Puffins, Skomer Island, Wales, UK
Puffins, Skomer Island, Wales, UK
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Contest Finalist in The Marine Wildlife Photo Contest
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lindabonskowski
February 25, 2016
Absolutely brilliant shot!! I just love puffins...but they're rather elusive here in the states. Not easily accessed.
carolt55
February 25, 2016
Love puffins! Can't wait for them to start migrating to pacific coast. Excellent shot!
kathyk_abq
February 25, 2016
Wonderful capture! These are small birds and not easy to photograph. Kudos! :)
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Behind The Lens
Location
Skomer Island is a nature reserve in Pembrokshire, Wales and during the nesting season (April to August) is home to thousands of breeding seabirds. It's the perfect place to visit for pictures of Puffins.Time
Skomer can only be accessed by a short boat ride and the number of people allowed on the island at any time is strictly controlled for the benefit of the seabird colonies. This means that photography has to be done between mid-morning and mid-afternoon .Lighting
It was a nice, bright day on Skomer so this image was taken with just natural daylight.Equipment
I've been using Canon cameras since my first SLR (more years ago than I care to admit) and this was shot with a Canon EOS 7D and 100-400L IS USM lens, handheld.Inspiration
Puffins have such character and I've always wanted to photograph them but never really had the chance. A friend booked a photography workshop and wanted someone to go with, so I jumped at the chance to spend a day on Skomer with such a wonderful subject.Editing
This image, apart from cropping, is straight out of the camera - no post-processing.In my camera bag
Canon, Canon and more Canon! And a couple of Sigma lenses. Always a Canon SLR, currently the EOS 7D, coupled with 100-400L IS USM lens and 18-200 kit lens. There's usually a Sigma 150mm and 50mm Macro lens in there too, plus spare batteries, lots of memory cards and other odds and ends.Feedback
Puffins have no fear of man so don't disappear like other wildlife does. This makes it easy to get up close to your subjects and they are often too close to focus on. Skomer is an excellent place for Puffins. As they nest in burrows in the ground, you have to be careful where you stand though.