Frosty Ruffed Grouse
Jan, 2018Views
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HarryinNS
November 08, 2018
Outstanding image! Great detail, the frost adding to the complexity of their natural feathering.
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Behind The Lens
Location
I captured this beautiful female ruffed grouse at Hersey Lake, a local conversation area not far from my house. It was a brutal -35’C that day but I just got my new camera body so I had to go test it out. It’s one of my favourite spots to go to in winter.Time
The photo was taken around 9am, about an hour after sunrise. It was bitterly cold and as you can see the bird was covered in thick frost. Grouse sleep in the snow during the night to keep warm.Lighting
I love early morning light,especially in winter so you don’t get the harsh glare off the snow. It took over an hour of me laying on my stomach for the grouse to come out from the shadows. Even with several layers on I was starting to get rather cold and my fingers were going numb. My face mask, hat and eyelashes were all frosted over from my breath.Equipment
This was shot with the Nikon D500 and 300mm f4 lens. I don’t like carrying a tripod for long distances so I prefer my shots to be handheld. It’s heavy but you get used to it.Inspiration
I love Nature, wildlife photography is my saving grace. I especially love birds. They are so colourful and full of character. I try to spend as much time as I can out shooting, it relaxes me and takes my mind off the day to day stresses. I work full time andhave two small children so I go when I can. I’m completely self taught and I’m happily learning every day. I look back from a few years ago and can see a huge difference in the quality and technique of my pictures.Editing
I do bare minimum post-processing, just a small boost in saturation, sharpness, or exposure. I sometimes find my photos area tad too bright so I tone it down.In my camera bag
I was using the Nikon D7000 for about 5 years until it stopped working then I saved up enough to buy the newer D500. I was so impressed with the quality and fastness of it. A few months later I decided to get the Nikon 200-500mm lens. Although not a prime lens, it got me the distance I needed on a budget I could afford.Feedback
I haven’t come across this type of situation before, so I may have just gotten lucky. It was cold enough with enough humidity in the air to have the frost stick to the birds feathers. I got to the location early enough that the bird hasn’t spent much time out of its snow hide for the frost to have melted in the sunlight.
