Watchful Mom

Gallery: AvianPosted May 13, 2013100 views5 comments

Early morning at the local nature area found lots of activity just as I entered the area. Didn't make it for sunrise but the light was still manageable but harsher than I like. Found this hen turkey slowly working the area and then noticed lots of activity in the thick grass which turned out to be her brood of poults. Guessing they are over 2 weeks old as they have well developed wings for flying up in trees to roost at night. They busily were moving around looking for things to eat. Never did get a nice clear shot but thought this would still be interesting to post. On this one I warmed it up slightly and reduced the exposure just a bit to bring back the brightest highlights. Sharpened and resized. Comments and critiques welcome.

Tech Info

Canon EOS 60D with EF 70-200mm f/4L and 1.4 TC = 280mm
1/600th at f/5.6 and ISO 800
tripod

Comments

5 comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on May 14, 2013 at 12:00 AM

A fun shot, Peter, trying to spot all of the kids. The hen's head looks just a bit soft; perhaps a bit of selective sharpening?

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Claude Dagenais on May 14, 2013 at 10:46 AM

These big birds are a challenge to focus, focus on the head and part of the body is soft. Focus on the chest and the head looks a little soft. The softness on the head is not dramatic IMO.

Registered on April 10, 2013, 56 Posts, 571 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Strand on May 14, 2013 at 12:29 PM

A really nice family portrait.

Registered on March 30, 2008, 416 Posts, 2885 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on May 14, 2013 at 8:04 PM

Nice family shot, and in typical turkey habitat. The head softness isn't too noticeable, but It might be worth a try to selectively sharpen it further.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on May 16, 2013 at 3:09 AM

Those youngsters sure blend into the grasses well. This is a great image to illustrate camouflage as a necessity for young turkey's survival.

Sweet Photo Peter!

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments