Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

[Jonathan Ashton]

Image captured in very tricky light, it looks dark, it was in fact darker than this. Hand held
Olympus E-M1X
Focal Length : 420.0mm
Focal length in 35 mm film : 841.0mm
Exposure mode : Manual exposure
ISO Sensitivity : 400
Exposure compensation : -1.7 EV
Shutter : 1/3200 sec
Aperture : F5.6

ACR/PSCC

[Steve Kaluski]

I like the two poses, but light appears harsh Jon, generating tough whites and dark darks. Personally the format isn't working for me, perhaps adding some to the RHS to the same as on the left, albeit going more pano may work???? If you loose it on the left it gets to boxy!!!! However, it's the 'impressionist' look/feel to the backdrop I'm really not loving, is it heat haze, as it almost has the look of bad cloning!!!!

Sorry to sound so negative on this one Jon.

TFS
Steve

[William Dickson]

I see what Steve is talking about on the BG, between the heads on the birds....I do like the pose you captured and the detail on the birds....especially on the bodies...The heads appear a wee bit 'heavy' to me....

Will

[John Mack]

Neat looking grebes. You handled the light very well. Nice and sharp.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks everyone, I suspected it may have mixed reviews, I like it personally and considering the circumstances I think the grebes are pretty good. I appreciate the black feathers look dense and darker that I would usually post but that is how they were in this particular case.

[Randy Stout]

Really like the birds, pose, dramatic feathers.

A lower perspective if possible would have helped soften the background into a nice impressionistic blur.

I would certainly keep working these beauties if the is possible!!

Randy

[Eric Patdu]

I love that they look like mirror images. I wonder if you show more of their reflection so it looks like four quadrants of the bird.

[Wayne Niz]

Another fantastic pic, the birds are beautiful and you couldn't ask for a better pose