Seeing double?

Wildlife photography is often seen as a solitary affair, but there are some distinct advantages of heading out into the field with a plus-one…

- Tom Mason

Joggers, cyclists and commuters are passing by as the gates open and we swing into the car park. A few last sips of coffee and we’re out of the car, bags on, and myself and my good friend Luke set out looking for deer, on our annual pilgrimage to a place I’ve grown to love: Richmond Park.

Autumn is my favourite time of year. There is something about pulling on a jumper, the mist rising from the landscape, and that first frost… Along with the pleasure of a ‘lie-in’, whilst still being able to make those dawn shoots! It’s a time of year I’ve always been drawn to, providing me with great motivation to get out with the camera. Maybe it’s because I was born in the third season, but it always feels like the start of my photographic year. Filled with familiar subjects and tones – I can’t wait to get out there, smell the dampness and fend off those morning chills!

As always, it starts with a romp through the wet grass. The darkness is still looming, but we’re making our way, navigating with the gorgeous and unearthly sound of the roaring stags, their bellows like foghorns through the gloom. Chatting as we speed through the undergrowth, we are racing the light.