Puffins galore

Some more images from last weeks visit to the Farne Island.  I thought for this post I would give a bit more technical information for anybody who may be planning to go there themselves.  There was a lot of people there taking photographs, some obviously for just a memento of their visit, but others, judging by their kit, were very serious (or just rich) photographers.  The first thing I would say is that you don’t need a long lens – there were birds all around you, many within arms reach.  There is no doubt that this is one of natures spectaculars, there can’t be many wild places you can go to where you are so close to so much wildlife.  I was surprised by the amount of 500mm lenses there were there.  I would have thought that completely overkill and in fact, a hindrance. If you want to take pictures of the stationary birds then any camera and lens would do, but if you wanted to try them in flight then a 300 or 400mm lens would be ideal.  I used a Canon 1D Mk III and 400mm 5.6 lens but the Canon 100-400mm lens would have been ideal. The temptation with so much going around you is to just take loads of photographs and hope for the best.  I had the advantage of my previous visit but still, I waited for the first 5 minutes or so and just watched where and how the Puffins were coming in and found the best spot to catch them and in the best light.  Unfortunately the sun was shinning from the direction of the sea which is where they were coming in so had to get them as they crossed over to their burrows. If you waited until the birds were ‘in range’ they where already gone, giving you no chance to even get them in the viewfinder, never mind in focus.  I looked in the distance, through my viewfinder for one bird coming in and followed it – giving my camera time to focus on it. Even so, more than 50% were out of focus or clipped out of the frame.  Most of these images I’ve included, are in flight ones using the fastest shutter speed I could to prevent camera shake and to freeze the action.  Some of the images I added exposure compensation though I also tried spot metering. The problem with the latter is that it could over expose the white feathers.  I also, when the shutter speed allowed, increased the depth of field to help get as much of the bird in focus.

From a wildlife or photographers point of view, you could easily spend a whole day on the island as the one hour allowed is very quickly gone.  Had I had more time I would have tried to be a bit more creative – maybe trying slower shutter speeds, different angles, lenses, etc.