Sometimes the bird is only part of the photograph.
While photographing Razorbills during my Deluxe Atlantic Puffins Galore Photography Workshop on Île aux Perroquets in Quebec's Mingan Archipelago, the Gulf of St. Lawrence became amazingly calm. The water was almost perfectly flat, with barely a ripple to disturb the soft blue surface.
When this Razorbill flew incredibly low over the water, I wasn't thinking about filling the frame. I wanted to include that wonderful stillness and the reflection beneath the bird.
For me, that's what makes the image.
Sometimes Smaller Is Better
As bird photographers, we're often trying to get closer, use more focal length and make the bird bigger in the frame.
There's certainly nothing wrong with that. But sometimes the surroundings are every bit as important as the subject.
Here, the open space, soft colour and reflection tell as much of the story as the Razorbill itself. A tighter composition might show more feather detail, but it would lose much of what attracted me to the scene in the first place.
That's something I try to emphasize during my workshops. We certainly spend time on autofocus, exposure and all the technical skills needed to photograph fast-moving birds, but those are only tools.
The real goal is to stop thinking about the camera long enough to see the photograph.
A Word From William Kelly — Austin, Texas
William joined us in the Mingan Archipelago this summer and recently sent me this wonderful note:
“A belated thank you for a great trip! I had a great time on the puffin tour. Your expertise was apparent, and the food and stories were top-notch. I also appreciated the reverence for nature and photo tips.
I strongly caution anyone considering this photo tour—you will have too many puffin photos!!
During our time in the Mingan Archipelago, I appreciated Chris's professional—but not didactic—attitude. By the end of the trip, I was comfortable tracking fast-moving puffins with 800mm and even 1120mm. We were also fortunate to have some great silhouette opportunities, which unlocked a new style of photography for me.
When I first saw in the advert that the food would be exceptional, I was a bit skeptical about how good the food could be on a 100m by 350m crag. Pleasantly wrong. The food was A+ and kept our energy high. The cabins were clean and comfortable, so you had good recovery after long days.
Outside of photographing was memorable, too. Chris is a real cosmopolitan, but very approachable and keeps a good reverence for nature. It made for an entertaining but relaxed environment.
I enter nearly every photography trip with the goal of a single print-quality photo. I walked away from this photo tour with a backlog of puffin action shots, portraits, silhouettes, environmental shots, behavioral pics, and more. I've casually photographed puffins in Iceland and the Farne Islands, and was not granted the same fortune. Additionally, we got to capture some nice images of Savannah Sparrows and other shorebirds.
I highly recommend this trip to anyone with an itch for puffins. Most of my next year is booked out, but I will definitely consider future workshops with Chris!”— William Kelly, Austin, Texas
William's Atlantic Puffin
Atlantic Puffin returning with fish during the Deluxe Atlantic Puffins Galore Photography Workshop in Quebec's Mingan Archipelago. Photograph © William Kelly, Austin, Texas.
William's Puffin photograph above is a great example of the opportunities we had. I particularly like that he arrived hoping to come home with one print-quality photograph, but left with action, portraits, silhouettes, environmental images, behaviour and much more.
And apparently too many Puffin photographs. Smile.
For me, that's what a great photography trip should be about. Not simply coming home with more photographs, but learning to see more possibilities when you're in the field.
Sometimes that means filling the frame with an Atlantic Puffin carrying fish.
And sometimes it means letting a Razorbill be small enough in the frame to show just how beautifully calm the Gulf of St. Lawrence can be.
Join Me in Puffin Paradise
Experience Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills and the extraordinary bird photography opportunities of Île aux Perroquets in Quebec's Mingan Archipelago during my small-group Deluxe Atlantic Puffins Galore Photography Workshop.