Red Grouse

[Steve Kaluski]

As Mike & Jonathan have been saying, the weather here has been pretty poor with only limited days of half decent light, but the Grouse have been showing well and with a window of opportunity I took a quick drive up and onto my spot in the Yorkshire Moors. The game birds can now relax with the shooting season finishing so the Grouse were quite in abundance here, foraging for seed etc in the Heather and scrub. The wind in this rather remote and bleak location wasn't too bad, but enough to ruffle a few feathers on this bird.

The old dead sticks are typical of the area, so no avoiding them and the land in parts, has had controlled burns to generate new growth. The light this day was still of a premium ISO5000, but good to get out and get some images of this bird without worrying about the techs & very slow SS.

Thanks to those who viewed or posted a comment on the previous thread.

Steve

Subject: Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) on grass mound
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens: 500f/4 MKII HH
Exposure: 1/1600s at f/5.6 ISO5000
Original format: Portrait, crop from the top & slight from the LHS
Processed via: LRCC & PSCC

[Lorant Voros]

Very nice IQ for the high ISO that shows how capable the 1DX is in good hands and nice colors, good shooting angle and nice clean back ground. Glad you make the overcast days worthwhile as well. TFS.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Well Steve I had some light intermittently - but no subjects

I like your grouse, very high quality and the all important feet are visible, excellent colours, good job.

[Adhika Lie]

Beautiful pose. I love the texture and pattern on the chest and underbelly. ISO5000 and this result, wow.

[keith mitchell]

Steve been looking for some noise and failed miserably ,lovely natural shot bird fits really well on that nice BG.

Keith.

[shane shacaluga]

Wonderful colours coming through all round. Tack sharp and a lovely pose

Had you not mentioned the ISO i wouldnt have been able to guess

Thanks for sharing

[Grace Scalzo]

Nothing but positives from me. Love the pose, the background and of course the fluffy feet. Nice habitat as well and your processing is admirable.

[annmpacheco]

Wonderful exposure at iso 5000, wouldn't have guessed that without your info, your image is so well done. I love the head angle and pop of red above the eye. lovely overall.

[Glennie Passier]

Very nice Steve. All said above! I love his stocky, fluffy legs and feet that disappear into the soft green shoots of grass and tangle of sticks. Beautiful. He is really giving you a look!

[David Salem]

Great looking clothes on this Beautiful cock bird. I like the colors and the background. The fact that we can see the legs in some of the feet is a big plus with these guys. Very nice frame Steve. You've got to get out here sometime so you can shoot at ISO 500 instead of 5000. Well done

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks folk, definitely getting out and I'm not worried what the conditions are, but sometimes the 'subjects' are.

Very nice IQ for the high ISO that shows how capable the 1DX is in good hands and nice colors

Cheers Lorant, I'll post something else for you in terms of ramping up the techs.

You've got to get out here sometime so you can shoot at ISO 500 instead of 5000. Well done

Indeed David, would love to experience some of those Burrowing Owls or Birds of prey and to shot a low ISO's, it's just trying to 'shoe horn' things in, I just kissed two fantastic offers of Polar Bear Cubs & Tigers because I'm away.


Steve

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Steve thank you for sharing this simple and yet very effective portrait of a beautiful bird , luckily this guy survived the hunting season .... ready for the upcoming breeding time .
Well processed with very nice tone / color combo ....
Go out and push that tool ..... even further , and wait for a even better tool shortly

TFS Andreas

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Simply beautiful, Steve. Great overcast IQ, fine habitat represented, and wonderful detail.


Geoffrey

[William Dickson]

Great feather detail Steve, lovely colours on the bird and a beautiful pose.

Will