Double-crested Cormorant Mega Drenching.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Well that is about the wettest I've gotten for a bird photo! It was drizzling for most of the morning, but then the clouds burst open for a real drenching. I used the flippy screen here, and crouched over the camera to offer it more protection from the elements - I was already fully wet, may as well just stay and create some moody rain images :-) Cormorants are normally very wary over here, this one chose a perfect situation to be accommodating!

Canon R6 + 500mm f/4 II + 1.4TC III, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/640s., f/5.6, ISO 6400, natural light (and water lol!), handheld, FF, contrast and saturation to taste - more more than usual to give the flat and washed-out raw file a bit of life. A couple of distracting raindrops near the face spot-removed out.

[Randy Stout]

Daniel:

I think it is spectacular, dramatic and unique. The low point of view, coupled with the long focal length gives him isolation from the surroundings.
I could envision a small crop from the right, but it works great as is.

I would have loved to have seen a picture of you after this one. I still have fond memories of your appearance after crawling around on the ground in Florida.

Cheers

Randy

[Doug Brown]

You picked a nice slowish shutter speed for this image; the raindrops have just the right amount of length to them. Looks like some tough shooting conditions, but you definitely came away with a keeper!

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Dan ... a super cool moody image .
Well executed and nicely processed too .
A slower SS would have given an overall smooother effct , i hope you have tried as well if the situation allowed it .
Love the low POV and the DOF spot on

NIcely done and TFS Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

Very atmospheric Dan, I particularly like the boiling water surface, conveys well the strength/heavy downpour.

The R6 is weather sealed for sure, although this looks in biblical proportions, but hope you had a Lenscoat rain cover over that gear. You should send it in to Canon for Promo, folk might realise it doesn't need to be 24 degrees only when you can only take you camera out, mine was -34 in Finland going the other extreme!

TFS
Steve

[Joseph Przybyla]

Nice work, Dan. I love the image but do not think I would be out in that weather. Very dramatic and unique as Randy wrote, thank you for sharing.

[Bill Dix]

Great environmental image. Especially love the water. Typical Cadieux POV; any lower and you'll need to invest in a snorkel. Well exposed and processed.

[William Dickson]

Looking real good Dan....I can feel the wetness from here Nice pose on the bird and the BG works well.......Good work.

Will

[Kurt Bowman]

Very cool image Dan! Love the downpour and the decisions you made on your techs. Well done!

[Dorian Anderson]

Agree with all the other positive comments. The rain and texture on water's surface makes this a very memorable shot. Super creative on a shitty day.

[Arthur Morris]

I think that it is raining, no? I love it. How did you protect your gear?

with love, a

[Daniel Cadieux]

Lens and camera body with a rain cover - but that does not help with the flippy screen which I simply protected with my back as I hunched over the gear. The fact there was no wind really was a plus here!