Great Crested Grebes + Repost

Funny how things happen. One from the archives. You can spend hours setting hides up and sitting for days for nothing. Then you go for a stroll with the wife and this happens. We walked past our local National Trust house lake and this was photographed from a footpath
with dozens of people with us.
Birds weren't bothered in the slightest. Just as the female settled the male came up with a weedy present as they do and I missed it.
D100
400mm Nikor VR

JohnR

I loved the setting! it is nice. Also there is a nice interaction between the birds. A nice picture overall.
Frederic

Really nice this, did you get any with the chicks? As nit picking has been requested I would blur the top left hand leaf as its a slight distraction/confusion.

Tim

A lot going on, but its a really good enviro. shot of the grebes. Often see images of these in open water, its good to get a fresh perspective with them in a water-lilies. Perfect exposure and the light is spot on to bring out the best in their plumage

Thanks all.
Yes I wondered about the leaf, and that's the trouble with lily leaves in a slight breeze. To be honest I was more concerned about the yellow blobs but no one seems to mind
Yet !!
Cheers
JohnR

A very nice image of these grebes at the nest in a different setting, often they are in cluttered areas of the lakes down here and difficult to get a clear view.

Like this...

Cracking shot John.............nicely framed, and some fine eye-catching activity

Alan

As Elliot has said, a lot going on here and for me the shooting angle is a bit high (my taste, and I know your feelings on low shooting angles differ from mine)

I like the interaction between the two and the eggs are a bonus not to be passed up

John

the setting and poses here are excellent, quite a photogenic nest site in all too

I like this very much. It looks as if the female grebe is tenderly turning the eggs while her mate looks on. Perhaps the yellow flowers are a bit of a distraction but it would almost certainly spoil the shot if you did something about them by cropping, cloning and to complain about flowers would be a bit of a shame.

Tim

A fine shot of some interesting interaction. However (!!), the thing that really stood out when it first loaded was the yellow flower right in the top corner. I think I'd be tempted to get rid of that (the other flower isn't so much of an issue IMHO).

It's funny how some 'busy' shots don't work and some do - this is very much in the 'do' category for me.

Thanks again.
The low angle idea is easily answered . If I had gort any lowere the birds and nest would have been more obscured by the lily leaves.,
About the flowers ??? perhaps either both out or none ?
Difficult one, as in my mind they go with the leaves and convey a sense of habitat and season. They do grab the eye though !
Thanks for your interest.
JohnR

Thanks for nothing John, I spent a couple of hours yesterday morning trying to get some decent shots of grebes with chicks. I have binned them now!
But seriously, like you say, it's a funny old game. The first time I saw the grebes at this location I had several frame filling shots, been back three times since specifically to shoot grebes and got naff all.
Lovely image, personally I'd keep the crop as is, keep the flowers but darken down that light leaf in top left.
Robert

Well I really like shots with lots of environment in them. The hard part seems to be to get them so that the environment doesn't swamp the subject. To my mind this is close to my ideal. An interesting moment well captured in a delightful setting.
The grebes look a little smooth as though some feather detail has been lost by noise processing, but even so it takes nothing away from the picture for me.
Eric

Nice shot John - I don't see how you could have gone for a lower PoV in this case - you'd lose the male if you did.

To be real picky the yellow flower top right and the stalk behind everyone's fav leaf could do with going and yep, that leaf does cry out for a bit of softening.

But it's a nice action capture John and I like all the tiny water droplets I can see on the females underside - and I do like these new borders

Thanks again.
Yes the noise treatment got a bit heavy in neat Image and as you say softened the feather detail. I,ve had a go at the nits.
I hate that leaf!!

JR

Great. Improvements on re-post work really well.

I really like this image, John. The behaviour, the interaction, the eggs and the beautyfull setting really comes together here. Must make a fabulous two-pager in a bird-book!