One of the ongoing challenges I face while leading my Deluxe Atlantic Puffin photography workshops is helping participants understand a simple but powerful concept: waiting for the right moment often beats settling for a bad shot.
When puffins finally appear and perch out in the open, it's incredibly tempting to start clicking away. After all, we've come a long way to see them, and there they are—right in front of us. The instinct is to fill memory cards with images of these charismatic birds, even if the lighting is poor or the background is cluttered with dirt, rocks, and vegetation.
But here's the thing: just because a shot is available doesn't mean it's worth taking.
Personally, I'd rather take far fewer photos if it means waiting for the right opportunity—the one where the composition, lighting, and background all come together. Instead of shooting puffins in deep shadow against a distracting near background, I look for a different angle. I position myself along the cliff, where I can shoot with a more distant background. Often, this means a dreamy wash of out-of-focus buttercups and soft greens—something that adds beauty and atmosphere to the image rather than pulling focus away from the subject.
This approach requires patience and restraint—two traits not always easy to practice in the excitement of seeing puffins up close. But when that magical moment happens and everything aligns, the results speak for themselves.
Great wildlife photography isn't just about the subject—it's about telling a story through light, background, and timing. And sometimes, the best story is the one you wait for.
Atlantic Puffin Foggy Buttercups (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, Frailecillo atlántico, ATPU) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop, Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds.. Sony a1 Mark II Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm. ISO 10,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.
