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Vawendy Sent Me A Bluebird!
Vawendy Sent Me A Bluebird!
MaryO


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Portrait Of A Wild Bird (Advanced Editing VII)
Collection: Birds
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Sigma 100-300mm f/4.0 EX IF HSM for Nikon
Location: Springfield, VA
Date: Dec 27, 2009
Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/800
Galleries: Nature, Birds
Date Uploaded: Dec 23, 2009

 I figure anyone who's been here awhile is likely to think this is vawendy's image, so I couldn't *not* mention that in my title ;-) Same state, but I'm a fair distance north and west of her.

And I have never seen a Bluebird in my yard before today!!! Mind you, I've lived in the same house for 20 years, but I don't live in a Bluebird-friendly bit of land, nor do I put anything in my feeders they'd be attracted to. They have no reason to want to visit here.

This one shows up while I am shooting birds (for about the 6th time this week) and just casually hangs out while I take his picture. I am stunned!!! I must have been really good this year to get a new camera and have a Bluebird show up in the same week as a Wild Bird challenge :-))) Just getting the shot made me happy! Framed by that curvy branch and looking straight at me, no less. Talk about luck of the Irish ;-)

PP - cropped, tonemapped in qtpfsgui (pregamma 0.697, mantiuk method, contrast mapping 0.1, saturation factor 1.49, detail factor 1), copied as layer onto original and merged at 50% transparency (just wanted a little more feather detail), white balance, increased contrast, cloned out a couple of small branches and shadows and cloned in some texture on the bird's chest in places, slight vignette, resized, sharpened, blurred background more, added border.

Statistics
Place: 12 out of 138
Avg (all users): 6.8586
Avg (commenters): 8.0000
Avg (participants): 6.9028
Avg (non-participants): 6.8333
Views since voting: 2135
Views during voting: 382
Votes: 198
Comments: 24
Favorites: 4 (view)

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AuthorThread
Nikon D200
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED
 01/04/2010 04:12:37 PM
Mary...I gave this photo a 7...I just love the remarkable colors and beautiful detail! Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony Alpha a1 II
Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
 01/04/2010 10:53:33 AM
btw, wonderful shot!! he's a beauty!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony Alpha a1 II
Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
 01/04/2010 10:52:53 AM
haha!!! I just noticed this -- I was traveling home to Minnesota these past two weeks.

Quick!! put some suet out! The love the suet with blueberries in it. The like mealworms, too, but it takes a long time for them to find the mealworms, and everything else eats them instead. But they really like suet.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-7D
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro for Canon
 01/04/2010 09:19:56 AM
This deserved top 5. It is incredible.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-6D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 01/04/2010 04:50:02 AM
Well done, great finish and now a new 3rd PB in your profile. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
Olympus 45mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital
 01/03/2010 11:35:49 PM
Very pretty. I love seeing all the colors on the bird.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D750
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
 01/03/2010 10:26:37 PM
A redbird...how pretty...you did a fab job
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-7D
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM
 01/01/2010 08:16:42 AM
AWESOME!! Fingers crossed top five!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-7D
Canon EF 500mm f/4.0 L IS USM
 12/31/2009 12:52:58 PM
this is very nice but i think possibly a bit less exposure and a slightly different crop would be better 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Apple iPhone 6s+
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
 12/30/2009 06:40:23 PM
Well this has to be an omen for your new year. Much happiness to you, whoever you are. This image makes me happy.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-50D
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
 12/30/2009 02:04:49 PM
Nice comp and lighting, 8.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony DSLR-A330
Sony DT 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 SAM
12/30/2009 07:32:49 AM
Beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D7000
Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR
 12/30/2009 12:26:55 AM
great shot= top 5
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-6D
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS
 12/29/2009 08:38:22 PM
She sent you a beauty! Nicely done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-7D
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro for Canon
 12/29/2009 08:47:41 AM
Wonderful. The catchlight, the texture and color of his feathers!! Terrific use of negative space. 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-20D
Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II for Canon
 12/28/2009 11:14:13 PM
Nice DoF on this...blurred enough to set off the bird nicely but blurred so much as to not provide information about its environment. Nice color to this as well!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
 12/28/2009 10:29:44 PM
Very well done... DOF could have been just a wee bit better. Exposure is very well balanced, thanks for that, so many people have just absolutely blown out the highlights of their birds in this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D700
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
 12/28/2009 07:29:07 PM
Great definition on the feathers. Nice work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Leica M10
Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M Aspherical MF - Black
 12/28/2009 06:42:57 PM
gorgeous lighting here. nice detail too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-50D
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
 12/28/2009 01:31:49 PM
At least she is sharing these beautiful birds. WOW lovely light and shadows.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D80
Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon
 12/28/2009 10:50:14 AM
Great shot, although i think that maybe you could improve it (just my opinion):
-The subject is too much off-centered
-The background is a little distracting, maybe another aperture or adding a TC could help to isolate the bird, but i understand that maybe it was not possible on the field.
-Rotate a little the image. The bird seems tilted.

Congrats on this wonderful picture.8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 12/28/2009 08:41:46 AM
Good
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Leica SL
Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f/1.7 Aspherical MF Wide Angle - Black
 12/28/2009 05:27:30 AM
Very good indeed.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 12/28/2009 03:13:11 AM
Beautiful lighting and DOF.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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