Puffins nest in burrows underground. Here, one is poking its head out.
Puffins nest in burrows underground. Here, one is poking its head out.
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Behind The Lens
Location
Inner Farne, one of the Farne Islands in the North East of the UK, summer home to masses and masses of nesting seabirds (and one or two seals).Time
Access to the island is by boat and landing times on the islands controlled. This photo was taken mid-afternoon on May 26th following an hour's cruise around the other islands viewing all the other seabirds and seal colonies.Lighting
For nature photography, I always use natural light. Being primarily black and white and nesting in the Summer, Puffin's can pose a challenge for photographers to ensure that there is detail in both the whites and blacks. Fortunately, the lighting on this day was subdued sunshine, so no harsh contrasts to contend with.Equipment
This was a hand-held shot taken on my trusty Canon 7D with 100-400L IS USM lens.Inspiration
Puffins are some of the most enigmatic, photogenic birds. They nest in burrows and I wanted to get a shot of one peering out to show it in its environment.Editing
Being a nature photographer, keeping true to the scene as viewed is important, so little if any post-processing is carried out. A small tweak to contrast or colour balance would be all.In my camera bag
I try to be prepared for most eventualities. As well as my trusty Canon 7D and 100-400L IS USM lens, I have a 1.4x converter and Sigma 150mm Macro and 10-20mm zoom. Usually paired with the camera is a Sigma 18-300mm zoom when I'm walking about, switching to the specialist lenses when I get to my location and ready to shoot.Feedback
Puffins have little fear of man so are a great subject for budding nature photographers. As many nature photographers would tell you though, research your subject well, have plenty of patience, respect the subject and it's environment. Make sure you have your batteries charged and plenty of space on your memory card because once you start photographing them, Puffins can be very addictive!