Pheasant on the wing

kiwi.azza · 21st of March 2009 (Sat)

Hi all.

Took a few pics of Pheasants today after my dog flushed them. Only problem is that in the forests we walk in the Pheasants fly fast and low...the ones today being squeakers, they are the same colour as the background.

Any tips on how to accentuate the birds in the photo.

On this pic I have blurred the background but the bird still doesn't stand out.

Tom Reichner · 22nd of March 2009 (Sun)

Hello, kiwi!

It's great to see that someone else is photographing pheasants. They're an exceptionally difficult bird to photograph well, especially in flight.

I'm not sure if the hen in this image will stand out well with normally applied editing techniques. It is simply too much like the background. I'm sure that some photoshop guru could manipulate this image so that the bird would stand out better, but that would require major, major editing. So much so that you wouldn't really be able to honestly call it a true-to-life nature shot.

Why not go back out there and spend a few mornings attempting to get more images? If you learn to work these birds properly, you will eventually be able to position yourself so that the bird flushes out in front of a background you like. Then you won't need to process the images so much to get great results. Even with low flushing birds, you'll eventually be able to get what you're after.

I hope you have alot of time in the field with these gorgeous birds!

- Tom

PS: A friend and I were just out this morning photographing pheasants. We had three roosters come in near the blind; two of which we were able to get good images of.

kiwi.azza · 3rd of April 2009 (Fri)

Hi Tom

Thanks for the advice. At them moment I am warming the dog up to the Game Bird season (my main priority until end August) so am often behind the dog when he flushes the birds.
I intend on setting up a blind sometime soon to get some ground pics and may try getting my wife to work her dog behind me, pushing the birds toward me, to get some "on the wing" shots.

Cheers

chauncey · 5th of April 2009 (Sun)

That's a very difficult target as the auto focus needs contrast to lock onto and that bird doesn't present much contrast.
Might be better to use a longer depth of field and blur the background in post production.

21st of March 2009 (Sat)	#1
kiwi.azza Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Zealand Posts: 130 IMAGE EDITING OK	Pheasant on the wing Hi all. Took a few pics of Pheasants today after my dog flushed them. Only problem is that in the forests we walk in the Pheasants fly fast and low...the ones today being squeakers, they are the same colour as the background. Any tips on how to accentuate the birds in the photo. On this pic I have blurred the background but the bird still doesn't stand out.

22nd of March 2009 (Sun)	#2
Tom Reichner Goldmember Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Washington state, USA Posts: 3,899	Re: Pheasant on the wing Hello, kiwi! It's great to see that someone else is photographing pheasants. They're an exceptionally difficult bird to photograph well, especially in flight. I'm not sure if the hen in this image will stand out well with normally applied editing techniques. It is simply too much like the background. I'm sure that some photoshop guru could manipulate this image so that the bird would stand out better, but that would require major, major editing. So much so that you wouldn't really be able to honestly call it a true-to-life nature shot. Why not go back out there and spend a few mornings attempting to get more images? If you learn to work these birds properly, you will eventually be able to position yourself so that the bird flushes out in front of a background you like. Then you won't need to process the images so much to get great results. Even with low flushing birds, you'll eventually be able to get what you're after. I hope you have alot of time in the field with these gorgeous birds! - Tom PS: A friend and I were just out this morning photographing pheasants. We had three roosters come in near the blind; two of which we were able to get good images of. __________________ Wildlife photographed in the wild. http://www.tomreichner.com/Wildlife “There are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes.” ― Abraham Lincoln

3rd of April 2009 (Fri)	#3
kiwi.azza Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Zealand Posts: 130 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Pheasant on the wing Hi Tom Thanks for the advice. At them moment I am warming the dog up to the Game Bird season (my main priority until end August) so am often behind the dog when he flushes the birds. I intend on setting up a blind sometime soon to get some ground pics and may try getting my wife to work her dog behind me, pushing the birds toward me, to get some "on the wing" shots. Cheers

5th of April 2009 (Sun)	#4
chauncey Cream of the Crop Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: MI/CO Posts: 7,688 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Pheasant on the wing That's a very difficult target as the auto focus needs contrast to lock onto and that bird doesn't present much contrast. Might be better to use a longer depth of field and blur the background in post production. __________________ The things you do for yourself die with you, the things you do for others live forever. A man's worth should be judged, not when he basks in the sun, but how he faces the storm. Gear...Ds Mk III, 16-35 f/2.8, 24-105 f/4.0, 70-200 f/4 and f/2.8, 300 f/2.8, and assorted other stuff.

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