Horned Puffin in flight

“My truest feelings for my Saint Paul Island experiences were self-expressed spontaneously and subconsciously when, as our plane taxied down the runway on our return home, I choked up at the thought that our unique week together was over. Special thanks go to you, Chris, for your special help: giving me physical support to deal with the slipperies in the early days before I developed my sea-legs, directing me to good spots for close-up photos, helping me get into and out of them as needed, and especially for your converting me to use the Manual setting for my exposures. The true value of the latter became evident as I scanned my photo results on the computer. I confess I was plenty tired physically at the end of our week, but it was a week that in retrospect I would not have missed.”

— Charles Wyttenback Cape Cod | Massachusetts | USA

Parakeet Auklet Calling

Did you know?: The Parakeet Auklet makes a series of rhythmic hoarse calls and a quavering squeal. Their function is unknown but could be associated with defending its burrow from intruders and strengthening the bond with its mate.

Parakeet Auklet Dorsal View

The Parakeet Auklet is named for its unusually shaped bill, which is almost round like that of a parrot. We don't know for sure, but it is thought that this unique bill shape helps them to feed on their favorite foods like slimy jellyfish and zooplankton.

Tufted Puffin Portrait

I could spend hours perched on a cliff in front of a bird at the minimum focusing distance of my camera. I love the slight reflection of the cliffs in the eye of this Tufted Puffin.

Q: “Chris, I met you at the Toronto photography show in Dec 2019” (ProFusion where I was presenting for Sony) “where you were showing your Sony work. We spoke and then exchanged some emails later - I was inquiring if you ever used auto iso etc. 
Looking again at your portfolio, I had some questions on your technique to achieve the amazingly clean backgrounds that you do. I bought a Sony RX10m4 .. enjoying that ……… Also wondered if you are doing any virtual seminars. Thanks” - Ken Wagner

A: Hi Ken!

The trick to the out-of-focus backgrounds is to find a subject and angle that offers a distant, but pleasing background. Even with a slow lens with a maximum aperture opening of f/11 will produce pleasing out-of-focus backgrounds if the subject is at the minimum focusing distance and the background is far enough away.

I have a bunch of virtual seminars booked with camera clubs, but none scheduled for an open audience at this time; stay tuned here for an announcement in the future.

Tufted Puffin In Flight with nesting material

Sitting on top of cliffs with my lens pointed down tracking seabirds might be one of my favourite things to do. This is a Tufted Puffin bringing some nesting material back to its rocky crevice nest.

The Tufted Puffin is among the Alaskan seabirds facing the challenges of climate change and dying in large numbers. Be sure to read more here:

Unusual mortality of Tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) in the eastern Bering Sea (May, 2019)

Crested Auklet in flight

Here’s a Crested Auklet in-flight image from Saint Paul Island, AK. We spent an incredible day perched at the top of the seabird cliffs on an incredibly windy day. The seabird activity was over-the-top. All of the stars were out and preforming for us: Crested, Parakeet and Least Auklets, Horned and Tufted Puffins, Red-faced Cormorants, Northern Fulmars, Black-legged and Red-legged Kittiwakes. It was a spectacular day!

If you missed them, be sure to see these related posts:

Crested Auklet sends fragrant signals

2020 Alaska Seabird Die-offs