Florida Scrub Jay portrait

[Dan Brown]

This shot was made at the Helen and Alan Cruikshank Sanctuary. PP'ed in CS3, selective sharpened with Nik Sharpener Pro, Selective NR on BG with Noise Ninja.


Camera Model: NIKON D200
Shutter speed: 1/1000 sec
Aperture: 5.6
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: On SB 800 high speed fill -2.0
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 400
Lens: 80 to 400mm
Focal length: 400mm

[Joe Senzatimore]

Very nice image made with a lens that is not always easy to use. You did well with this one. The BG makes the subject "pop" even though it seems a bit bright. It could be toned down a bit and perhaps some cropped off the top.

[Tony House]

Nice pose and nice use of fill flash, colours of the bird really stand out....

Nice work.
Tony

[susanschermer]

A bird I still have yet to capture in my repertoire. Very nice pose and exposure. The flash brings out the colors and the eye. Where is the sanctuary you refer to , Dan? Is it in FL?

[Simon Bennett]

Nice clean shot and good pose.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great find, details and eye contact. I might clone out the diagonal OOF grass above the head.

[Arthur Morris]

Nice bird and pose. I like the upper BKGR a lot better than the lower BKGR.

[Judd Patterson]

I'll take the opposite stance of Artie and say that I prefer the bottom background (:)), and really like the mix of smooth at the top and more habitat details in the saw palmetto fronds on the bottom. I like the exposure and pose of the bird. I do find the top-left portion of the perch to look a bit odd as if the background was selected around it in PP...maybe that is a remnant from background blurring that you could tighten up a bit around the perch? Nice work!

[Dan Brown]

Thanks for the critiques. Judd, no PP in the area of the upper branches but I see what you are referring to, it is kinda funny looking. :)

[Liz Stanley]

Nice job - looks like the light worked out for you after all. I was worried when I saw the forecast.