No peacocks were harmed or in any way mistreated during the production of this photograph. No word as of yet regarding their opinion of extremely shallow depth of field, though.
Brendan: “Here are the peacock feathers plus some instructions from the guru… what’s in that box?”
Francis Whitman: “We bought a snake.”
Brendan: “Its got a skull and crossbones on it…”
– Wallace Wolodarsky & Owen Wilson – The Darjeeling Unlimited
About this image: digital photograph (Canon 300D) lightly modified in Adobe Photoshop
Refrigerator Magnate 
I feel I’m being watched! 😉
I see what you mean, S.E…
I think it just blinked!
🙂
I have dozens of these at home — the cats love them.
Meeeeow!
🙂
Awesome image! It’s an eye that I see. 😀
Happy Happy Twenty Thirteen!
I’m so happy you liked it! And so is the eye!
Thank you very much, Cristina – wishing you a wonderful new year as well!
🙂
Oh, darn it all. . . . I like this. 🙂
Well that is very nice to hear, H.C… thank you so much!
🙂
The colouring on these feathers are rather
exquisite my great friend and I really like the
concept of this piece of artistry 🙂
Brilliant as always SIG
Have a really wicked Monday 🙂
Androgoth
Why thank you, Andro! It was interesting how much the colors changed by turning it the smallest amount in different kinds of light… maybe too interesting (I took so many photos it took me an hour just to choose one)!
Thank you so much, sir! I hope your Monday goes as well one possibly can!
🙂
I think it is the same with a lot of artists, always trying to choose the most perfect of specimens 🙂 🙂
You did very well with
your choosing though 🙂
Androgoth
If that’s the biggest of my complaints I guess I don’t have much to complain about!
The more I think about it the more I realize it’s nice to have those choices (even if it takes me a while to decide)!
🙂
On my drawings it is the opposite,
I do one sketch and then crudely
add some colouring, then hit the
publish 🙂 If I thought about doing
another one all of them would be
in the bin 🙂 lmao
I wonder if the great
Michael Angelo had
those days 🙂 lol
Androgoth
I know I feel that way all the time, Andro! I think we all do… or I like to think that, anyway.
I like to think about that very same thing some days… well, most days, really. I image that he had his frustration(s), too… although it goes without saying that if I had a million years to practice I’d still be thrilled to re-produce half of what he’d probably consider bin-worthy!
🙂
Yes and what a shame that such a fine and indeed brilliant artist of his time and beyond was destined to be poor for the most of his life, I guess that fame and fortune is not always so clearly defined.
Have a wonderful rest of evening SIG 🙂
Androgoth
Indeed… I wonder what he would think if he knew how popular his work was (and how many people admire it) so many years later?!
I hope you are having a great one, A.G!
🙂
I love peacock feathers, Sig! You have a great shot here. 🙂
Have a great week! 🙂
It’s amazing how intricate they are… I’m always a bit surprised by that!
Thank you very much, Deb! I hope you have a wonderful week as well!
🙂
Pretty! Love the peacock feathers, but am (not exactly sure why) kind of terrified of birds.
Thanks so much, Ms. N! Hahaha… I can understand that… it seems like they’re up to some kind of Hitchcock thing… with the beaks and pointy feet and whatnot…
🙂
Very cool shot – It’s amazing that nature can come up with something like this!
Thank you very much, J.P!
Indeed… nature is quite the stunner!
🙂
That’s really interesting It’s like an eye or animal 🙂
I can see that, too! Thank you, sir!
🙂
beautiful … and a chuckle too!
Thank you so much! Very kind things of you to say!
🙂
Ah, another humorous reminder from God that He has His pretty eye on us, in case the one in outer space scares us half to death. I nearly laughed at the quote — I had to deal with newborn granddaughter’s leopard print bassinette skirt, and the zebra striped mobile over her head because her mom made both for her and was thrilled with how they came out — but Dad’s black satanic/poison heavy metal handkerchief tacked up on a near wall? Well, that took a walk around the corner. (How’d anyone become enamored of the deathly-ugly??) Anyway, what a lovely thing to peek in on this morn, SIG! I think I’ll make it my computer wallpaper, if you don’t mind!
Hahaha… you know, the funny part about this whole thing is I usually prefer a nice, soft neutral color.
Not that I don’t appreciate some bold color(s) patterns every now and then… I don’t know if I’d want to look at them all day every day… but to each their own, I guess (I’m sure many people would find my walls pretty boring)!
Absolutely! It’s fairly low-resolution so it will probably start to get pixellated if it’s made much bigger… but feel free!
Peacock feathers are so beautiful because of the iridescence of the feathers. You’ve captured that perfectly!
Now I hope you don’t have to capture the peacock himself. I hear they are not the friendliest of fellows. 🙂
I always forget the extent of that! Pretty wild how the dramatic change(s) the slightest turn or different ‘color’ of light make!
