Capturing the Perfect Turkey Photo: Tips and Ideas for Getting Great Shots of These Iconic Birds

As the centerpiece of many Thanksgiving celebrations, the turkey holds an important place in American culture and imagery. This large, striking bird is a popular photography subject for amateur and professional photographers alike. But capturing a great turkey photo requires knowledge, preparation, and patience. In this article, we’ll provide tips to help you get fantastic shots of wild and domesticated turkeys.

About Turkeys: Background Info to Know

Before trying to photograph turkeys, it helps to understand some key facts about their appearance, behavior, habitat, and lifecycle. Here are some of the most important things to know:

• Wild turkeys are large, ground-dwelling birds native to North America. They stand about 4 feet tall and have metallic, iridescent feathers in shades of brown, black, white, red, tan, and bronze.

• Male turkeys, called toms, are larger than females and have more vibrant plumage, including the red wattle that hangs from their beak They also have spurs on their legs and can fan out their tail feathers in displays.

• Turkeys are social and travel in flocks called rafts. Though they can fly short distances they spend most of their time walking on the ground.

• Wild turkeys live in open woodlands and can be found across most of the continental U.S. They roost in trees at night and forage on the ground by day.

• Mating season begins in early spring. Hens lay eggs and raise young, called poults, in the summer months.

• Domesticated turkeys raised on farms for food are usually the Broad Breasted White variety.

Locating and Approaching Wild Turkeys

Wild turkeys feel most secure when they have cover to escape predators. They tend to be most active in early morning and evening as they move between roosting and feeding areas. Here are some tips for finding them:

• Focus your search near open woodlands, forest edges, and areas with a mix of trees, fields, and brush. Stay quiet and watch for movement.

• Listen for turkey calls like gobbles, yelps, and clucks, particularly around dawn and dusk. Calling can attract them to you.

• Use a blind or hide behind foliage when trying to get close. Remain still and patient. Turkeys have excellent vision and will flee if alarmed.

• Consider using bird feeders with cracked corn or other tempting treats to consistently draw in wild turkeys to a spot.

Photographing Domestic Turkeys

Farm-raised turkeys offer easier photo opportunities than their wild counterparts. Here are some pointers:

• Visit turkey farms during daylight hours when the birds are active. Request permission before photographing.

• Photograph turkeys in their pens, grazing in fields, or interacting with each other. Capturing personality and behavior makes for compelling images.

• For posed portraits, have an assistant hold or gently contain the turkey to get clear close-ups.

• Backdrops like weathered barn wood or autumn leaves work nicely for domestic turkey portraits.

• At poultry shows, you can get great shots of exhibitors holding prized turkeys for judging.

Helpful Equipment and Settings

The right gear and camera settings help you successfully capture turkey photos:

• A telephoto lens in the 100-400mm range allows framing tight shots from a distance.

• A sturdy tripod keeps your camera steady and ready for turkeys on the move.

• Manual mode gives full control over exposure settings like shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

• Increase ISO to boost light sensitivity when shooting in low-light conditions.

• Use a fast shutter speed (500+ ISO) to freeze action and a slower speed for artistic blur.

• Select a wide aperture (F2.8-F5.6) for shallow depth of field and blurred backgrounds.

• Enable burst mode to machine-gun sequences of shots in fast action scenarios.

Composition Tips and Ideas

Follow these compositional guidelines for striking turkey images:

• Frame tight headshots to showcase details like wattles, snoods, caruncles, and expressive eyes.

• Capture body shots showing wing feathers fanned out in displays. Include the fanned tail if possible.

• Shoot low perspectives at the turkey’s level for intimate portraits.

• Use leading lines like fences or fallen logs to draw the viewer’s eye.

• Position turkeys in foregrounds with scenic backdrops like barns, sunrise/sunsets, or autumn leaves.

• Frame environmental shots showing turkeys behaving naturally in their habitat.

• Photograph turkeys facing right to follow the rule of thirds.

• Leave negative space for the turkey to gaze or walk into.

Post Processing and Sharing Your Shots

Some final tips for handling your photos after a turkey shoot:

• Cull your selects and process only your best images to maintain crisp details.

• Adjust color, contrast, cropping, and other settings to optimize photos.

• Carefully sharpen details like feathers, snoods, and wattles.

• Convert images to black-and-white for dramatic, fine art looks.

• Add frames, text overlays, or other elements to creatively brand turkey photos.

• Print and frame your best turkey portraits to display.

• Share your turkey photography on social media, stock sites, blogs, contests, and with fellow poultry enthusiasts.

With preparation and persistence, you can get fantastic photographic results with these remarkable birds. Follow these turkey photo tips and you’ll have outstanding images to be proud of. Just be ready to put in the time waiting for the perfect moment!