Great crested grebes- territorial dispute

[Jonathan Ashton]

Tripod mongoose head
Camera Model Canon EOS 7D
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/1250
Av( Aperture Value ) 7.1
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation -1/3
ISO Speed 400
Lens EF500mm f/4L IS USM +1.4x
Focal Length 700.0mm
AF Mode AI Servo AF
AF area select mode Manual selection
Color Space Adobe RGB

What can I say ......if only they had been closer.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Jon, I feel they are large enough in the frame, and the central placement works too. The whites look good on the chest of the grebe on the left, but I feel both grebe's are being lost against the darker BG.

[Humberto Ramos]

Hi Jonathan,
Great interaction you caught here, I think you where in the ideal distance to the grebes. I have to agree with stuart about the BG, The birds where to close to the BG, and even if you had used a bigger aperture, the BG would always be a bit confused because of the dark areas. Maybe next time you will be able to get them more distanced from the BG.
Where you in the water when you took the shot?

[Jonathan Ashton]

I was at the water side, the camera was knee height and the birds were at the far bank side. If they had been nearer I would have been able to dispense with the TC and there would have been better separation from the far bank.

[christopher galeski]

nice image,have to agree with the other comments about the BG,thanks.

[Humberto Ramos]

If you visit my site here, you can see some images my hidro hide, or aquatic blind, I'm Europe we don't have crocodiles or other poison snacks, so you can use it very easily, I't home made, and easy to build, you also have to buy diving suit of 5 mm and 3mm for summer, the platform is very stable.
The birds are very tolerant if you move slowly, for several times had great crested grebes in less than 3m.

http://humbertophoto.com/home/2011/05/19/hidrohide-2011 (http://humbertophoto.com/home/2011/05/19/hidrohide-2011/)/

[Jonathan Ashton]

If you visit my site here, you can see some images my hidro hide, or aquatic blind, I'm Europe we don't have crocodiles or other poison snacks, so you can use it very easily, I't home made, and easy to build, you also have to buy diving suit of 5 mm and 3mm for summer, the platform is very stable.
The birds are very tolerant if you move slowly, for several times had great crested grebes in less than 3m.

http://humbertophoto.com/home/2011/05/19/hidrohide-2011 (http://humbertophoto.com/home/2011/05/19/hidrohide-2011/)/

Thanks Humberto (I am trying to get a translation into English)

[Charles Glatzer]

Sweet action captured. Image looks a bit soft as presented, perhaps a bit more USM is in order.

Chas

[Humberto Ramos]

You don't need the transaction, in the site I don't tell anything about the construction...
I use a 5 cm "roofmate" plates (its used for isolation on buildings and its blue), 5 plates sticked together, I have two nodules on L shape, (its easy to transport) when I arrive to the bird spot I mount the two plates and it becomes an U Shape, in the middle I have a screw to mount the tripod head and camouflage above. on top and bottom of the roofmate I have PVC plates of 6mm, all sticked together with a special glue and some screws.
If now I would only put 4 roofmate plates, its enough even for the 600mm I use.
Examples:

http://www.natugrafia.com/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71:construcao-hidrohide-abrigo-flutuante&catid=36:artigos-publicos&Itemid=98
(Mine is like this one but much smaller and instead of wood PVC, its much lighter and the wood and water its not a good combination with time...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrzCFlkwVQw
Another example, in spanish, you don't need all those squares, one or two peaces in each layer, and repeat don't put wood or you will need to take someone with you to put it on the water, mine I can carry with one hand. You don't need the camouflage so high...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alejandrojimenezgarrido/5168072044/
Good example, but the camouflage still high, and you done need to but nothing lease than the roofmate and PVC in the outside, the PVC is for the roofmate don't track...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joaoedgar/6897093512/
This diminution is OK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8OM61idWTU&feature=related
Here you can see that the birds are not afraid...

http://www.naturalfoto.es/images/1251/344/
This size IMO is perfect, and I have a neoprene suit like this for summer (3mm) and a 5 or 6 mm for winter.

With the 6mm neoprene suite, you don't need life jacket, you will float very well, like in dead sea, but with the 3mm, its good to have one...