I took my inflatable kayak out for its first spin in a while this weekend, and I found this very cooperative Red-throated Loon.
This is a species that nests in the Arctic and winters along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. They are very common in CA in
winter but usually only seen from a distance when birding the beachfront. This was my first close encounter with this species.
I was really, really stoked to add this bird to my photo collection.
I cannot get my lens right on the water's surface in the kayak, so I opened up to f/4 to get a nice thin focal plane. That's
what's up with the hella fast shutter and super low ISO.
Cropping swimming loons is always tough since they are so long and low!
Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS 5D Mark IV
1/6400 at f/4, ISO 250
Processed in LR CC with zero trickery