A Montana photographer has created a stunning series of ethereal deer photographs using an unconventional tool: a cheap trail camera with a plastic lens purchased from Walmart. Lauren Grabelle's innovative approach to wildlife photography has transformed what began as a practical monitoring device into an artistic medium that captures dreamlike images of her wild neighbors.
Grabelle, who lives in the remote backcountry of Montana, initially bought the Campark T150 trail camera to keep tabs on the more dangerous wildlife in her area, including grizzly bears, mountain lions, black bears, and coyotes. However, she quickly discovered that these unpredictable predators weren't ideal subjects for her artistic vision. Instead, she turned her attention to deer, whose more predictable behavioral patterns made them perfect collaborators for her creative project.
The resulting work, titled "Deer Diary," represents what Grabelle describes as her ongoing search for the intersection of fine art, documentary, and wildlife photography within Montana's rugged landscape. In her artist statement, she explains her unique approach: "Turning my attention from predators to prey to make these spiritual self-portraits, I chose a trail camera as my portal: the deer themselves became my collaborators by their diurnal and nocturnal movements through the landscape."
Grabelle strategically positioned her trail camera along established game trails and near bent fence lines, places where the deer's natural movements had already carved pathways into the earth. This thoughtful placement allowed her to capture the animals as they naturally traversed their habitat, telling their own story through movement and behavior. She notes that this story has been told "in art, mythology, religion, and literature, on almost all the world's continents since Paleolithic times."
The technical setup proved remarkably convenient for the fine art and editorial photographer. The trail camera came equipped with a solar panel and WiFi capability, eliminating the need for physical maintenance or manual card retrieval. Each morning, Grabelle would check the previous day's captures through what she describes as a "clunky app" on her phone. "I didn't have to take out the card, nor look at the screen inside of it to see the images," she explains. "Once I realized I had a series worthy of continuing, it was a joy and fun to see what private deer moments had been captured."
The ethereal quality that defines Grabelle's deer photographs comes from an unexpected source: the camera's cheap plastic lens and the natural condensation that builds up inside the device. These technical limitations, typically considered flaws, became essential elements of her artistic vision. "I got some nice bucolic images of deer and fawns in the field, but when I got some of the dreamier images and then figured out how I wanted to tone them and landed on a look, it became easy to find my direction with the project," Grabelle says.
Post-processing plays a crucial role in achieving the series' distinctive aesthetic. Grabelle emphasizes that "editing is definitely the secret to this series, as well as moving the camera for different perspectives to see what would happen." During the project's development, she observed that deer frequently jumped over a fence near her camera's location. This discovery led her to rotate the device 90 degrees, enabling her to capture dramatic shots of bucks and does in mid-flight.
The success of "Deer Diary" has exceeded Grabelle's expectations, earning her first solo museum exhibition and opening doors for future shows. The project's impact extended beyond traditional gallery spaces during her artist talk at the Missoula Art Museum, where she created an interactive experience for attendees. "We had fun setting up the trail cam on a tripod in the library and letting folks make their own spiritual self-portraits," she recalls. "That was a bit of unexpected fun too, to see those and share them with the people who came to the talk and the museum staff."
Grabelle's innovative work demonstrates how creative vision can transform humble, everyday technology into powerful artistic tools. Her approach challenges conventional notions of professional photography equipment while creating deeply moving images that connect viewers with the natural world. Those interested in exploring more of Grabelle's work can find her portfolio on her website, Instagram, and Facebook pages.
