An easy red-necked grebe along the jolly waterways

Hi! I took this the other evening with the Canon 7D and 70-300L at 300mm, iso500, 1/640, f9. I even tried my first lying-down-on-stomach shots. I lay down on the bridge and when people looked down at me in horror I said each time: "But lying down on bridges feels good to me!" The shot you see here was obviously not the result of said prostration. The reflections were far more pleasing when I was sitting on the bridge. Anyhow, I'd love to tell you the story of the grebe eggs that were days away from hatching and the thieving mink who gobbled them all, but I won't bore you with those silly details...please do share your comments and suggestions with me! I shall take them to heart!
Attachment 115736

Hi,

Love the overall colors, and the background. The blue looks kind of artificial to me. Did you boost the saturation there? I also feel that the bird and its reflection could be a bit bigger in the frame, and there could be more room on the right for it to move into.

Richard

Thanks Richard...I cannot account for the magical blues...I was dazzled by them and so kept snapping. I left the saturation slider alone. Interesting ideas for composition, I'll give that a try...

Beautiful reflection Jack. I have no problem with the blues - I have several images with a similar blue wake cutting the reflected foliage and it looks fine to me. I might consider a tighter crop (or possible a panaromic crop).

Beauty shot, Jack.

The greens and golds of the the water are beautiful. It looks like a painted Monet.
I would crop this a bit tighter from the left and bottom. Nice HA.
I would get rid of the bright specular highlights on the wing.
gail

Fall color and very attractive.
I also think a crop from the left would work well.

Very nice grebe and background Jack. I also would like a tighter crop also. Will we see mink photos in the wildlife section?

Jack, first of all I am happy you experimented with lying down flat (I find myself in that position alot)...but I am also happy that figured out that reflections look better from a higher vantage point than that! Great colours and light, and I love the subtle head turn towards us. With the long wake behind the subject I am going the opposite way comp-wise...I'd trim half the space at bottom and perhaps about 60% off at RIGHT (yes, I realize you would likely not like losing all that beautiful water though...):S3:

I love to hear your ideas, folks! I figured you'd be proud of me for lying down, Daniel. I actually told myself: "Daniel Cadieux does this all over Ottawa all the time and so shall I in fetid Toronto!" Much cleaner is your city than mine, but that's another story. Laurie: no mink pictures. Couldn't bring myself to snap them, too grisly, natural history be damned. I've been trying to rid myself of these moronic attachments to wild animals but sometimes it's hard. I must always remember: grebes are neither happy nor sad. They are resolute, and they sleep when they're tired. When the eggs are gone, they start again. Anthropomorphism is ugly and wrongheaded. I must remember but I always forget! Why? Because I'm a silly human who can only see things through my dim human eyes? A digression. Back on topic: many thanks for the excellent suggestions, folks, I sincerely appreciate your time and trouble...