Puffin - Farne Island's not Bempton
Well I have had a good nights sleep, still feel knackered but that is another story, and time to reflect on yesterday's shoot at Bempton. I have written in the past about the sea bird colony and that is still stunning. Yesterday was a really windy day on top of the 300 foot cliffs and it was amazing to watch how the birds effortlessly exploited this resourse. The lasting image for me was the way that Fulmar's backed into their nests. They really are true masters of the air.
Another thing that struck me about the people that went to Bempton was that they all seemed transfixed about the puffins. Now you do get good views of the puffins but, and it is a huge but, they really are fleeting. The birds dash out from their perch and are gone. Perhaps the best way to describe this is that it is similar to the view you have a of kingfishers. A brilliant turquoise blue flash and that is that. So it is with the puffins. They launch themselves into the air and all you are left with is a flash of orange. That is it. I am sure there will be better views once the birds have started nesting but at the moment it is very transient.
Perhaps one of the less known but equally wonderful part of the Bempton experience is the large numbers of non sea birds. From tree sparrows to kestrels the reserve is teaming with them and from a photographers perspective you can get some really close views. It takes a while to get your eye in for these other birds given the frantic show on and around the cliffs but once you do it is really rewarding. Considering that much of the reserve is no more than 100 metres in depth there is a wonderful variety of birds. I even saw a deer, I think it was a roe, in the distance yesterday. It is an amazing place to visit.
Now for the camera report. Well the 1D didn't disappoint. However there are a few things that I have to sort out. The first is the focusing. I still haven't mastered the way the 1D focusing works - not surprising has I still haven't read the manual - a common problem with me! The second problem is that you burn through memory cards. At 10 fps it doesn't take long to a 4GB card. You also need to have really fast cards otherwise it can take what feels like an eternity for the buffer to clear. Fortunately this is easy to fix and I have just ordered some new cards. The combination of the 1D and the 100x400mm zoom is, for me, a winning formula. The two work well together, well balanced and the results can be superb.
As for the 40D this is really good as a static camera on the tripod. Here the lack of 10 fps is not an issue as I am not that good at panning with a long lens on the tripod. The quality of the images, given certain constraints, are excellent. As thing stand at the moment there is no need to change this. Just to demonstrate this both of the photographs were taken by the 40D.
One final thought. I have culled the 2700 images down to a more manageable 322. It has been grueling but worth while process. I have found that images that I would have kept in the past were jettisoned as the quality has risen. One final final thought. How much would this have cost if I had been shouting film!
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