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from raromo/Rafael (788) 
on February 8, 2008 7:46:51 PM CST
Beautiful, this is much more than photography, this is art. Congratulations and keep going.
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from joyia/Sardar Muhammad (59,899)
on February 7, 2008 10:12:36 AM CST
(5)
A very lovely blue Jay , with wonderful colors and details.. nice angle of view and your composition dear Michael .. I would say it has some charm than other ..that is your wonderful PP touch.. I have mix feeling for BG ..but what nicely it is framing the bird.. looks like it was set for it ..crop or cloning but I could not dicide it.. it is very lovely shot :) best of regards.. JOYIA
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From michaelcastellano/Michael (65,053) 
on February 7, 2008 10:39:35 AM CST
Thanks, JOYIA. I did do a small amount of cloning here and there, where some branches went "through" (behind) the head.
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from rufous03/Walter (22,755)
on February 6, 2008 9:40:22 PM CST
(7)
Nice capture Michael, good detail, color etc. Background is natural, but I am sure some will consider it too busy. I have five that visit here every now and again, one that we have nick named "squeeky close-line"! I have never heard him make a regular bluejay call.
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From michaelcastellano/Michael (65,053)
on February 6, 2008 10:02:34 PM CST
Thanks, Walter. Do you ever grab the camera when they're around? It always lifts my spirits in the dreary dead of winter to see a colorful blue jay or cardinal. The jays around here sometimes imitate hawk calls, presumably to scare away the competition! They also seem to operate in small groups of 3 to 6.
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From rufous03/Walter (22,755)
on February 7, 2008 3:14:57 PM CST
No, actually I haven't felt much like doing anything lately.
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from redreiter/Scott (1,247)
on February 6, 2008 8:33:02 PM CST
(6)
Very nice. The blurred blossoms in the foreground and background really give this a nice touch. Great composition. Thanks for sharing! -Scott
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from farradhim/Jacline (38,668)
on February 6, 2008 8:12:46 PM CST
(7)
how blue can it be? you really got the meaning of blue jay in this one, great details and I like the natural surroundings, the snow comes out well in clumps and add a nice touch with the blue of the bird. beautiful! Jacline
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From michaelcastellano/Michael (65,053)
on February 6, 2008 8:23:13 PM CST
Thanks, Jacline! I love blue jays, even though they can be pretty nasty little thing. Actually, that's a furry type of winterized bud on the tree, not snow.
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From farradhim/Jacline (38,668)
on February 6, 2008 8:29:29 PM CST
oh! they look like snow buds:) I give peanuts to blue jays each day, also once in a while I give them bacon bread, this is bread frozen with the bacon fat, they love it! thank you for the precision:) Jacline
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From michaelcastellano/Michael (65,053)
on February 6, 2008 8:44:52 PM CST
Cool! I wish I had access to my backyard so I could set up a feeder and lure them closer. I shoot mostly in the park and only randomly get close to them, and in that setting they are pretty shy.
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From farradhim/Jacline (38,668)
on February 6, 2008 8:47:39 PM CST
try the bacon bread and sit back....I am sure they will come in numbers, they always do! Jacline
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from stinger05/Todd (1,383)
on February 6, 2008 7:18:17 PM CST
(7)
Michael, under the conditions given I have to say job well done. I also have spent some chasing and going broke baiting Blue Jays and understand the commitment. Thanks for sharing!!
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From michaelcastellano/Michael (65,053)
on February 6, 2008 7:27:43 PM CST
Thanks, Todd. You need some luck. I almost always bring my camera to the park, but one day I got lazy and didn't bring it, and wouldn't you know a group of three blue jays landed on a fence less that fifteen feet away and hung around for a couple of minutes!! I was screened by a tree and they apparently did not see me. It was then that I vowed to NEVER forget my camera again!
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from mountain1/Wayne (14,658)
on February 6, 2008 5:54:06 PM CST
(8)
Hi Michael, Very nice image. Bird looks crips and color is great. the tip of the tail behind the branch detracts just a bit but the big one for me is the OOF branches in the foreground. Although they're not in front of the bird, there's enough of them to provide a real distraction. Nice shot, thanks for sharing.
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From michaelcastellano/Michael (65,053)
on February 6, 2008 6:29:08 PM CST
Thanks, Wayne. Blue Jays are not that easy to catch out in the open, I've been trying for years and have only succeeded a couple of times.
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From mountain1/Wayne (14,658)
on February 6, 2008 7:14:53 PM CST
I know, it's always easy to say 'you should have done this or that', but it's all dependant upon the bird and what they decide to do...
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from hawkeyefuller/Mike (2,381)
on February 6, 2008 5:48:25 PM CST
(7)
Beautiful Jay Michael. The color composition and dof is right on. There is nothing about this shot that requires improvement. Regards, Mike
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from fz8/Adam (4,361)
on February 6, 2008 5:45:59 PM CST
(8)
A great picture, just love it. The bird seems to be looking straight into the camera. I would cut, if I may suggest, the little branches at the left edge. Is it really winter or, rather, early spring time?
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From michaelcastellano/Michael (65,053)
on February 6, 2008 6:26:38 PM CST
Thanks, Adam. It's Winter, but there was an amazing number of plants in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens that are green all year round, and/or which bloom berries, flowers, or buds in the Winter. The magnolias already have their buds out, in Winter form, with an insulated furry coat of protection.
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From fz8/Adam (4,361)
on February 6, 2008 6:34:08 PM CST
Thanx. You just gave me a good reason to visit the Brooklyn garden. :-)
- Adam
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From michaelcastellano/Michael (65,053)
on February 6, 2008 6:38:29 PM CST
Yes, there's plenty to see outside and there are a number of indoor buildings, one with desert plants, and one with tropical plants. Japanese Witch Hazel is currently in bloom and it smells just like what comes out of the bottle.
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