Willow Ptarmigan Male

Gallery: AvianPosted June 4, 2013154 views10 comments

Canon 1D-X, 300mm x 2.0 TC, tripod
f5.6, 1/1600, IS)200

Willow Ptarmigan are highly approachable during courtship season. This fellow had started to moult, but was still singing (for a given definition of "singing). Denali Highway this past weekend.

90% of full frame. Slight sharpening.

Again, I am struggling with getting the brightness the same on my aging monitor as on the NPN site...

C & C, please. Thanks for looking.

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on June 4, 2013 at 3:21 AM

The shades of white on the feathers and the texture of the snow have come out spot on. I am not sure whether it would have been possible to lighten the darker neck feathers to bring out a bit more detail.

Don't fully understand the comment about your aging monitor. Don't you use the same monitor to view the NPN site?

Registered on February 20, 2013, 198 Posts, 1011 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on June 4, 2013 at 3:39 AM

Jim,

I am sure this could be brought to life in particular the darker feathers by a very light touch of shadows only using the S & H filter in PS.

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Roger Kirchen on June 4, 2013 at 7:13 AM

Excellent pose and head turn. The whites are right on, with my eyes and on my monitor. I echo the comments about the darks.

Regarding monitors, images appear differently on my monitor when viewed with LR (or another image viewer) and when viewed on NPN with IE. I think this is how IE handles, or does not handle, profiles. See here for comparison shots http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/ic.cgi?a=vp&pr=200050&CGISESSID=23a00238707bf06d6a2aff1dac474494&u=19143

There is a fairly detailed thread on this, IIRC. Roger

Registered on March 6, 2011, 95 Posts, 847 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on June 4, 2013 at 7:33 AM

Nicely uniform moult, Jim. The brightness is looking about right on to me. The brightest spots in the plumage appear to be at the limit.

Nice pose and eye contact.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on June 4, 2013 at 11:47 AM

Exposure perfect here. Beautiful bird, but so sorry there is still snow!
Add a hit of Viveza to that dark neck area, and you can tease out more detail.
Great image, Jim -

Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on June 4, 2013 at 1:04 PM

Interesting to see the contrast with the changing of the plumage, nice job in getting this difficult shot.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Strand on June 4, 2013 at 5:18 PM

Handsome bird Jim, nice job on the brightness!

Registered on March 30, 2008, 416 Posts, 2885 Comments

Comment posted by Hans Overduin on June 5, 2013 at 4:54 AM

Nice species, well photographed. On my iMac I can see all the feather details - congrats on this shot ! Cheers, Hans

Registered on August 31, 2011, 491 Posts, 3807 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on June 5, 2013 at 10:38 PM

Would love to see a little more detail in the head and throat, Jim. Otherwise a masterful capture. Interesting and enjoyable to see this bird in the middle of molting.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on June 6, 2013 at 10:05 AM

I think the brightness level looks fine Jim. I see a very well balanced exposure of the dark browns relative to the white plumage..
It's one of those things that's hardest to set (monitor) from my experience.
My monitor brightness is set at 70% but every now & then I get the 'could be brighter' comment.
Beautiful species, love the setting

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments