Whitetail Fawn and Flower at Sequoyah Refuge

Spring always makes me think about new life in the wild. This whitetail fawn and flower photograph captures that feeling for me. The fawn’s nose was so close to the bloom that it almost looked like a kiss.

A Whitetail Fawn and Flower

I photographed this young fawn at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. The image shows it lowering its nose toward a small flower.

That simple moment created a photograph that fits the feeling of spring. Young animals and new growth both remind me that another season has begun.

However, I did not take this photograph during spring. I made it on August 8, 2010. I originally shared it on the first day of spring because the scene represented renewal and new life.

As I’m writing this post on March 20, the first day of spring, it is only 28 degrees here in Arkansas. The calendar says spring has arrived, but this cold morning still feels like winter.

A related encounter, Whitetail Doe Nursing Her Fawn, shows another close moment from the early life of a young deer.

Photographing the Fawn at Sequoyah Refuge

I made this image early in the morning at 7:10. I used a Canon EOS-1D Mark III and a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens.

The 500mm focal length gave me a close view of the fawn and the flower. The fast shutter speed helped capture the brief moment before the fawn moved on.

Camera settings:

• Camera: Canon EOS-1D Mark III
• Lens: Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM
• Aperture: f/5
• Shutter speed: 1/1000 second
• ISO: 1250, Auto
• Focal length: 500mm
• Date: August 8, 2010
• Time: 7:10 a.m.
• Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma

A Photograph That Makes Me Think of Spring

Wildlife photography often gives me small scenes that carry a much larger feeling. This fawn near a flower is one of those photographs.

Although I captured it during August, the image still reminds me of spring. It represents new life, changing seasons, and the quiet moments that keep me watching wildlife.