White Eared Pheasant
White eared pheasant, Zhujie Temple, last month. In China, which is steadily destroying its rich natural inheritance, Buddhist temples such as Zhujie are among the most effective sanctuaries for game birds. Even in a so-called nature preserve, this white eared pheasant would be at great risk of being poached. At Zhujie, it’s protected. This fellow and his 30 or so cousins range freely on the grounds, coming and going as they please; they fear men no more than a chicken on a farm, but they are no mascots, no one’s pet. The monks do lay out grain for them, but I saw the pheasants foraging up plenty of wild food, too. The monks, God love ’em, also understand that their temple is one of the last bastions for this noble species. They do not, however, understand photography; I phoned my otherwise very helpful monk friend, who told me that my long lens wouldn’t be a problem, that I’d find plenty of places to shoot from 20 m and farther; but that turned out not to be the case. The temple complex, clinging to the side of a mountain, is like something out of medieval times, with narrow passageways and tiny garden plots. My images, therefore, of the entire body of this large bird were few; but close-ups such as this one were very satisfying.
Device: Nikon D3S
Lens: VR 600mm F/4G
Focal Length: 600 mm
Aperture: F/7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/320
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Exposure Comp.: +0.33
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 1000
Metering Mode: Center-Weight
Subject Distance: 7.1 m
Photoshoppery: I created four layers: (1) background; (2) body minus facial skin, crown, and bill; (3) facial skin and crown; and (4) bill. By doing so, I was able to give each element special treatment, for example as regards sharpening and coloring.
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