Polly Krauter
December 2025 - Pied billed Grebe in Winter Plumage
Original
About the Image(s)
Handheld Canon EOS R5, 100-500mm zoom, photo taken in morning in local arroyo.
500 mm, f/7.1, 1/4000 sec, ISO 800
In LR, I increased exposure, cropped in tightly, and darkened the blue reflections near the bird’s head. I removed a few small reflections. I used Topaz Denoise and sharpened the bird a little.
Are the slightly blurry primary feathers distracting?
1 comment posted
I think grebes are adorable and this one is pretty entertaining. To me the color palette works well with the rust and blues, and the refleciton adds interest. I see that the eye is sharp and you have captured the catch light so this guy looks very life-like to me.
In my opinion the slightly blurry wing feathers do take away from the overall quality of the image, but they suggest motion. I personally prefer the wings to be sharp, but that may be a matter of artistic choice. It will be interesting to see what the others think about that.
Since you have more pixels available I would suggest allowing more space in front of the bird to increase the sense forward motion. Try it and see what you think.
Posted: 12/16/2025 19:02:55
In my opinion the slightly blurry wing feathers do take away from the overall quality of the image, but they suggest motion. I personally prefer the wings to be sharp, but that may be a matter of artistic choice. It will be interesting to see what the others think about that.
Since you have more pixels available I would suggest allowing more space in front of the bird to increase the sense forward motion. Try it and see what you think.
Posted: 12/16/2025 19:02:55