Wild Turkey (Rio Grande)

Well taken!  Certainly a somewhat different photo of a wild turkey.  I like that you caught the turkey with its wings
spread open.  Thanks for sharing.

This is quite the artistic shot, Neil, with the flash setting the bird off very well from the black background but including the branch at a more subdued level.  In the larger version, there are some very subtle details to the bird's left that add interest, but I'm thinking that cropping about half of the space on the left would keep some of that detail while providing better balance.

Hey Neil,
This is one of the better Turkey images I have seen in a long time, it is not the same old strutting along the side the road or at the edge of the wood line shot by any means. You managed some really good detail and color with superb habitat. The fill flash is perfect, highlighting all the right areas and still allowing the viewer to enjoy the fading natural light off in the distance. The large version is impressive
If someone has never seen a wild turkey taking off they simply can't imagine the experience. Many years ago, I was duck hunting with my father and we were working our way through the woods to be in position at a beaver pond before sun-up. He sent me in one direction at the edge of the pond as he went another. Just as the horizon started to have enough light to see, I was climbing over a small fence and accidently spooked about 40 wild turkey roosting in a large oak tree and they all took off at once. The sight and sound of these large birds very close over head was like an Apache Helicopter taking off and scared the living daylights out of me. Once the birds were off in the distance and the sound of my pounding heart lessened all I could hear was my fathers gut busting laughter off in the distance from, as he described it, my 'Little Girl Screams'. It is one morning I will never forget, thanks for the memories with this image.
Well done and an excellent composition as is, I would not change a thing . . . 

Very different perspective here Neil. Especially the angle shooting from under the bird as he is flying directly over you. IMO the flash provides even more tension as it appears you startled it at night.

Hi Neil       love this interesting perspective!!     Mark's comment echoed my thoughts perfectly


Albert Darmo
Canada

Neil,

very nice and well done since you would a balance between flash and an letting it look quiet natural.