Horned Grebe [Archive] - BirdPhotographers.net

Enrique Patino

02-12-2012, 10:51 PM

With the weather being less than optimum last few days, I decided to try out my flash technique on these guys... laying low on the floating docks at a local Marina and waiting for them to surface close by... hopefully with prey.

Canon EOS 7D, 420 mm, f/7.1, 1/500 sec, 400 ISO, manual, flash with better beamer

C&C welcome

Don Nelson

02-13-2012, 03:04 AM

Excellent capture with prey.
I can only wish it had just a little better HA. I notice you've got some small reflections of red in the water that pull my eye away from the bird, particularly behind the bird - if this were my image, I'd quick mask the bird, then desaturate the red in just the water. Also, I'd just slightly darken (not very much) the water (in levels adjustment layer, moving the level from 1.00 to 0.92to0.94 works for me), and then bringing up the saturation, just a bit in the bird in the reds. That eye ring is spectacular.

Please forgive the repost - I don't have your fullsize raw to work on.
108754

RakeshDhareshwar

02-13-2012, 03:23 AM

The repost by Don gives it the puch it lacked in the OP . Great catch by the grebe and you too .

Enrique Patino

02-13-2012, 09:51 AM

I see what you mean Don, and I agree with the added punch Rakesh. Thanks for the suggestions Don.
About the HA, is the face parallel to the sensor here, or not quite?

Daniel Cadieux

02-13-2012, 12:22 PM

Super that you got this guy with prey...too bad we can't see the lunch's head but we can't always get everything can't we! I agree that more head turn would have been optimal. Good job with the flash and nice details, but I do feel the image could be brighter overall. Both versions work for me as I had no issue with the red in the water.

Frank Schauf

02-14-2012, 08:17 AM

Perfect comp and bg. Nice work!