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Thread: The Famous Grouse

  1. #1
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Default The Famous Grouse

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    Taken a while back in April I think, from a location about 45 mins from the house in deepest North Yorkshire. These birds roam freely across the Moors, only maintained by the Ghillie's and Game Keepers leading up to the Glorious 12th - shooting season.

    You can either get the skittish birds or the ones that occasionally work with you, but in the nine years of visiting this location I have never had one sitting on the coarse & heather with their feet visible, they have always been masked, or you get them running across some grass or the road. Quite literally this was shooting on the fly, techs, well f/8, more SS, head more towards me and a couple of revised tweaks on the 5DIV, but it will do for the moment, may try again at the end of the month if the Little Owl hasn't become a parent, or the Hares find themselves more in the open with the Rapeseed fields being cut.

    Thanks to those who posted or viewed on the last posting.

    Steve

    Subject: Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) standing on heather
    Location: UK
    Camera: Canon EOS 5DIV
    Lens: 200-400f/4 HH
    Exposure: 1/800s at f/5.6 ISO640
    Original format: Portrait, FF on width, slight crop from the top
    Processed via: LRCC Classic & PSCC2019

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Steve:

    Lovely perched pose, with good color harmony, catchlight , feet showing.
    That is why we keep going back, to see something new!

    Cheers

    Randy
    MY BPN ALBUMS

    "Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy" Sir Isaac Newton

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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    Very nice Steve.
    I like the raised perch and the nice clear view of the grouse.
    I also really like the BG and how the colors transition.
    If this was mine, I might be tempted to do a little eye doctoring ie. burn the bright reflection area at 9 to 12 o'clock.
    I would also sharpen the beak a bit more (it may just be slightly out of the DOF though). A bit more of a head turn out way would have been perfect!
    All in all, a very nice image.

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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    I agree with your self-critique, but how nice to see him fully in the open with a lovely background. I'd be very happy with this.

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    A magnificent image Steve. Sometimes everything just comes to together, as it did here, and you certainly did everything right to take advantage of the moment. Marvellous to see the details of furry feet in the thorny underbrush, and the BG colours work perfectly with the bird.

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    Very nice. The bird sure does look famous sitting up on the perch like that. I don't think i have ever seen a image on here that show their feet. Details look great.

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Looks good to me Steve, I am sure you would have considered it but I wondered if a little more sharpening would help?

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    You self critique is spot on.

    I like the background colors. Feet looks really great.

    TFS

  9. #9
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Thanks folks.

    I always pre-set the camera right from the start of setting off, just in case of situations like this so at least you can get 'A' frame off, albeit the techs are slightly off.

    Gail & Jon, no more sharpening needed, it's just simply lack of DoF, as I now sharpen 'without' sharpening Jon, I'm pretty bang on with things, - I think?

    Lets see what happens at the end of the month, but guess the Gamekeepers will be busy out there getting both bird & bunkers ready for the 12th.

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