Landing gear down
On a trip to the Farne Islands off the north east coast of England, I spent ages capturing moments of the amazing Puffin. They come in from all angles, so I got...
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On a trip to the Farne Islands off the north east coast of England, I spent ages capturing moments of the amazing Puffin. They come in from all angles, so I got lucky with this shot.
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Mar, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken during a day trip to The Farne Islands, off the north east coast of England. The islands are well known as a safe haven for sea birds, particularly during breeding seasons. Boat trips run regularly in the spring and summer months and this was my second visit.Time
I took the photograph in the middle of the day, so although not generally the best time for light, I got away with it.Lighting
I consider myself a novice photographer and frequently read about the hour after dawn and hour before dusk. Well whilst I agree with those who swear by those precious hours, it's not always possible or essential.Equipment
My camera is a Sony A380 and for this trip I had bought a Sony 75 - 300 lens. I was quite new to photography and had already decided that to capture wildlife with any success, the 18 - 55 lens wasn't going to be enough. Natural light was used and the camera was simply hand held.Inspiration
I always try to take wildlife pictures of animals doing something, or if they're motionless, find a way to show them in a different light. On the Farne Islands, Puffins are coming and going all day and you have no idea if or when one is going to come close enough to you to get the shot. My wife will tell you that patience isn't my strong point, so in this instance I was lucky enough to be staking out a burrow, more in hope than anything else. Luckily for me, this Puffin just happened to fly in as I was ready, so I just clicked away and this was the result.Editing
Like the vast majority of my pictures, there was little or no post processing. I much prefer to see pictures that act as a permanent reminder of what I saw, not a picture that I've made up. Sure I will often crop an image, or tweak the exposure a fraction, but I enjoy the skill of the photographer, not the skill of the Photoshop user, to me they're two different things.In my camera bag
I'll admit to be being a lazy photographer who likes to travel light. It's rare for me to take any more equipment than the stuff round my neck. A spare battery is a must. On the rare occasion that I carry all my gear, I'll have a monopod, an Sony 18 - 55 lens, a Sony 75 - 300 lens and a heavy Sigma 500mm lens. I've got 3 ND Grad filters in the bag as well.Feedback
To me, photographing wildlife in action is as much about luck and timing as anything else. I do tend to prepare the camera settings with some test shots to establish the fastest shutter speed the light will allow and play with the ISO settings and f-stops etc until I think I've got the best chance of capturing my subject as I want. Then patience my friends, patience.
