Puffins At Skomer - Advice Please

Hi Lindsay
Have you considered the Farne islands there are cliff edges but they arent as high and there are places in the central parts of the islands
Where you can photograph the puffins. I regularly run work shops there plus it is really good for landscapes in the nearby area. I shall be taking a few member from my local camera club there in June.
Regards
Richard
 
lost said:
Hi Lindsay
Have you considered the Farne islands there are cliff edges but they arent as high and there are places in the central parts of the islands
Where you can photograph the puffins. I regularly run work shops there plus it is really good for landscapes in the nearby area. I shall be taking a few member from my local camera club there in June.
Regards
Richard
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Still a fairly substantial boat trip though ;). Not to mention have you seen Lindsay's hair... can you imagine the hassle getting petrel vomit out of those long locks is going to be :LOL:
 
I'm struggling to get my head around this tbh.
Are people going to pay you to 'guide' them around a location you are obviously not comfortable in? Do you do ghost hunts too? ;)
 
new2me said:
I'm struggling to get my head around this tbh.
Are people going to pay you to 'guide' them around a location you are obviously not comfortable in? Do you do ghost hunts too? ;)
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I think the idea was that the delegates would pay to be tutored in the use of their camera to get fantastic pictures - tbh when I go on this sort of workshop i'm looking for hints and tips on getting the best image (which is an expertise i'm sure lindsay has in spades) not to be guided physically arround an area
 
Byker28i said:
In abundance, floating in the harbour, all over the place. I've eaten puffin there, a very dark red meat, was served with beatroot. Very tasty
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Beetroot??? I can't think of a more ghastly accompaniment to anything. You must be psychic because beetroot is one of the other things I absolutely cannot stand - there used to be a fruit and veg shop in the village and every Monday they would boil up some beetroots out the back, presumably ready for pickling. I was completely unable to go anywhere near the village centre when this was being done because the mere smell would make me heave.

As for eating Puffins - I would be okay with that, it's not like they're scarce or anything.
 
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Lindsay D said:
As for eating Puffins - I would be okay with that, it's not like they're scarce or anything.
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thats what they said about the dodo ... indeed it is family lore that it was one of my ancestors who killed one of the last dodos ... he was a 'naturalist' and shot it for identification purposes... well done that man :bang:
 
lost said:
Hi Lindsay
Have you considered the Farne islands there are cliff edges but they arent as high and there are places in the central parts of the islands
Where you can photograph the puffins. I regularly run work shops there plus it is really good for landscapes in the nearby area. I shall be taking a few member from my local camera club there in June.
Regards
Richard
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That sounds fantastic Richard, I think I will suggest that as an alternative.
 
new2me said:
I'm struggling to get my head around this tbh.
Are people going to pay you to 'guide' them around a location you are obviously not comfortable in? Do you do ghost hunts too? ;)
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:p

No, I've been asked to be the tutor on a photography workshop at Skomer and the reason I started this thread is to gain realistic impressions from those who have been there - I wanted to consider every aspect before even thinking of taking on the job. Given my problem with heights, it doesn't sound particularly suitable for someone like me! Now if it was a ghost hunt, I'd be up for it! :D
 
kendo1 said:
... and this one :)
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You SADIST!! :eek::D

I honestly could not believe what I was seeing when I watched that video - that such a place even exists, let alone the fact that a person has negotiated it. I was literally sweating through that film. The wires for the 'safety harness' looked rusty and insubstantial - I'm not sure they could support anyone's weight in the event of a fall. As for the boardwalk ..... Eeeeeeek

I noticed a red object part way along - was that placed there in memory of someone who didn't quite make it? And the noises on the video - presumably those are the sounds you make when you poo yourself.
 
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Lindsay D said:
You SADIST!! :eek::D

I honestly could not believe what I was seeing when I watched that video - that such a place even exists, let alone the fact that a person has negotiated it. I was literally sweating through that film. The wires for the 'safety harness' looked rusty and insubstantial - I'm not sure they could support anyone's weight in the event of a fall. As for the boardwalk ..... Eeeeeeek

I noticed a red object part way along - was that placed there in memory of someone who didn't quite make it? And the noises on the video - presumably those are the sounds you make when you poo yourself.
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It's quite well known- hundreds of idiots traverse it every day :)
 
I think we can take loch corruisk (sp) near elgol off the list of places you are going to go any time soon too


