Blue Jay shots...for C&C please...

[IzzieK]

Quite a while back I saw a Blue Jay on my deck and have been buying different kinds of bird seeds to entice it back to my back garden...Hubby said they are plentiful in Kansas but not here. I would have asked him to bring me to Kansas since most of relations still live there, but I have to hold back and see if I can get the bird back here again for another visit.

Well...I got my lucky day...all shots handheld on 150-500mm Sigma lens while leaning on my knee about 5.5 -6 meters away from the feeder...

1 Well! hello...lots of food here just for me...



2 Yummy!!!!



3 What's up Doc???



4 I am...gorging.....good stuff!!



5 Let me do a little wing exercise here....



6 Ain't I the cutest, ha? ha? huh???



Sorry the sun suddenly appeared at the top of the twigs I positioned there for the birds to rest and this last one was totally overexposed...I have to learn how to shoot in sunny conditions so I am reading up on Kelvin scale values today and practicing different scenerios on my camera...not so hard to understand really...

I appreciate any comments, feedbacks and especially critiques. Thank you.

[Digital]

Izzie, I like #2,3,4, and 5. I believe these are good images. On #6 your subject seems soft.
Overall IMHO you did a good job on the photo, and the captions. I like your sense of humor.


Bruce

[Shadowman]

Lucky you, nice captures.

[Rebel]

Nice shots Izzie, lovely colours on the bird.

The only time I've seen one before was on a Toronto Blue Jays jersey.

[MarieV]

Glad you got your wish Izzie and Mr. Blue Jay returned and obviously enjoyed your cooking.. You captured him beautifully.

[IzzieK]

Izzie, I like #2,3,4, and 5. I believe these are good images. On #6 your subject seems soft.
Overall IMHO you did a good job on the photo, and the captions. I like your sense of humor.
Bruce

Thanks for commenting and critique-ing...and the feedback. I am glad you enjoyed my images...On #6, I am still learning how to photograph birds in sunny conditions...and this shot was way overexposed because I have been doing a succession of shadowed shots then he flew away and landed on the sunshiny part of the surrounds. It is the only one I got of him too...

[IzzieK]

Lucky you, nice captures.

Thanks John...I am lucky indeed...

[IzzieK]

Nice shots Izzie, lovely colours on the bird.

The only time I've seen one before was on a Toronto Blue Jays jersey.

That's a T-shirt Matt...thanks for the smiles though...and thank you for passing by and putting in your comment and feedback. 'Appreciate it.

[IzzieK]

Glad you got your wish Izzie and Mr. Blue Jay returned and obviously enjoyed your cooking.. You captured him beautifully.

Thanks Marie...I think my brain steamed and cooked more waiting for Mr. BJ to appear...Silly bugger made me wait and then couldn't wait to fly away again... Thank you for passing by and commenting. 'Appreciate it very much.

[Kris V]

Your story telling really makes this set sooooooo enjoyable!

[Barbara Ponder]

Love Blue Jays we have been lucky this year as we have a family nesting near by and are visited daily by 4 or 5. These are nice I am however seeing some noise or could it be something in your PP. Hope you will get a chance to get more shots of these beautiful birds.

[Ziggy]

Many Blue Jays in Ohio Izzie. Try peanuts (get the ones for birds).

[bnnrcn]

Very nice coloured bird Isabel My best is #3 with good composition and details.

[IzzieK]

Your story telling really makes this set sooooooo enjoyable!

Thanks Kris...I am glad you enjoy my humour...I have a lot of these from where it came from...my sense of humour I mean. It makes my marriage bearable...

[IzzieK]

Love Blue Jays we have been lucky this year as we have a family nesting near by and are visited daily by 4 or 5. These are nice I am however seeing some noise or could it be something in your PP. Hope you will get a chance to get more shots of these beautiful birds.

I will correct these as soon as I can, Barbara...thank you for your comments and feedback here too. You have taught me a lot...

[IzzieK]

Very nice coloured bird Isabel My best is #3 with good composition and details.

Thank you Binnur...I had just uploaded the corrected images as per Barbara's request but I still cannot get the last one...it looks cartoony to me at the head...

Thank you for your comment and feedback. 'Do appreciate it very much.

[bnnrcn]

Sometimes too much noise reduction gives a cartony look to the image Isabel I would suggest you should try 'reduce noise' or 'smart sharpen' options in PS to see how they work. You can both reduce noise and sharpen the images at the same time with those functions. May be you can get better IQ this way

Thank you Binnur...I had just uploaded the corrected images as per Barbara's request but I still cannot get the last one...it looks cartoony to me at the head...

Thank you for your comment and feedback. 'Do appreciate it very much.

[Brownbear]

Hi Izzie,

I saw these this morning and was exceptionally impressed with how sharp your focus was and the beautiful detail you captured in the Blue Jay! I noticed the noise, mostly in the background but didn't have time to comment until now.

I agree with Binnur about noise reduction. I wonder if the noise was a result of your having to lift exposure and shadows? If yes, next time around check your histogram and push your exposure as far to the right as you can without clipping anything. At ISO 1250 with your camera I don't think noise should be so evident with small size images. With my Eagles I've learned that at higher ISOs if I underexpose even a little bit, noise is too much of a problem and I end up deleting the image.

Or due to post processing? When I post process birds photographed at higher ISO's I confine my post processing to the bird only, ie; sharpening, contrast, clarity, vibrance, etc.. and try to avoid touching the background, and use NR on the sky/water only...

My favourite of this set are #2 and #3 for the compositions, but especially #3 because the Blue Jay is looking at you.

While that bird feeder is pretty I wonder if you could capture a shot with a simpler background by placing your bird feed, or acorns, or a few of the bugs stored inside your freezer on that tree/log/wood (without the twigs in the background) set up so you can be close to your bird but with the background farther away... Or perhaps buy a bird bath adorned with acorns and insects? We don't have those beautiful birds where I live but I read that they like bird baths.

Or alternatively just hang the bird feeder with some greenery in the far distance and capture the bird and feeder without the wood/twigs in the background. Trying to think of ideas for a less busy background as I write, but I'm especially fond of the bird bath idea.

See for info on Blue Jays
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay/lifehistory

All lovely poses/moments... And #2, 3, 4,5, gorgeous colours, nice detail, beautifully focused and sharp (before the noise reduction to the best of my recollection). With #3 being my favourite. I think you're progressing wonderfully with your birds! Well done, Izzie.

[ied]

Beautiful shots Izzie. Such nice & sharp. Great detail. May I suggest you prune the twigs from the branch
in #6. Otherwise you will find that the next one ( any bird )will position itself behind these twigs which ruin your image.
Ask me how I know.
Irene

[IzzieK]

Sometimes too much noise reduction gives a cartony look to the image Isabel I would suggest you should try 'reduce noise' or 'smart sharpen' options in PS to see how they work. You can both reduce noise and sharpen the images at the same time with those functions. May be you can get better IQ this way

That last bird was really yucky to start with but it was a nice exercise in learning sharpening too. I will get on with it, Binnur. Thank you for your further advice...