Alan Mackenzie Photography

I have wanted to photograph the roe deer rut for years, but despite trying, I never managed to witness actual mating or the conquest of territory. It would appear that I have arrived too late this time around to observe any battles.  The second-largest buck had a limp, which is likely to have been inflicted during a fight. Fortunately, the injury seems relatively mild, like a sprain, and it should heal in time. I spotted three adult males in late July, but it came as no surprise that the territory was conquered in my absence by the oldest, strongest buck. I first saw the dominant buck in early June, and he was already accompanied by a female. I was lucky enough to locate the pair again in a small field next to a public bridleway on August 4th. The pair sat together and every hour or so, the doe stood up and walked to a corner of the field, seemingly inviting the buck to get up and follow his mate. The buck was very interested in the doe's vaginal area, scenting her phero...

I've been visiting a nature reserve in West Sussex, known for being a reliable place to see Roe deer, since 2011. The fields are a home from home. I once pitched a tent overnight in a secluded spot to capture the deer roaming in the morning dew. There was nothing better than brewing morning coffee after a dawn session with my favourite wild animal. There's a wooden lodge at the end of a private drive, complete with a private buttercup meadow and a 24-hour nature reserve within walking distance. I wouldn't mind making an offer if it came onto the market. The land use has changed. Buttercups no longer appear in the two large, privately-owned fields adjacent to the reserve, as the horses, which kept the grasses short, have gone. In 2022, I spent 90 minutes following two bucks as the eldest drove the youngest through the buttercup meadow and away into a farmyard.  They are choosy eaters, preferring oak leaves and buttercup petals.  As night follows day, if you find the butter...

There are times when carrying a heavy Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body and various lenses is not convenient, especially when I'm on a leisurely day out to Wakehurst or Kew Gardens. Smartphone cameras can take high quality images   — I use the Xiaomi 14T PRO, which comes with a fine Leica-branded camera, but I wanted an everyday carry, lightweight mirrorless camera to bridge the gap between my smartphone and professional-level Canon DSLR. The lack of a viewfinder on the Sony ZV-E10 has not hindered me, as I am already used to taking photos this way using my phone. The camera provides me with access to 24.2 megapixel RAW images, eleven frames per second and a small enough body to fit in my backpack. After testing the supplied kit lens, I decided to replace it with the much better quality Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8. The lens has 5 stops of image stabilisation and sharp resolution across the focal range, even at the widest aperture. Although the Tamron is slightly bigger than the Sony camera ...

There is nothing quite like walking around a British bluebell wood in late April or early May, especially during the 'golden hour'. For 2025, I chose a small, hidden bluebell wood along an embankment, perhaps one hundred metres long and twenty metres wide. I first discovered the wood late one evening, in April 2022. With daylight running out, I rushed a few shots, which showed promise, but never went further than my desktop. I have only seen one other person in the wood in three years of visiting, yet there is a busy road nearby and well-trodden bluebell woods attracting thousands of visitors per season. There is no parking and the wood can only be accessed from a long, rough path, with gullies, which fill with rainwater after storms. My first visit of 2025 took place under bright, but sunless skies  — ideal for daytime bluebell photography. After carefully following a deer track into the wood, I spotted a dead Hornbeam tree surrounded by bluebells, with an adjacent English oa...