Frog Catcher?

Gallery: AvianPosted July 27, 2012205 views17 comments

Now wouldn't that be the shot! Blue Jay inflight, with frog in it's grasp. For now, I will have to settle for this.
One can always dream

The blue jay is omnivorous. It eats fruits, acorns, seeds, nuts, insects, mice and frogs.
F/7.1, 1/2500th, ISO 640, 1D M3, 300mm f/2.8 + 1.4x ext. No flash around noon with light overcast. This is one I never worked up from December of last year.

Comments

17 comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on July 27, 2012 at 11:41 AM

LOL.. nice try..but we can always hold out hope.
Great pose here and tack-sharp. You've lost some detail in the dark tailfeathers, but a program like Viveza would help reclaim them. (free trial: http://www.niksoftware.com/viveza/usa/entry.php) I promise it will be the best $99 you ever spent.
Good cloning job - can't tell at all where it was.

Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on July 27, 2012 at 11:50 AM

I use Viveza Sandy

I may have a different approach than you when I process an image.
I use Viveza sparingly. Using natural light will introduce a certain amount of shadow, depending on the lights direction, weather conditions, etc. I used it on the tail feathers only to lighten the shadow & reveal a small amount of detail.

Post script:
I went back using the Nik selection tool & added a "bit" more brightness at the tail. I originally came down where I did because the tail was not in my plane of focus, not much detail there anyway.
If you view the image on the website link, you will notice a subtle change.
As far as I will go without introducing unwanted noise..
I have only this one set of eyes, so I appreciate all comments. They help keep me on my toes

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on July 27, 2012 at 12:53 PM

Whoa! this is really cool. Really great action. Perfectly tack sharp. Nice work on the canvas. I like it as posted!

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on July 27, 2012 at 3:24 PM

Nice Howard. Really impossible to expose perfectly for light and dark on the same bird many times. I would expect for the undertail to be in shadow with little detail, and seeing it differently would not look right IMO. I like it as posted.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Turner on July 27, 2012 at 4:59 PM

Looks good to me Howard.

You are the action man

Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on July 27, 2012 at 6:16 PM

I too like this as posted and think you've done well keeping it looking natural.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on July 27, 2012 at 9:25 PM

A remarkable capture, Howard. I come down on Sandy's side. Even the newest and best sensors don't get the range of light that the human eye does. If this great shot were mine, I'd select the black in the undertail and bring it up just a bit to try and recover a small bit of detail. As it is, that's a big, somewhat distracting blob of black.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Conway on July 27, 2012 at 11:32 PM

Wow great action capture. I like the comp and am good with this as posted but would not object to going after that black area. In all my years watching Jays I have never seen one take a frog. Didn't know they would, learn something new every day!

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on July 28, 2012 at 1:14 AM

Looks like you got this one at just the right angle. One of your best, Howard. Very nice.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on July 28, 2012 at 2:22 AM

Great capture Howard - nice and sharp

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on July 28, 2012 at 4:53 AM

Awesome landing shot Howard. I really like that tail spread. Excellent detail too.

Sweet One

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on July 28, 2012 at 6:15 AM

Wonderful flight action.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on July 28, 2012 at 11:54 AM

Howard, I really LOVE the action in this shot! I like it as posted. Nice work.

I am a bit confused by Sandy's comment saying you can reclaim lost details. If details are lost they cannot be reclaimed. You can only display the details the camera caught in the first place...you cannot show or bring out details that are not there and never existed in the first place.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on July 29, 2012 at 12:01 PM

Wonderful detail Howard, excellent catch. I like the nice bit of color in the background.

Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Jamie Douglas on July 30, 2012 at 12:14 AM

Whoa someone has good reactions. Nice one Howard.

Registered on July 16, 2012, 10 Posts, 87 Comments

Comment posted by Lennart Augustsson on July 31, 2012 at 5:35 AM

Very nice action and composition. Well done!!

Registered on July 29, 2011, 21 Posts, 137 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on August 1, 2012 at 4:28 PM

Nice stop action Howard, I like the approach pose and tail feathers out, way to go.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments