Back brooding grebes are always fun to photograph but this image holds additional interest for me even beyond the “cuteness factor” of the chick.
1/2000, f/8, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this back brooding Western Grebe four days ago at Bear River MBR. The adult and its mate had three chicks but by this time the youngsters were too large for all three to fit on the back of one parent simultaneously so they had two strategies for dealing with it. Either two chicks would ride on the back of one parent with the other one swimming directly behind and waiting its turn for a free ride on the same adult or two of them would ride on the back of one parent while the third was back brooded by the other adult. When I took this shot the two siblings of this chick were on the back of the other parent. I’ll bet this little guy felt special…
I find this image especially interesting for three reasons:
- I believe this may be first time I’ve seen, much less photographed, a chick riding “cross-beam” on the back of an adult. Usually they ride facing forward (sometimes backwards) and mostly buried in the dorsal plumage of the parent. This riding position gives me a unique angle and better look at the young bird than I usually get.
- Normally this composition wouldn’t work particularly well for me because there’s not enough room in the frame to the right for the adult to swim/look in to. But since the chick is facing the viewer and looking to our left, that right hand tension is reduced and I believe a more centered composition like this works best.
- Notice that there’s no discernible catch light in the eye of the chick but even with its reduced light there is in its reflection – yet another example of a difference between a subject and its reflection (recently I discussed the reason for this discrepancy in some detail here). This kind of subtle contrast between subject and reflection is usually not even noticed but I often find myself looking for and even appreciating the differences when they occur.
Yes, I think the image would be improved if there were more light in the eye of the chick itself. I also wish the head of the adult weren’t cut off in the reflection but I lost the top of the head when I rotated the image to level so in the end I went with this compositional compromise.
Tradeoffs. There’s always tradeoffs.
Ron
Addendum: I’m adding another version of this image in response to the request from Marya Moosman in the comments below.
Marya – here’s the version of the image you requested to see. It includes the head of the adult in the reflection but the image isn’t level and needs some rotation. When I rotated it I lost the top of the head of the adult. Including the head also makes the crop “squarish” in shape because I have no more room to the right – a composition that doesn’t appeal to many folks.
That chick is so darned cute! Love the side saddle riding technique. I also like the second full image better than the “headless oarsman “…
You have a wonderful way with words, Patty. Thanks for giving us a good laugh this morning with your ‘headless oarsman’…
Marya, Susan, Jorge and EC, – Well, I’m certainly glad I posted the version with the entire reflection then! I was really interested to get your feedback and learn your preferences of the two versions. Thank you all.
I keep looking at those two pictures trying to see the “unlevelness” of the full image and the difference between the two. It is so slight that I really can hardly detect it. Or I guess maybe I just really love reflections so much that the rest doesn’t matter.
Soooo much to love, to be engrossed in, to learn from.
Love the crown patch, love the wake – which seems to me to indicate that there was some speed in the forward movement.
And reflections are always a gift.
And yes, despite the tradeoffs, I think I prefer the ‘whole’ image.
Megathanks.
Well, definitively this is one of those occasions where I gladly break the “Rule of Thirds”.
I understand the reason why you had cut the head but for me it’s more pleasing to see the entire image.
What a beauty.
This is a wonderful photo, and I appreciate it even more after reading why you like it. I agree that the balance is good, thanks to the direction the chick is facing. It’s fascinating that there’s a catch light in the reflection. Apart from that, the reflection seems really strange to me, because you can see the adult wing that the baby is under, but you don’t see any other reflection of the adult’s body at all. I’ve spent some time studying the reflection, and will probably spend more, so I can get it to make sense. See what you do to us????? 😀
“the reflection seems really strange to me, because you can see the adult wing that the baby is under, but you don’t see any other reflection of the adult’s body at all”
Susan, I believe that’s caused by the wake of the bird. Notice how the water has been pushed to the side and is sloping on the right side of the bird. That alters the reflection.
“See what you do to us?????” – Loved that!
Ron, intellectually I get what you’er saying about the reflection, but my eyes/brain are still having trouble with it. Guess I’ll just have to live with it. I think I almost like the unrotated photo which shows the adult head better than the one you originally posted. Maybe because I like seeing the whole reflection. But I also have to agree that the first one, artistically, is the better one.
I love, love, love this photo! It’s almost perfect. There’s just something wonderful about a grebe on its parent’s back. Does the original image include the adult’s head in the reflection? If so, I would love to see it.
“If so, I would love to see it.”
Done, Marya. I’ve added another version of the image, above.
Thank you so much! I understand why you cropped out the head but having the full reflection of the adult is MUCH more appealing to me than the levelness. And the squareness doesn’t bother me at all since I can see the full reflection. NOW the picture is perfect to me!
Specular shot Ron!!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
Well, Ron – you keep teaching me to look more closely at photos!! I love all of you comments about the unusual ride of the little one, etc. – BUT I hadn’t even noticed & probably still wouldn’t have without your assessment of the photo – that the parents head was cut off in the reflection!! I should start really studying your photos before I read your comments to see if I can start seeing those things in your photos in your photos that you make choices about them. Thanks for a lovely capture of a parent and chick!
Jo Ann, Learning to assess images takes time and, at least in my case, I had to develop the habit of looking for certain things. Now I do it almost automatically. Thank you for the kind words.
I love that I can so clearly see the red dot on the chick’s head.
Agreed, Arwen. I like seeing that (bald) crown patch too.