They come out of the water

In August 2025, around sunset, I was photographing near the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park, specifically at Lake of San Domenico, an artificial lake site in the municipality of Villalago, in the province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo, Italy). These areas are famous for being frequented by numerous wild deer that roam the town and surrounding areas, and spotting them, especially during the mating season, isn't difficult! Late in the evening, a group of female wild deer (Cervus elaphus), descending from the woods toward the lake, was trying to teach their herd's young to dive into the water to reach the adjacent shore. In this shot, a small group of does and their young, separated from the rest of the herd, swam toward the opposite bank, paying close attention to what was happening around them; then, shaking off the water, they disappeared into the vegetation, returning to the woods. It was a very emotional moment because these animals, despite being wild, have learned to coexist with humans. Despite the many people watching them from afar, they continued swimming as if nothing had happened, allowing us to observe them from a truly evocative vantage point.