We've been blessed with an ultra-tame Ruffed Grouse here recently, the kind that will follow you around and make a bird-photographer's life miserable by hanging out inside MFDs - think "pecking at your boots" close. Very territorial. And hungry with the cold weather. The best strategy if alone is to leave a small seed pile for it, then retreat and be ready for it coming back. That, or be two people at a time: one for the grouse to follow around, the other to photograph it. Then take turns. Here, however, I was alone, and the grouse had just set itself on a low branch to roost. It puffed itself to trap warm body heat within, and fell asleep a few moments after this image was take.
Canon 7DII + 500mm f/4 II, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/400s., f/5.6, ISO 1600, natural light, handheld, FF.
Daniel, I wish I had more of a problem of having to beat birds off with a stick... must be nice
This is mesmerizing. Love the reflections in both eyes; they're almost symmetrical, but inverted which is neat. Contrast looks really nice and the high key presents well.
Minor nit would be to clone out the darker blob in upper left. A really cool frame all around!
Hi Daniel ... a cool and unusual view .
But a very difficult frame , IMHO , difficult to find something to lock on .
Colors and tones are looking good , just think the BG is not ideal ... would have wished for some sort of color or luminance variations . But the BG might have not been in your hands at the time of shooting .