jamiesnr
FollowPuffin coming back to nest empty handed
Puffin coming back to nest empty handed
Read less
Read less
Views
1443
Likes
Awards
Editor's Choice
Contest Finalist in The Art of Wildlife Photography Photo Contest
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
One Of A Kind
Top Ranks
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken on the Isle of Lunga which is one of the Treshnish Isle's of the West Coast of Scotland and home to a thriving Puffin colony. The picture was taken mid July 2014 when the birds are kept busy feeding their young. This guy came into land after being mobbed by some gulls who relieved him of a beak full of sand eels.Time
I had spent the full day on the Island and decided near the end of the trip to capture some flight shots, this was taken around mid afternoon and I was able to isolate this bird from the heavy air traffic all around us.Lighting
The light was just about perfect for the time of day and directly behind me lighting up the Puffin as it came into land.Equipment
This was shot on a Nikon D700 with a Nikon 300mm f/4 lensInspiration
I kinda had an idea of the shot I had in mind and just needed the perfect subject to fly directly toward me to try and capture the Puffin slowing down to land on the cliff edge in front of me.Editing
This is pretty much how it came out the camera, apart from a small crop as I don't tend to do much post processing with my wild life.In my camera bag
Whenever I visit Lunga I always take my trusty 300mm f/4 lens which is a brilliant piece of glass and a 70-200mm f/2.8, a wide angle comes in handy and to top it of a 1.4 TC. On the mainland it's primarily my Nikon 500mm f/4 lens.Feedback
As with everything in wildlife photography patience is the key, it's very easy to get distracted by everything that's going on around you and inevitably when your not paying attention you miss the shot. Paying attention to how the subject behaves and anticipating the moment is key to getting your shot, so a few minutes observing how the birds approach their nests and how they appear to hoover in the air for a few seconds before landing should give you time to focus and get your shot.