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2011: 11-14 Years - Highly Commended

Maud Graillot Denaix Enlarge image Singing in the rain

Maud Graillot Denaix (France)

Singing in the rain

Every winter, Maud and her family put out food for the birds in their garden in Aquitaine, France. They also set up a hide that they use for photography. Maud spends a lot of time in the hide, particularly on rainy days: 'When the weather is sunny, I can only get good pictures in the early morning. But when it's raining, I can take great shots all day long.' On one such perfect drizzly day, Maud settled into the hide specifically to photograph greenfinches. And when this little siskin landed nearby, she ignored it. 'I'd already taken lots of photographs of siskins.' But then it began to sing a lovely high-pitched song. 'I just couldn't resist it,' she says.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + 500mm f4 lens; 1/200 sec at f7.1 (-0.3 e/v); ISO 400; tripod; hide.

This photograph is available to buy as a print.

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