Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) do not run very fast, but the panning technique that I used for the photo below blurred the background and makes it look like the turkey was moving really quickly. I really like the effect that I achieved, but I must confess that it was what Bob Ross might have called a “happy accident.”
My visit yesterday to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge was coming to a close when I spotted a turkey in the distance getting ready to cross the road. My camera was attached to a monopod and I immediately planted it into the ground and tried to track the turkey with my zoom lens extended to its full 600mm length.
I had no idea what the setting were on my camera—I was completely focused on trying to capture the moment. As it turned out, the shutter speed was way too slow to stop the action, only 1/50 of a second, so my subject is somewhat blurred. When you plan to pan, you deliberately set a slow shutter speed, normally between 1/30 and 1/125 of a second and I happened to be within that range. I was also moving the camera pretty smoothly as I tracked the big bird.
Luck and instinctive reactions helped me capture a fun, funky image that puts a huge smile on my face every time that I look at it. I hope that it does the same for you.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
….they have this dignified, half-crazed grace to them always–especially when their ungainly size somehow conforms into flying as swiftly through a densely-packed forest as an Olympian down-hiller clips through a challenging series of slalom gates. What a delightful photograph.
Thanks, Lance. Wild Turkeys are such curious creatures–I love your characterization of them as possessing “dignified, half-crazed grace.” I have seen one fly and perch in a tree only once. Most of the time they take their time fading into the woods when I approach, but occasionally one will get a little excited and flap its wings a bit.
In Vermont my father diligently went hunting for them but would see only deer. Then, during deer season, he’d only see turkeys.
It looks like you captured an ostrich in turkey clothing. Happy accidents are sometimes the product of years of faithful practice of a skill set and providence.
“Ostrich in turkey clothes”–those words made me laugh. When it comes to photographing wild creature, luck sometimes plays a role in having a photo opportunity, but it is skill that lets you take advantage of that opportunity and get a shot.
Reminds me of the Road Runner cartoons. beep, beep
I loved those cartoons as a kid, though now I look at them and find them to be amazingly violent. A roadrunner seems to be built a bit more for speed than a turkey. 🙂
Happy accidents are great fun!
They definitely are. I generally don’t review my photos in the field, so it is always exciting when I pull them up on my computer. I never quite know what awaits me and more often than not I am pleasantly surprised.
Nice Mike! Cool image! Great “Happy Accident”.
Thanks, Reed. I was a little shocked when I pulled up the image on my computer–I had no idea I had captured the turkey in such a cool way.
Reminds me of the Road Runner… beep-beep! 😉
Another vote for a road runner’s cousin. They actually can move pretty quickly.
Beep, beep. 🙂
I like the blurred affect, Mike. Why did the chicken, I mean, turkey cross the road? Seems like there is some humor in this one. 😃
I’ll take humor wherever I can find it (and am known for my bad jokes and puns). 🙂