Blue Jay: From the front!

[Warren Spreng]

I really liked CM's image of the Blue Jay and since it had a BG that was complimentary to the blue on the bird it came out very nice. My Blue Jays just won't cooperate and always like to present their chests to me! But since I had a blue sky I thought this might be a nice contrast and I liked the HP in this one. Attracted to feeder with peanuts and I was in a blind so I was only about 15 feet away. Canon T3i, Tamron 150 - 600 mm, 273 mm, 1/1250, ISO 400, f/8.0. Shadows slightly lightened in LR, some sharpening around eye and tail in PS CC, adjusted temp to rid it of yellow coloring in belly feathers, slight blur of BG sky.

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[CM Prince]

Very nice and sharp shot of the Blue Jay, like the leaves above and below.

[Sandy Witvoet]

Really like the comp, HA, perch and greenery Warren! Very nice! Might just be my eyes, but the intense blue of the sky a bit overwhelms the Blue Jay? Perhaps just back off a few points of the blues in saturation.... your call tho! Overall, super pretty image!

[Warren Spreng]

Thanks for the comments! Good observation Sandy, I think you are right about the sky, I think I ignored that because it was the first truly blue sky we have seen here in quite a while!

[Diane Miller]

Nice picture with a good composition. I'm always interested in also zooming into a head portrait if I get the chance. Looks like you had a little extra focal length here, but maybe that composition wouldn't have been great. Just a thought to keep in mind.

The sky is close -- maybe just a little desaturation and a slight bend toward cyan. I like the subtle tonal detail on the breast. I also like the brighter light on the tip of the tail, but it competes a bit with the rest. Wonder about toning it down a little but still being able to keep some emphasis there. Or brightening the breast a little -- or both. Here's a try.

[Warren Spreng]

Nice picture with a good composition. I'm always interested in also zooming into a head portrait if I get the chance. Looks like you had a little extra focal length here, but maybe that composition wouldn't have been great. Just a thought to keep in mind.

The sky is close -- maybe just a little desaturation and a slight bend toward cyan. I like the subtle tonal detail on the breast. I also like the brighter light on the tip of the tail, but it competes a bit with the rest. Wonder about toning it down a little but still being able to keep some emphasis there. Or brightening the breast a little -- or both. Here's a try.

Thanks Diane, I really like the adjustments, subtle but very effective! I thought about the head portrait as well since he wouldn't present his back to me, but went for the full shot when he finally picked a branch that had him totally in the open.

[Sandy Witvoet]

Subtle and very nice adjustment Diane! I like the comp as-is.... just enough greenery/environment.... Great going, Warren! (and, agree, there has been WAY too little blue sky here in the midwest!)

[Jim Keener]

Even from the thumbnail before I opened this page, the composition caught me. Beautiful lines and shapes. And I like Diane's modifications. Nice shot, Warren. Thanks.

[Warren Spreng]

Thanks Jim and Sandy!