gesser
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Animals With Wings Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Wildlife Photo Contest 2017
Contest Finalist in Textures In Animals Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 2
Contest Finalist in The Beauty Of Birds Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Vol 24 Photo Contest
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on a small island off the Welsh coast called Skomer, only accessible by boat it is a haven for sea birds.Time
This is one of my favorite shots of the day, it was taken about midday, the rain had just stopped and there wasn't many other people about so the birds were quite relaxed.Lighting
We were lucky that day, first of all we didn't think the boat was going to go because there was a thick mist on the journey down but as we arrived the mist lifted enough for the skipper to go. The overcaste conditions really helped though as the Puffins are a black and white seabird it stopped the highlights from blowing out!Equipment
This was shot hand held with a Canon 70D with a Sigma 150 macro lens, no flash or tripod as I find they get in the way when i'm trying to photograph birds up close.Inspiration
I took so many shots that day, in flight, with sand eels, without sand eels...and so on but I really wanted to try and capture the softer side of this beautiful bird. Everyone see's the colourful beak and think the bird is a bit clown like. I wanted to try and show something different.Editing
A little cropping in lightroom and lifted the clarity a little to bring out the feather detail a bit more but the Sigma is such a good lens the detail was already there.In my camera bag
Most of the time I shoot landscapes and have only just started doing a few nature bits so usually I carry a Canon 6D with me along with my 24-105, and 16-35 lens and a selection of Lee filters.Feedback
Skomer Island is a fantastic place to visit to photograph Puffins and other seabirds. If you visit in late June/July you stand a good chance of capturing the birds returning laden with sand eels! They limit the visitors to 250 a day and you can't prebook your boat place, it is strictly a case of first come first served.Take lots of spare cards and batteries as you will use them. Enjoy!