Charles Dodd
October 2026 - Eared Grebe
About the Image(s)
1875x1055
Canon EOS R5mii
200-800mm@742mm
f/10 1/8000 ISO2000 exposure bias -1 stop
Eared Greebe, June 2026. Kamloops, BC, Canada
I encountered this Eared Grebe in breeding plumage (among a group of 10) in late afternoon light. Although a static image, lacking a story or interesting behavior, I thought it was a compelling portrait.
8 comments posted
Charles - This is a striking portrait, with the golden head feathers, vivid eye well -separated from its environment, i.e., the water - nice job with that The clean background is excellent and allows the eye to appreciate its distinctive appearance. In my suggested version, I opened the shadows in the darker plumage and gently reduced the intensity of the red eye. The eye is naturally bright red, so my intention was simply to soften its prominence while preserving its character.
My main suggestion concerns the balance of the framing. The bird sits near the bottom of the frame, with a lot more water above it than below. A little more water beneath the subject would give it breathing room, allow more of the reflection and create a more comfortable visual balance. Have never seen one in the wild, so nice capture
Posted: 10/07/2026 23:43:19
My main suggestion concerns the balance of the framing. The bird sits near the bottom of the frame, with a lot more water above it than below. A little more water beneath the subject would give it breathing room, allow more of the reflection and create a more comfortable visual balance. Have never seen one in the wild, so nice capture
Posted: 10/07/2026 23:43:19
Charles Dodd
Thanks Butch! Especially the framing suggestion. The original image has space below. Lots of internal debate on that. The wake behind it is also interesting in its own right but I thought adding more of it (and the area in front of the subject for balance) would rob from the subject overall. Posted: 10/16/2026 19:17:13
Beautiful image. I agree with Butch: add more water to the bottom if you have it. Posted: 10/10/2026 12:07:24
Charles Dodd
Deborah, I do have more space. Thanks for the feedback. Very useful. Posted: 10/16/2026 19:18:24
Although your comment: "Although a static image, lacking a story or interesting behavior, I thought it was a compelling portrait." I think there is a significant area of wildlife photography that focuses on the art: color, space and texture that makes your photograph compelling. I do like Butch's enhancements Posted: 10/14/2026 18:54:29
Charles Dodd
Thanks Roy. I agree. I see this species frequently in the Winter on the Puget Sound. They look like a different species in breeding plumage. In the right light they are really captivating. When I saw them in breeding plumage I immediately thought of Persian and Chinese representations of mythical birds. Posted: 10/16/2026 19:23:46
Beautiful portrait of the bird. In my opinion it is more likely to be a Black Necked Grebe. Posted: 10/25/2026 16:53:37
Charles Dodd
Thanks! From what I'm reading they are the same species. Posted: 10/27/2026 22:13:53