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26.01.09
Taking pictures of puffins
Words by Mark Sisson
Ask most keen birdwatchers and photographers which their favourite bird of the summer months is, and you can be sure that the puffin will be high on the list. With their upright gait, fantastically colourful beak and seemingly endless variety of expressions and poses it’s easy to understand why.
I simply have to get my annual fix of photographing them and although this involves a day trip (or sometimes longer) to one of the offshore islands where their most photographically accessible colonies are to be found during April to July, the upside is an amazingly confiding species and pictures that are bound to produce that ‘aaah’ factor.
As with most wildlife photography, the key to getting more than just a record type shot is down to the level of intimacy you can create, and for ground-standing and nesting birds like puffins that means getting down to their level. Whichever colony you head for it’ll be being managed by a conservation body of some sort and the wardens on hand will happily point you towards the main breeding areas.
Having then spent some time observing the birds, get yourself at their height: this can be done using a low-level tripod – I use a Gitzo 1548, and find the absence of a centre column ideal for this type of work. A beanbag also offers perfect support, and then it’s a question of lying or kneeling accordingly.
Given the environment which these birds inhabit it goes without saying that you take the maximum care and attention as to where you go – not just because you might be endangering yourself at a cliff-edge, but also risk disturbing any underground burrows where out-of-sight puffins, chicks or eggs may be.
Before bending those knees though the most important consideration is the background. Dependent on your colony this could be sea, cliff-face or grassy bank, but the key is to look for some universal colour that will provide a contrasting diffused tone against which the puffin will stand out. Unless you’re really lucky with conditions the sky is unlikely to be the answer – most day trips will have you shooting in the middle of the day when light is harsh and the sky predominantly bright: have a good look round for the best angle to shoot from with this in mind.
These kinds of shot work best with the compressed effect of a long lens as it pulls the background in tight to the subject – I use a 500mm f/4 on my Canon EOS-1Ds MkII body as this gives the ideal balance of carrying weight to telephoto capability. You don’t need that length of lens to get good images though as you’ll be genuinely amazed at just how accessible these birds can be – a DSLR body with a crop factor and a lens of 200mm or 300mm will be ideal.
When it comes to portraits there’s a number of other factors to consider compositionally. Do you want a full length profile – you’ll need to get a clear line of sight to get those bright orange feet in the shot – or do you have the opportunity for a head and shoulders shot? For the latter a diffused area of grass or flowers such as sea campion at the bottom of the image can add a real sense of environment to your portrait, an effect easily replicated by using a wide aperture and placing it between your camera and the bird, but you really will need to be lying down to achieve this.
I tend to work in aperture-priority mode and with my kit combination a setting of around f/8 gives me the right sort of depth-of-field. I prefer ISO 100 for low noise levels, but conditions can mean I’ll set something higher to achieve a sensible working shutter speed. Make absolutely certain that your primary point of focus is the bird’s eyes – these have to be critically sharp.
My camera has a whopping 45 sensor points so it’s simply a question of putting one in the right place, and with the focusing set to AI Servo (continuous focusing mode) to allow for any minor movement the bird might make, then I should get a decent image out of a four or five-shot burst. In terms of exposure considerations it all depends on the conditions on the day (with any luck you’ll have a bright slightly overcast day to optimise contrast), but as they have a large white chest area it’s really important to check your histogram on a regular basis, applying a touch of exposure compensation if you find some areas blowing out.
Compositionally I find that portraits work best if you make good use of the rule of thirds, and leave plenty of space for the bird to be looking into – ideally left to right for the most naturally balanced feel. For sand eel beak-filled images June is the best month as the parents will be feeding their underground chicks. It’s then a question of observational fieldcraft to spot the signs that tell you who’s coming in to land or that an open-beaked call or wing flap is coming: be ready to flip between portrait and landscape orientation for the latter or you’ll clip the wings when they do go up and be kicking yourself! You might even consider putting a wide-angle lens on if you get a burrow really near the path – it’ll certainly give you a different portrait style.
The ultimate shots are those on the wing. As these are quite small birds then you’ll really need to be looking to catch them as they’re coming in to land. Observation is key here to see what line the birds are generally taking as they come in to the burrows area from the sea; it will vary as the wind direction changes. Then it’s a question of picking up a bird early in its approach on your central sensor point and tracking it until it fills the frame and rattling off some images: you can be sure that loads will be deleted later but digital makes this cheap and you only need one stunner.
I often look to shoot these types of image handheld, even with a 500mm lens, as it gives me maximum flexibility and with the shutter speeds of 1/1000sec or so then camera shake really shouldn’t be an issue. Alternatively a gimbal-style head is ideal. As a wildlife challenge a trip to a puffin colony is an excellent summer’s day out, with great images pretty much guaranteed.
KIT BAG
My kit bag for a seabird colony day needs to be as lightweight yet varied as possible. My two bodies (Canon EOS-1Ds MkII and an EOS 40D for backup) are complemented by three lenses: a 500mm, an 180mm macro and a 24-70 zoom. And it’s all jam-packed into my Tamrac backpack, along with a sandwich or two. My Gitzo 1548 tripod, Kirk Ball-Head and a Wimberley Sidekick (see Q&A, page 158, to find out more) give me the support options for the day, and I’ll have several 4GB cards to hand as I always take more shots than I could possibly imagine.
HEAD FOR PUFFIN ISLAND
There are several colonies of puffins to be found on offshore islands around our coast – they are ground-nesting birds (in burrows) so they’ll be found on cliff-tops rather than faces. The following are accessible in terms of day trips and all offer good photographic opportunities.
- Farne Islands
Northumberland
This group of islands offers lots of seabird photography opportunities. For the best puffin images make sure you get a trip to Staple Island (tends to be the morning landings and it is steep and rocky). All sailings go from the village of Seahouses.
farne-islands.com
- Bempton Cliffs
RSPB Reserve
North Yorkshire
Situated between the popular seaside resorts of Scarborough and Bridlington, these cliffs are home to a wide variety of breeding seabirds. The birds are harder to get close to here, but it’s a good place for flying shots and it doesn’t involve a boat trip.
rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/index.asp
- Staffa Island
Argyll and Bute
It’s quite a trek to get to this small but amazing basalt rock island; there are day trips available from Iona or Fionnphort on the Isle of Mull. The birds here are probably the most confiding you’ll find. Time on the island is quite limited though, but what a setting!
staffatrips.co.uk
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