Blue Jay

[Natalie Stowe]

Please find following first post. Very new to photography and always eager to learn.

Canon 40d
ISO 400
f/5.6 1/1000

Lens 100 - 400

No crop

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3420/3235891891_cbfda23533_b.jpg



Thank you for looking.
Natalie

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Natalie,
A big welcome to the BPN family...:)
I like the composition and capture...I like the diagonal perch. You have a good head angle and good sharp eye contact...the details on your subject are sharp and you have good color rendition on him. I find the beautiful background a tad on the dark side...Suggestions: would consider in lightening the background a little, adjusting the mid-tones and lightening up the area around the eye and face. also see a trace of cloning artifact on the lower left bottom side of the frame; it looks like the snow was sliced with a knife...there is a hot spot on your snow that you might want to tone down. In addition, you need to watch the light, always try to have the sun to your backside, this way you won't get the harsh shadows...I like your photograph of this beautiful Blue Jay...once again....welcome to the family...and looking forward to seeing more of your work...:cool:

[Natalie Stowe]

Hi Natalie,
A big welcome to the BPN family...:)
I like the composition and capture...I like the diagonal perch. You have a good head angle and good sharp eye contact...the details on your subject are sharp and you have good color rendition on him. I find the beautiful background a tad on the dark side...Suggestions: would consider in lightening the background a little, adjusting the mid-tones and lightening up the area around the eye and face. also see a trace of cloning artifact on the lower left bottom side of the frame; it looks like the snow was sliced with a knife...there is a hot spot on your snow that you might want to tone down. In addition, you need to watch the light, always try to have the sun to your backside, this way you won't get the harsh shadows...I like your photograph of this beautiful Blue Jay...once again....welcome to the family...and looking forward to seeing more of your work...:cool:

Thank you very much Gus. Will take your recommendations and try and change these things when I get PhotoShop. Right now just using DPP and not sure how to lighten certain areas and not others, but will see if it can be done. The slice in the snow must have been where a bird sat before as I have not adjusted anything but can stamp it out. Will also take your recommendation about the sun.:)
Kind regards,
Natalie

[Dave Leroy]

Well you definitely have a knack for it Natalie. Very nice looking bird. Gus has lots of good ideas. I like the good focus on eye and the sharp details. Very well done. Looks like bird was enjoying the sunshine. Dave

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Natalie Good looking bird and great advice form Gus

Will be fun when you can get PS or at least Elements, it is a capable program. While making the image always keep track of the sun angle, at your back will produce the best results for even illumination but sidelight can be very effective. Will be more difficult to deal with and fill flash is usually necessary !!! Big Warm Welcome and looking forward to the next !!!

[Lance Peters]

Hi Natalie - welcome to the BPN Family - there is a lot of learning material under the educational resources forum - be sure to check it out.

I like the composition and pose - Gus and Al have the techs covered, the hardest thing I found when starting out was WHEN not to push the shutter.
Looking forward to more.

[Natalie Stowe]

Well you definitely have a knack for it Natalie. Very nice looking bird. Gus has lots of good ideas. I like the good focus on eye and the sharp details. Very well done. Looks like bird was enjoying the sunshine. Dave

Thank you very much Dave. It was a beautiful day!
Natalie

[Natalie Stowe]

Hi Natalie Good looking bird and great advice form Gus

Will be fun when you can get PS or at least Elements, it is a capable program. While making the image always keep track of the sun angle, at your back will produce the best results for even illumination but sidelight can be very effective. Will be more difficult to deal with and fill flash is usually necessary !!! Big Warm Welcome and looking forward to the next !!!

Thank you Alfred. It was great advice and will take it all in. Shall look forward to getting PS but I just started photography a few weeks ago so am trying to take it all in right now. Invaluable information about the light. Thank you all for the welcome!
Kind regards, Natalie

[Natalie Stowe]

Hi Natalie - welcome to the BPN Family - there is a lot of learning material under the educational resources forum - be sure to check it out.

I like the composition and pose - Gus and Al have the techs covered, the hardest thing I found when starting out was WHEN not to push the shutter.
Looking forward to more.


Thank you for the welcome Lance. I've been doing some reading and application as well. Thanks.

Yes you are correct, it is all too easy to just snap.

Many thanks,
Natalie