Hahaha… fortunately this feather was found sans-peacock… I’m sure I’d still have bruises otherwise!
🙂
Depth of field isn’t the only thing shallow..hahah
Hahaha… wait… I don’t get it…
😉
Nice feather. How did you get that close to a peacock though? Have you seen Kung Fu Panda 2? The peacock is the bad guy.
I guess this one must have fallen off during all the Kung Fu-ing! Which is fortunate, because he probably would have beaten the snot out of me!
🙂
“Eye” see what you’re talking about. Isn’t the detailed handiwork we find in nature awe-inspiring?
Hahaha… the ‘eyes’ seem to have it today!
Absolutely! It’s pretty humbling, isn’t it?!
🙂
I can’t think of peacocks without imagining I’m Flannery O’Conner. Only far less classy. And a bit happier.
They do seem happy, don’t they?!
Jerks. 🙂
Nice shot, SIG! I love peacocks. We have this park in town where they all roam around freely. It’s always a sight when they puff up their feathers all grandiose and stuff. Happy Monday!
Thanks, B.F! We have some peacocks at the zoo here… and once we saw one running around our neighborhood! Which was very strange… not the sort of thing we normally see here!
🙂
Oh, Brendan. As a preening bird myself, I approve of the shallow DOF and especially of however you did this lighting.
Hahaha… well, thank you, U.M!
Just more available / window light… and a random picture frame wrapped in a dark hoodie… and a dark couch cushion… and… other… random… stuff.
🙂
I love the iridescence of peacock feathers. Gorgeous colors in the center–did you tinker with those or is that how it really looks?
Thank you very much, Madame!
I pushed the reds a bit (it was originally a bit ‘greener’), but really, it’s pretty close to in-camera (for me, anyway). It was wild how much changing light affected the colors!
🙂
lovely !
i would imagine peacocks are plumage-vain & enjoy shallow depth of field. kinda like actresses and “soft focus” ~ as a kid i recall hearing that sybil shepard insisted on it during shooting “moonlighting”… oh but i ramble heh heh
Thank you so much, E.F!
Hahaha… I believe it! Not that… I understand… or… anything.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to make-up, er…
🙂
Beautiful coloration. Wat, is that pacman I see in there?
*woh-ah woh-ah woh-ah woh-ah*
(That’s my pacman impression)
🙂
Beautiful. 🙂
You don’t fool me. That is a high res shot of the Area 51 space portal. The coded movie message is so obvious ( as he adjusts his tin foil hat). 😀
HA! NOoooo… of… course… not.
My lawyer advises me to tell youI… have… no… idea… what you are talking about…😉
Looks like he’s staring at me.
Beautiful, SIg! Happy New Year!
I’ve heard he’s prone to blinking first, though.
Thank you so much, Nancy! I hope your family is having a very happy 2013 as well!
🙂
Happy New Year 🙂 – Love the gold look to the feather… awesome 🙂
It was wild how much the colors changed depending on the light!
🙂
somebody beat me to the comment – but i feel like there are eyes looking at me. make that eye.
beautiful details! thanks for sharing.
You are in good company, P&K!
And thank you! Very much!
🙂
Great shot Bob,What a simple feather become a great image amazing my friend……
Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Thank you so much, sir! It was a lot of fun to play around with… and I’m so happy to hear you liked it!
🙂
This is how aliens keep an eye on us.
HA! I’d better go dig out my alien camo…
🙂
Don’t forget the foil hat.
HA! I hope I didn’t put it on the left-overs by mistake!
🙂
It looks beautiful 🙂
Thank you very much, Ms. B!
🙂
Brilliantly beautiful!
Thank you so very much, Peg!
🙂
such wonderful light!! So lovely indeed.
It had been pretty cloudy here for a while… so when I saw some actual sunlight I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play around with it a bit. Thank you very much, Mr. B!
🙂
nicely done my friend… nicely done! As an aside, I just posted an image that made me think of the mystery you created with your fog picture a while back…. Different image… but to me that same kinda spooky feel!
I-n-t-r-i-g-u-i-n-g!
I’m off to check it out!
🙂
Such strong and beautiful colours SIG. Very masterful sir
So kind of you to say, sir! I thank you! Very much!
🙂
Spectacular colors Bob. I think the shallow depth of field focuses the mind as well as the eye. There’s almost a halucinatory effect to the image 🙂 …Now where did I put my Whacky Baccy 😉
ps – must try some macro’s of discarded Budgie feathers 🙂
Sounds like a plan!
🙂
When I was thinking about this the color-shift seemed like part of the fun… but I hadn’t expected how dramatic it really was! Pretty cool, really! Thank you very much, sir! 🙂
I never cease to be amazed at the glorious collours of peacocks. Especially that incredible blue they have. Stunning birds simply stunning.
It’s pretty wild, isn’t it, Mr. B?! I mean… just one feather is impressive… a bird-full is really something!
🙂