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Texas bluejay
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Texas bluejay

by Robert Bunch

Gallery: AvianPosted March 21, 2010220 views18 comments
This beautiful bluejay was photographed in a Dallas city park. I spread a little birdseed on the ground and used my van as a blind.

D200 w/ nikkor MF 300/2.8 and TC 14 with monopod

1/640 @ f4 ISO 200

Thanks for any comments/criticism.

Comments

18 comments
Comment posted by Gary Gulash on March 21, 2010 at 9:30 PM
Well composed and good pose. Might just be me, but the eye appears a bit grey, likely just an unusual reflection. They are quite stunning aren't they!
Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments
Comment posted by Dan Harbour on March 21, 2010 at 9:58 PM
beautiful color, great pose, and nice framing of the subject with the branches. :toast:
Registered on January 4, 2008, 113 Posts, 2416 Comments
Comment posted by Nate Chappell on March 21, 2010 at 10:14 PM
The jay looks excellent and I like your comp Robert, it looks to me like you caught him with the nictating membrane on his eye up which makes it look a bit strange. :toast:
Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments
Comment posted by Wayne Rhodus on March 21, 2010 at 10:50 PM
Your subjects stunning color set against the lovely background just makes it jump off the monitor. Excellent. :toast:
Registered on November 16, 2003, 157 Posts, 3326 Comments
Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on March 21, 2010 at 11:51 PM
Robert, excellent capture of a very elusive subject! The colorsa and light are just perfect!
Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments
Comment posted by KC Choo on March 21, 2010 at 11:56 PM
Lovely!
Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments
Comment posted by Joe Paratore on March 22, 2010 at 8:04 AM
wonderful shot Robert of the Jay.Nice light with excellent color and detail
Registered on January 31, 2007, 40 Posts, 160 Comments
Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on March 22, 2010 at 9:27 AM
nice looking colors and comp here, Robert.
Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments
Comment posted by Clayton Musgrove on March 22, 2010 at 9:58 AM
Congrats on a nearly perfect Jay shot Robert. Definately bookworthy.
Clayton :toast:
Registered on February 6, 2010, 55 Posts, 235 Comments
Comment posted by Mia McPherson on March 22, 2010 at 10:08 AM
Robert,

I think the setting you have this Jay in is beautiful, I would expect to find them (if we had them out here) in a similar setting. I like the pose of the bird, your choice of comp and the colors very much.

I can't tell if the nictitating membrane is exposed or if the eye just shows an unusual reflection, but selecting the eye and then darkening it slightly in a levels layer may help with the appearance. It is not all that distracting as posted but the image might be stronger with it darkened.

In the field I may have increased my ISO to 320 (increasing shutter speed) then changed the aperture to f8 to get the tail onto the DOF.

I do miss the raucous calls of the Blue Jays because we don't have this species here, this image made me hear them in my mind, thank you.
Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments
Comment posted by Jim Hackley on March 22, 2010 at 12:42 PM
Very nice, good job on the comp and the contrasting colors really make the jay stand out, well done.
Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments
Comment posted by Monica Siri on March 22, 2010 at 1:04 PM
Robert,
excellent work! I really like the pose, the color and the detail. :toast:
Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments
Comment posted by István Pénzes on March 22, 2010 at 3:21 PM
Nice blues and great details. The eye is a bit strange but good job.

István Pénzes
Hungary
Registered on January 12, 2010, 35 Posts, 192 Comments
Comment posted by Wayne Willison on March 22, 2010 at 6:01 PM
Beautiful color and texture. Gotta love that lens.
Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments
Comment posted by Richard Ditch on March 22, 2010 at 6:21 PM
A lovely image - great natural color on a wonderful background.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments
Comment posted by Ron Dudley on March 22, 2010 at 7:36 PM
This beauty really pops in that setting Robert. Really a nice image.
Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments
Comment posted by David Sparks on March 24, 2010 at 11:09 AM
Robert:
Nice getting the jay in the open and the colors are terrific. I don't know what a bluejay's nictitating membrane looks like, but that may be why the eye is dark. :toast:
Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments
Comment posted by Rick Turner on May 29, 2012 at 9:00 AM
great colors on this jay
Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments