Male Boat-tailed Grackle

[Jay Gould]

Now that they have been identified - thanks BPNers - time to share some of the images.

Camera: 50D
Capture date/time: 29 Sep 09; late afternoon
Light condition: clear
Lens: 300 f/2.8
Focal length: 420mm
Extender: 1.4X
Tube: none
Flash/Comp: no;
ISO: 640
Exp Prog: Manual
Speed: 1/800 sec
Aperture: f/5.6
Exp Comp: do not recall
Metering: Evaluative
WB: Auto
AF Drive: AI Servo
Tripod: no
Filter: None
Crop: 50%

Processed in LR3beta, CS4; also used Noise Ninja and Pixel Genius Sharpeners

All C&Cs gratefully appreciated!

[Mike Tracy]

Nice calling pose and head angle. Good use of DOF to isolate your subject. Wish the light had been more from your right.

Hope you don't mind but did a 2 minute "fix". You could start over and make him look pretty good with the original file. I take it since your traveling you are probably editing on a laptop so that usually poses challenges within itself.

Locally adjusted the blacks and neutrals in Selective color on the grackle. Selected the eye and reduced the cyan, added a touch of red then sharpened a tad. Cropped behind his tail and extended the canvas in front. Toned down the perch. Ran one pass of moderate NR on background only.

[Alfred Forns]

Nice pose and bg Jay !!! Like it a lot These birds are common but getting one keeper is not easy, light has to be just right to light up the feathers.

Excellent re post by Mike !! All bases covered !!!

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Jay,
I like your capture. The feather details are good and so is the head angle and eye contact...love the pose...the repost puts it over the top...looking forward to more...keep them coming...:cool:

[Jay Gould]

Hi Mike, I never mind anyone do anything and everything to my images to make them better!!

I have only been serious at this photography game for eight months. I have so much to learn I sometimes wonder where to begin much less go next.

All of my editing is always done on a laptop since I live in a caravan when in Australia and space is a premium. I have decided to get a separate screen and use the laptop as a box when we return in May. I will be asking in the Equipment for screen recommendations in the 21" size.

When I receive recommendations like yous they go into my future processing file. I hope to find the time when I return to Oz to do a lot of reposts based upon everyones´ recommendations.

Thanks again.

[denise ippolito]

Jay, Very nice capture w/ the lovely BG colors. The repost makes this image sing. Nice work.

[Dave Phillips]

getting some fine images in your travels Jay. As Al noted, grackles need just the
right light to get the shimmer of color. I have found total overcast to work best here.

FWIW, I have been noticing a strong yellow/green in some of your work and I realize
you are traveling with a laptop. This is just a quick pp to see how prominent the
colorcast really is.

I admire your dedication to learning

animated GIF image deleted.......not allowed on BPN

[Jay Gould]

Hi Dave, thanks for the repost. I will check the history of this image; for all I know I may have added the yellow with too much saturation. That is so cool how the image blinks the cast on and off. How do you do that?

The image was shot in bright sunlight so would that also account for the yellow-green cast?

[Dave Phillips]

Hi Dave, thanks for the repost. I will check the history of this image; for all I know I may have added the yellow with too much saturation. That is so cool how the image blinks the cast on and off. How do you do that?

The image was shot in bright sunlight so would that also account for the yellow-green cast?

Jay, that "was" an animated gif posted as a learning exercise.....it has been deleted as I am
informed by management that that image format is not allowed.