Grebe

I like the movement and the turn of the head.

Some might find it too dark. I am very reluctant to lighten if the image shows the mood at the time which is what I get from this one.

Very nice!

Dan

Hi Monica very hard bird to get a good shot of, I have tried several times but cant seem to get close but wll keep trying, yes this looks like a juvenile Great Crested Grebe great shot
Bronia UK

Grebes are not easy to shoot well as they usually dive or paddle hard in the opposite direction as soon as they see you approaching. A little more light would add to the image, but you've caught a good pose here.

Hi Monia nice pose for this grebe. We don't have experience with birds, but it must be quite difficoult to get close enough and to have the suitable position.

Ciao

D&L

Monica:
I like the head turn, the wet feathers on the neck and the water droplets. I can't tell about lightness/darkness because I'm looking at it on my laptop which is not calibrated. Good job with the exposure: nice detail in the darks and whites.

I like this and think a little brighter would be nice, especially if you could pull out a little sparkle in the eye. Sharon

Monica, I like the overall comp and the nice head turn. The dim light is not optimal, but when it is cloudy there is not much you can do. This image seems to be suffering a bit from a large crop as details are lacking a bit and I see some noise showing up in the bird's bill. But it also could just be my poor eyes.

Thank you to everybody for the useful comments.

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This image seems to be suffering a bit from a large crop as details are lacking a bit and I see some noise showing up in the bird's bill. But it also could just be my poor eyes.
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Ron, I don't think your eyes are poor. You see very well.
That day the weather was very bad, maybe I could do better with a tripod.

Moment caught well.
István

Monica,

I can't help with the ID, it has been a long time since I lived in Europe or have been in Switzerland and my memory about bird species there has lain dormant for too long.

I like the pose you caught the grebe in though with nice eye contact and a great head turn.

The image does seem to be a touch dark and I wondered if the next time you have this kind light if trying a little bit of positive EV compensation might help.

I like the composition you picked, it feels nicely balanced.

This does indeed look like a young Great Crested Grebe, Monica.
I'd boost the brightness a touch more I think

I really like your composition here, Monica. The pose of the bird and the wet feathers are very attractive aspects of this image. You can have some fun with post processing adjustment of exposure in this shot ranging from a global brightening to more selective increased exposure of just the bird. It wouldn't take much to make this into an outstanding image. I know that the darkness reflects the actual conditions. However, it also conceals detail.