Western Scrub Jay

[Diane Miller]

Taken at mid-morning a few days ago just as coastal fog was clearing. Canon 5D3, 300 f/2.8 IS + 2X II -- to allow me to focus closer for a different perch that serves as staging for smaller finches to a niger feeder. Then this guy posed on a more distant perch.

ISO 1000, 1/640, f/13. Basic raw tonal processing in LR; to CS6 for NR on the BG (hardly needed) and some dodging and burning, BG and face. Nik Viveza to darken the lower end of the perch. (I need to put up a better one.)

[Joe Galkowski]

Nice shot of the Jay. You have it sharp, head to tail. I guess that was why you shot at f/13. Yet, you managed a creamy BG that is quite pleasing.

I also think it is framed well. I never know which side to leave more room on for these over-the-shoulder poses, the direction the body is pointing or where the eyes are looking. TFS.

[Allen Sparks]

Hi Diane,
Nice details, DOF, and exposure. Like Joe, I'm not sure where to leave more room in a shot like this - maybe a little more to the left? Very nice image either way.

Allen

[Satish Ranadive]

Beautiful image.Very nice look back pose, beautiful colors, details, BG and composition.

Regards,
Satish.

[vishaljadhav]

Nice IQ and vertical suits this well
BG is perfect
IMO a silver more on the left may balance the image more
lovely one over all

[keith mitchell]

Diane a bit more on the left of the bird would make this image for me, you have some smashing detail in the breast and head feathers.

Regards Keith.

[John Robinson]

Diane
I would drop the whole gamma (80 or 90 ) to give it a bit more punch( or levels /curves[
- whatever, And a little more canvas on the left or do some stretching if not.
Cheers
John
Thanks for you comments on my last pic by the way

[Diane Miller]

Thanks for the comments! This is full frame with just a small crop from the bottom, but it would be easy to manufacture a little more on the left.

I could darken it a bit (enrich the mid-tones) -- I've been getting paranoid about my aging monitor lately, wondering it its time for a replacement. But it appears to calibrate well, certainly the gray stepwedge at the bottom of each page here is perfect, as are several others I have scattered around. But on my middle-aged Mac Pro laptop the darkest two are indistinguishable, even if I tilt the screen either way.

[John Robinson]

Diane
I find looking at the screen ? tilting is a massive problem to me
If I move my head up or down one inch it makes such a difference. I have said many times - we ned a tripod to stick our chin in !!!
John

[Diane Miller]

That's a common problem for many monitors and laptops. Some newer ones have a different type of screen that has much more leeway in viewing angle. I have an Eizo Color Edge that thankfully has a wide tolerance for viewing angle. Although it's getting long in the tooth, that hasn't changed.

For monitors where viewing angle is a factor, the best I know is to view them at 90 degrees. Helps to avoid slouching in the chair...

For someone with that issue, your images are remarkably consistent! Whatever you're doing, it's workomg.