emanon,
The room was dark and cold. Lights were turned off, A/C’s boosted to max. Only the light from my laptop illuminated the vast darkness of the room. Papers were scattered everywhere, wildlife photographs were laid on my bed, a laptop and a camera were on my desk along with circular coffee stains on the sheets. For hours, I’ve been staring at my screen as I browse through the projects I’ve done in the past. A couple of clicks and drags, I stumbled upon a photo series that was rather striking.
Shot 1 – Fawn staring straight into the camera: It was a white-tailed deer left alone by its mother. From my experience, it was a male fawn. He stood there—they tend to not leave where they were left, it was an instinct. I grabbed the chance, placed my eye against the viewfinder, adjusted the lens, and took shots of the fawn. His eyes were glistening of innocence—just like how a young fawn should act. Was he scared? Was he oblivious to my presence? I wonder. Either way, it was a good shot.
Shot 2 – Fawn feeds on leaves: I decided to follow this fawn, maybe until he grows up to be a full-grown deer. Upon reviewing the previous photos, I found him quite interesting—a photogenic subject. This time, the fawn along with his mother made their way toward these low hanging branches. I followed until they halted, saw them reach for the leaves and some fruits, and chew on them. Natural scenery. I grabbed on to my camera and took photos. Normal, boring, but it was naturally executed—just shows how these animals live their lives.
Shot 3 – Fawn with herd: Days passed, I learned that these two were a part of a large herd—a large family. They were varied—two with huge antlers, some with bright tan fur, another with long legs, and there was the fawn with its notable white spots. One with huge antlers dropped a branch, teeming with fruits, from the grip of its teeth. Once dropped, the others gathered around to feed on what’s brought to the herd. Maintaining my distance, I took shots. Family—it was what the photo was telling, that even these creatures have their kind to treat as family.
Shot 4 – Fawn trots during sunset: The fawn grew up, to the point that he was lively trotting on the wide prairie. It was afternoon, the sun was setting. He trotted, jumped, repeatedly. I’ve never seen him felt so alive other than that time. Not a second was wasted, I heightened the shutter speed, and took a couple of shots. It was an outstanding photo of a leaping deer creating a silhouette behind the setting sun. The energy, the joy, the happiness, I felt them upon viewing the photo—he was happy that he was alive.
Shot 5 – Fawn shot dead: It has been months since the last time I took a photograph of the deer. As I made my way towards their location, I heard a gunshot from afar—I rushed to the scene. Dead, he was shot dead. Blood was spreading on the forest ground as the herd he was with circled around him. I felt the despair, the melancholy, the misery these creatures felt—they were letting out loud whines. He was hunted down. But for what reason? For bounty? For praise? I wasn’t able to comprehend. He was harmless, he did nothing to these humans, he lived normally, he had a family, he loved his life, he was not capable of fighting back—for goodness sake, he was a young one. I took the last photograph, and left with a heavy heart.
I went back to my car, threw my camera onto the backseat, and let out a big sigh. As I held the wheel, I wondered, what if humans suffer the same fate as these poor creatures? What if we are treated the same? What if we, humans, are the ones ruthlessly killed for the sake of cheap cash and meager praise?
And that was when I remembered, we already are.
Literary: Hunted
The room was dark and cold. Lights were turned off, A/C’s boosted to max. Only the light from my laptop illuminated the vast darkness of the room. Papers were scattered everywhere, wildlife photographs were laid on my bed, a laptop and a camera were on my desk along with circular coffee stains on the sheets. For hours, I’ve been staring at my screen as I browse through the projects I’ve done in the past. A couple of clicks and drags, I stumbled upon a photo series that was rather striking.
Shot 1 – Fawn staring straight into the camera: It was a white-tailed deer left alone by its mother. From my experience, it was a male fawn. He stood there—they tend to not leave where they were left, it was an instinct. I grabbed the chance, placed my eye against the viewfinder, adjusted the lens, and took shots of the fawn. His eyes were glistening of innocence—just like how a young fawn should act. Was he scared? Was he oblivious to my presence? I wonder. Either way, it was a good shot.
Shot 2 – Fawn feeds on leaves: I decided to follow this fawn, maybe until he grows up to be a full-grown deer. Upon reviewing the previous photos, I found him quite interesting—a photogenic subject. This time, the fawn along with his mother made their way toward these low hanging branches. I followed until they halted, saw them reach for the leaves and some fruits, and chew on them. Natural scenery. I grabbed on to my camera and took photos. Normal, boring, but it was naturally executed—just shows how these animals live their lives.
Shot 3 – Fawn with herd: Days passed, I learned that these two were a part of a large herd—a large family. They were varied—two with huge antlers, some with bright tan fur, another with long legs, and there was the fawn with its notable white spots. One with huge antlers dropped a branch, teeming with fruits, from the grip of its teeth. Once dropped, the others gathered around to feed on what’s brought to the herd. Maintaining my distance, I took shots. Family—it was what the photo was telling, that even these creatures have their kind to treat as family.
Shot 4 – Fawn trots during sunset: The fawn grew up, to the point that he was lively trotting on the wide prairie. It was afternoon, the sun was setting. He trotted, jumped, repeatedly. I’ve never seen him felt so alive other than that time. Not a second was wasted, I heightened the shutter speed, and took a couple of shots. It was an outstanding photo of a leaping deer creating a silhouette behind the setting sun. The energy, the joy, the happiness, I felt them upon viewing the photo—he was happy that he was alive.
Shot 5 – Fawn shot dead: It has been months since the last time I took a photograph of the deer. As I made my way towards their location, I heard a gunshot from afar—I rushed to the scene. Dead, he was shot dead. Blood was spreading on the forest ground as the herd he was with circled around him. I felt the despair, the melancholy, the misery these creatures felt—they were letting out loud whines. He was hunted down. But for what reason? For bounty? For praise? I wasn’t able to comprehend. He was harmless, he did nothing to these humans, he lived normally, he had a family, he loved his life, he was not capable of fighting back—for goodness sake, he was a young one. I took the last photograph, and left with a heavy heart.
I went back to my car, threw my camera onto the backseat, and let out a big sigh. As I held the wheel, I wondered, what if humans suffer the same fate as these poor creatures? What if we are treated the same? What if we, humans, are the ones ruthlessly killed for the sake of cheap cash and meager praise?
And that was when I remembered, we already are.
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