Photographing Eastern Wild Turkeys in the Afternoon

The best times to photograph wild turkeys are early morning and late afternoon. After photographing these elusive birds in the dawn hours, professional wildlife photographer Doug Gardner gives you tips on shooting in afternoon light. Hours before the turkeys return to their roost, he sets out a decoy 50 feet from his shooting location. Then, he settles into his blind, sets up the tripod, adjusts his camera settings, and waits. To photograph wild turkeys, you need to stay hidden and quiet. An hour later, the turkeys appear. With his telephoto lens, Doug captures amazing portraits of gobblers and hens. As always, the key to capturing great wildlife images is to know their habits.

See all videos in our Techniques for Photographing Eastern Wild Turkeys Course:

• Techniques for Photographing Eastern Wild Turkeys—Course Preview
• Photographing Wild Turkeys: Preparation Techniques
• Capturing Images of Wild Turkeys
• Photographing Eastern Wild Turkeys in the Afternoon