Jamie Smart's Image

Jamie Smart (UK) photographs a red deer stag as it gives a mighty bellow during the autumn rut in Bradgate Park, UK.

Jamie walked up and down a path in the park at a safe distance from the stag.

She stretched herself up tall to avoid any long grass in the foreground spoiling her view.

The stag’s antlers have regrown since their annual shedding in spring. The ‘velvet’ – the soft skin that covered them during their growth – has now rubbed off, exposing the bone beneath.

As the stag matures, each new set of antlers is larger and more complex. Older males have more intricate points called tines crowning their heads.