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Chilled Puffin
I usually see puffins frantically flying at top speed to avoid the gulls or popping in and out of their burrows, so it was a nice change to see one just relaxin...
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I usually see puffins frantically flying at top speed to avoid the gulls or popping in and out of their burrows, so it was a nice change to see one just relaxing.
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May, 2018Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on Skomer Island off the coast of Pembrokeshire, right near the jetty.Time
The first boat lands at about 10.30 then after the talk everyone heads across the island to the main puffin colony. There is a half hour window before the next boat arrives so I sat on the waters edge to wait for the birds to get used to me.Lighting
At that time of day the light was quite strong, but with the sun behind a light cloud cover it avoided the worst of the glare. Often the conditions are less that ideal so I was really pleased with the results.Equipment
I used a Nikon D5300 with a 70 to 300 lens hand held with a shutter speed of 1/1000 and aperture f8 . I didn't use my tripod.Inspiration
I love puffins they are such photogenic birds, everyone tries to get the iconic puffin with sand eels.It is often easy to do the same, but trying something new keeps my work more individual . My main aim is to always look at what the crowd is doing then go in the opposite direction.The island colonies are all on the cliff tops so it is impossible to get any water shots unless you stay down by the jetty. The water was so calm the puffins just drifted towards me, on a busy island it was great to have such a quiet spot to do my own thing.Editing
The only post processing I did was a little levels and curves and cropping on Photoshop. The image was a little to contrasty but a little lightening of shadows and darkening of highlights made it balance better.In my camera bag
For wild life I always have my two camera bodies both Nikon D5300 so I can swap between them without having to think which one I am using. Usually I would have my 70 to 300 zoom on one and 50mm prime on the other all my equipment is Nikon, I did have cheaper versions but they are very rarely as sharp, I also carry the 10 to 24 wide angle and a 105 macro, plus a tripod and Lee filters in case I want to fit in some landscape shots. I don't travel light but it's always the lens you didn't bring that you really need.Feedback
Puffins fly really fast at about 45 miles per hour so practice as much as possible on moving objects before you go. If you don't mind the chance of rain go on an overcast day, puffins stay at sea if it gets to hot. Try to get there early, even though the boats don't go til ten the queue for ticket starts before eight and may not get a place. The best time of year is between May and July much earlier and the haven't all arrived and most have left by mid August. You only have about 5 hours on the island but there is nowhere to get food so take a picnic.
