Ruffed Grouse: PHOTOS ADDED

[boneaddict]

I tried a couple this spring, but I always managed to spook them.  I had an awesome one...it had just rained and the sky was black.  the sun came out and had bright light on the bird and some wildflowers by him.  They were sparkling with droplets of water.  It was like God was shining a spotlight.  I was at about 15 paces.  I came up with the lens hit focus and I was on auto.  It picked up on a stick towards me and then completely lost focus.  Just as it came back to the critter, he flew.    I was almost sick.  Great shots Tom.

[Tom Reichner]

Outstanding pic Tom, welcome to the site. FWIW, I tend to keep my pics at 900X600 or so, there are still a lot of dial up guys on here and they have a hard time if they are much bigger. What are you shooting?

Hi, Phool!

Thanks for the comment.

I shot this with a Canon 5D, and a 400 f2.8 lens.  It's a big, unwieldy lens to carry around, but I love the clarity & sharpness that are possible with it.  I also have a 1D Mark II that I use sometimes, due to it's much faster 8.6 frames per second (especially good for birds in flight).

By the way, what does FWIW mean?  

-Tom

[popeshawnpaul]

Great picture Tom.  That's pro quality there.  

[boneaddict]

So there are at least two of us with back problems.......   (the big white lens)

[Curly]

Tom, great picture. 

FWIW is short for .......for what it's worth 

another one you will see is BTW......by the way

[popeshawnpaul]

I was going to say, I smell a pro.  In exif I saw that you were using a full frame 5D.  Nice camera.  You slowed your shutter speed down to 1/200th so you could get the movement of the wing and not the head.  Nice call on that speed.  You really know your photography.  I look forward to seeing more of your photos.

[popeshawnpaul]

I went out shooting grouse last year and got some good ones with Mountainwalk.  Where did he go by the way?

[Tom Reichner]

Shawn, that 2nd shot is excellent.  I don't see many game bird photos featuring wildflowers; that's unique.  I'm sure focusing on the eye was a challenge - did you have alot of deletions from this event, where your AF kept locking in on a piece of vegetation?

[popeshawnpaul]

Lately I've been using the center point, putting it on the eye, locking focus, then recomposing the shot and snapping it.  It takes a lot of work but that's the most successful way I've figured out how to do it.  If I'm shooting an animal that is constantly in the same position I'll change my focus point so that I don't have to recompose so much.

On that first shot it was diffucult.  I got  focus on the front of the eye and not the back of the eye.  I had others with the nose in focus but not the eye.  I took quite a few shots just to get a few.  Mostly because they constantly move and I had to keep up and recompose, etc. 

[Hillbilly270]

these are excellent photos.
you experts have any nice photos of some blues?

[popeshawnpaul]

I think the ones I took are blue grouse.  If they aren't, they are spruce grouse.  It was way up high on a ridge with no trees around...

[Slider]

 

[boneaddict]

I'd go Blue though it does have some Franklin Characteristics..  ALmost in the middle of a molt or color change.  I'd sure like to get some good pics of a male Spruce.  Haven't seen any for awhile down in the states.  I used to see them alot up on Starvation.  Not sure now after the big burn. 

[boneaddict]

a little different color phase

[ratherhunt]

Great Grouse pictures, I can not take pictures at all I shake to much, I guess but these are great, Thanks