During my Deluxe Atlantic Puffins Galore Photography Workshop on Île aux Perroquets in Quebec's Mingan Archipelago, there are times when the light is beautiful—and there are times when we simply make the most of the light we have.
I photographed this Common Murre (Uria aalge) carrying a fish when the sun was higher and harsher than I would normally choose. But when I'm on location with this much bird activity, I don't automatically put the camera away because the light isn't perfect.
There is always something to learn, something to practise and the possibility of something extraordinary happening.
Harsh Light? Watch Your Shadow
One of the simplest things you can do when photographing birds in harsh sunlight is pay attention to your own shadow.
Whenever possible, I want my shadow pointing directly toward the subject.
That puts the sun behind me and gives me the cleanest, most even illumination possible under difficult conditions. It won't turn harsh midday sunlight into beautiful early-morning light, but it can make a huge difference.
More importantly, I profit from the time.
I'm practising acquiring birds quickly in the viewfinder and tracking them smoothly. I'm watching where they're coming from, where they're going and whether they're following predictable flight paths.
And I'm studying behaviour.
The longer you watch, the more you see. What initially appears random often starts to reveal a pattern—and recognizing those patterns helps you anticipate the photograph instead of simply reacting to it.
Why Is This Common Murre Carrying Only One Fish?
Photographing Common Murres alongside Atlantic Puffins makes one fascinating difference between them particularly obvious.
We're used to seeing Atlantic Puffins returning from the Gulf of St. Lawrence with several small fish packed crosswise into their colourful bills. Common Murres normally do things differently.
Murres are single-prey loaders. Instead of collecting several fish before returning to the colony, they typically bring back one fish at a time, carried lengthwise in the bill.
And that fish isn't normally being presented to a mate.
During chick rearing, both Common Murre parents forage and bring food back to their single chick. While one adult remains with the youngster, the other can head out to sea in search of food.
One fish. One trip. Then back out to sea to do it again.
You'll also notice that the fish is carried lengthwise, typically with its head toward the adult's mouth and its tail protruding. Quite a contrast to a puffin arriving with a bill overflowing with small fish.
One Egg—and an Extraordinary Start to Life
Common Murres don't build a traditional nest. They lay their single egg directly on a rocky ledge, often surrounded by thousands of other murres in a densely packed breeding colony.
Both parents incubate the egg and care for the chick.
Then comes one of my favourite Common Murre facts.
The youngster eventually leaves its breeding ledge before it can properly fly, heading down to the ocean where the male continues to care for and feed it at sea.
It's an extraordinary beginning to life.
And knowing things like this matters to me as a wildlife photographer. The more I understand about a species, the better I become at recognizing when something different is about to happen.
Be Ready for the Extraordinary
That's why harsh light doesn't necessarily mean it's time to quit.
If I'm fortunate enough to be surrounded by birds, I'll use that time.
Practise acquiring them quickly. Work on tracking. Study their flight paths. Watch their behaviour. Learn to recognize the subtle clues that might tell you something interesting is about to happen.
Not every bird that flies past will produce a portfolio image.
It doesn't need to.
Every pass can make you better prepared for the one that does.
And while you're photographing the ordinary, keep looking for the fish, the interaction, the unexpected species or that brief moment of behaviour that makes you forget all about the harsh light.
Be ready for the extraordinary while photographing the ordinary.
Because nature doesn't wait for perfect light.
Join Me for Deluxe Atlantic Puffins Galore
I photographed this Common Murre during my Deluxe Atlantic Puffins Galore Photography Workshop on Île aux Perroquets, in Quebec's spectacular Mingan Archipelago.
The Atlantic Puffins may be the stars of the show, but spending days immersed in this remarkable seabird colony gives us opportunities to photograph Common Murres, Razorbills and other seabirds, while learning their behaviour and becoming better prepared for those extraordinary moments.
If photographing Atlantic Puffins in flight and experiencing one of Quebec's remarkable seabird colonies sounds like your kind of adventure, I'd love to have you join me on a Deluxe Atlantic Puffins Galore Photography Workshop.