Two things caught my eye in the original image: the distinctive pattern of feathers on the jay's back and the ring of dark neck feathers that separated the head from the body. The feather pattern seemed a natural choice for the background of a close-up of the jay's head. The head was selected and then a one-pixel smudge brush was used to draw out feather tips. The catch-light in the eye was emphasized and the bill cleaned up with the clone tool. The burst of light behind the head was created using the wind filter and a conversion to polar coordinates.