I created this image last Saturday. There's a man-made pond (for flood control) in the east end of the city that has several active Pied-billed grebe nests. This is an image of the second family that has hatched 3 chicks.
Canon EOS 40D, Sigma 50-500mm on Induro CarbonFlex Tripod, 1/640 seconds, F7.10, ISO - 640
Flash - Flash not fired, compulsory flash mode.
Removed some OOF dead plant stems and Topz Denoise applied. Cropped to about 40% of full frame. The image is not a sharp as I would have like but I'm pleased at having this family portrait with at least two birds with good eye contact and especially with one of the babies having an open bill.
I think the details look quite good considering the crop. I also like the angle, soft light and especially the yawning chick and only wish the adult bird were more angled toward you.
I like the composition the eye contact, Bg and the two lovely chicks riding the back of the adult. Soft light works fine but it perhaps a litle saturation boosting would contribute to enhace the image.
Thank you Axel, Juan, Ray and Fabs. This year was my first opportunity to photograph pied-billed grebes, with chicks, at relatively close range (without disturbing them).
Pied Billed Grebes
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