park. It’s lightly raining but that’s ok , for once the parks almost quiet apart from the distant Bugling of a hormonal Red Deer stag.

My aim today, swimming deer , or at least one going for a paddle, so I head for the narrow stretch of water just to the west of the Leg of Mutton pond , settle down and wait for the action. It’s not long before a couple of Stags lock horns , not with any purpose and totally lacking in any real wish or desire to duel one heads straight for my vantage point on the other side of the water.

Now this is where all the plans start to unravel,

up early……..check ✅

packed camera with a charged battery and memory card …….. checked ✅

found the right location and background……… checked ✅

got the shot……….. no  ❌

So what could go wrong , camera has power and I’ve even managed to turn it on , auto focus turned on and working…….. . The answer , five fellow photographer’s on the opposite bank are following the same lucky stag and all appear in the background of my viewfinder just at the same time as the stag , just as he jumps into the water.  Gents , I’ve go two cameras, I’m on my knees in the rain waiting for that one special moment and pow , you’ve just ruined the shot.

Anyway , not sure if that counts as a rant or not , if it does…… it’s now over. Or not, some time ago at the very same location myself and a friend paid a pro to give us a few tips. The first rule we were taught, think about your background, and if your in a busy location , never walk into the background of someone else’s frame .

Now the rant is over ……. for now anyway !