GANNETS
|
The
east coast of Yorkshire boasts one of the best locations
for seabird photography. The RSPB of Bempton Cliffs at
Flamborough is a seabird spectacular, with thousands of
birds breeding here over the summer. It is also the only
mainland breeding colony for Gannets. I'd only visited
once before - a few years ago, where I had shot mainly
landscapes. During mid-summer, the raucous cries of seabirds
fill the air as Gannets, Puffins, Guillemots and Fulmars
fly to and from their cliff-based nests. For any wildlife
photographer this is a cracking spot. Not only are there
masses of birds to photograph, but the viewpoints are
fantastic - put simply, you can shoot from the tops of
the cliffs (safely!) and be at exactly the same level
as various birds fly past and hang in the stiff coastal
breeze. |
I'd
really come for the Gannets, with the hope of
getting good flight shots. Probably the best place
to photograph them from, is a few hundred yards
right from the visitor centre. My first shoot
was in the evening, and I was amazed at just how
close the birds come. Their nest are not accessible,
so they know they're pretty safe... I took a few
general pictures with a wide angle lens to show
the environment, then set about on my flights
shots. The number one thing to do is to watch
their flight pattern first, and be aware of the
wind as the birds will tend to fly into the wind
to slow down and land. Picking out an individual
bird was tough, but I soon found an area where
many Gannets seemed to be coming in to land and
I was able to track them as flew in. |
|
 |
The
light was overcast so my shutter speeds were getting lower
- I had already uprated to ISO 200 and now the sky was
starting to change colour as the light faded even more.
However, this wasn't time to pack up and head back just
yet. With sunset's colour beginning to touch the sky and
cloud, I realised that this could make interesting conditions
for silhouetted flight shots. Using my 300mm at f4 I could
get about 1/500 second, and so the next fourty pictures
or so were attempts at flight images against the dusk
sky. Gannets would often fly in from the same direction,
and I was ready - shooting on servo autofocus at the fastest
shutter speed possible as they spilledthe air from their
wings and fell lower, making for wonderful mid-air poses.
I took a range of images against plain sky and cloud,
and was happy to see just how sharp some were. |
 
|
Although
I had planned straight sillhouettes against the
sky, the available light reflected beautifully
off the birds' white plumage allowing for shots
like this one. |
|
 |
The
next morning I returned at about 6.00am - a little later
than planned, as I had managed to leave my car keys in
the B+B after putting their key back through the letterbox.
I was relieved when half an hour later, someone was up
early to let me in... After my mishap, I arrived in beautiful
weather with a mostly clear sky and the odd cloud. The
sun was out at sea, and so I was able to do exactly what
I had hoped... to shoot the Gannets into the light, helping
to retain detail in their white plumage, and also making
for more interesting lighting. |
| |
This
was one of the few static shots I took at Bempton.
Shooting towards the light really accentuates
their shape and texture, particularly that buff
coloured neck. Fence posts along the top make
for excellent camera supports ensuring sharp images.
|
|
 |
I
made many exposures, always shooting towards the light,
with the autofocus working overtime. The best opportunities
were when birds hung briefly against the breeze, which
they did fairly regularly, and I was able to fire a series
of shots. I found the best way to support the camera was
on a beanbag on a fence post - I rested the lens on the
beanbag, and panned or pivoted the camera body to follow
and compose. I noticed a few birds bringing back extra
nesting material, usually seaweed, and I was determined
to get one good shot of this. After many failed attempts
I finally managed to get the shot, as this bird hung in
the breeze for just long enough... |
|
|
When
visiting a popular place for photography, I'm keen to
try and produce something different. One of my main aims
was to use the colourful campion flowers in the foreground
to add something extra and provide some blurred colour.
This worked really well on a number of images and not
only is it visually appealing, but it is completly natural
and indicative of where this colony of birds live.
Next
year I hope to take a trip on the boat to the foot of
the cliffs - I envisage looking up through a cloud of
wheeling birds against the majestic backdrop.. another
possibility to add to many at this great site... |
|
|
|
|