I did the bad step in the dark, while carrying a rucksac full of camera gear back in 07 - i wound up holding my maglight in my mouth to leave both hands free ;)
 
Seeing as you like flying things, have a look at this:
(it's the making of Jeb Corliss flying through a mountain :) )

 
Lindsay D said:
That sounds fantastic Richard, I think I will suggest that as an alternative.
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this video should give you a feeling for what farnes are like

 
kendo1 said:
Seeing as you like flying things, have a look at this:
(it's the making of Jeb Corliss flying through a mountain :) )

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I love the jeb corliss videos - I'd love to be able to fly like that ( I did a HALO jump once and the rush from that was incredible). However i suspect we won't be getting Lindsay to come flying any time soon ;)
 
That was awesome - they came frighteningly close to the sites of the mountains, the roads, and the cable cars. I wonder how many people get killed doing that - just one gust of wind and it's game over.

This one really made me cringe (I presume these lads are not wearing parachutes):

 
...just some crazy Russians!
 
 
If we keep posting these videos may be lindsay will overcome her fear of heights by osmosis ;)

(i'm not afraid of heights or for that matter jumping out of planes.... hitting the ground worries me slighly though :LOL: )
 
big soft moose said:
If we keep posting these videos may be lindsay will overcome her fear of heights by osmosis ;)
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Well, I must admit Skomer is appearing rather pleasant after looking at these videos!

But no, I don't see myself overcoming my fear of heights anytime soon. And I have a feeling that from now on every time I see a picture of a Puffin I'll have a panic attack. :arghh:
 
puff1.jpg


hey someone had too ;)

(and photographically speaking yes theres a shed load of noise in that image , its with a 300D back in '07)
 
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Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
 
Hi Lindsay,
I'm just back from today's Skomer Puffin trip - I honestly don't think there is anything to worry about.
You HAVE to stay on the paths and the paths are well away from anything remotely considered a drop.

Here's one of today's shots - my first time ever attempting shots of birds and it is harder than it looks!
20150714-115907-I39A1275-L.jpg


The main challenge was horrendous weather - it drizzled and rained most of the day. But the soft light suited the Puffins just fine :)
If you are interested, here's a gallery with a selection of the rest....
http://www.wild-landscapes.co.uk/Blog/2015-07-14-Skomer/50614221_7Vt7Kx
 
DuncanDisorderly said:
Hi Lindsay,
I'm just back from today's Skomer Puffin trip - I honestly don't think there is anything to worry about.
You HAVE to stay on the paths and the paths are well away from anything remotely considered a drop.

Here's one of today's shots - my first time ever attempting shots of birds and it is harder than it looks!
20150714-115907-I39A1275-L.jpg


The main challenge was horrendous weather - it drizzled and rained most of the day. But the soft light suited the Puffins just fine :)
If you are interested, here's a gallery with a selection of the rest....
http://www.wild-landscapes.co.uk/Blog/2015-07-14-Skomer/50614221_7Vt7Kx
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Some nice images there. Cloudy weather is one of the best for day trip photography. Bright sunny days can cause very harsh shadows and are harder to exposure the highlights/shadows.

Once up the steps the island is quite flat, like you say most paths are far enough away from the cliff edges. I can see why the steps could be a problem for someone with a fear of heights. Most of the way up the steps have barriers/hand rails either side so there is no risk of falling bug it is a lot of steps.
 
DuncanDisorderly said:
Cheers Rob!
Lindsay - did you get to see some Puffins in the end?
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I've just been enjoying your pictures Duncan, some lovely shots there - and thankfully not too many right on the edge :eek:

I chickened out of the Puffin trip, but ironically even if I had agreed I would have had to pull out. I damaged both Achilles tendons a couple of months back and the injuries are quite bad, I have days when I can't walk at all and I haven't been able to drive for a few weeks now. I've been told that tackling slopes and steps will be several months away (from Rob's account of the climb I think I will have to rule this out entirely). Absolutely no idea how the injury happened as I haven't altered my (very moderate) running route in any way this year. So pretty much anything active will be off the agenda for a few months :crying:

Oh well, I will enjoy the Puffins vicariously through the rest of you. ;)
 
Cheers Lindsay - you can't get to any of the edges, the paths are super-safe; there are no worries.
The BIF shots were taken from the briefing area at the top of the steps; railings and all.
There were hundreds of Puffins wheeling around the bay, all in the same direction - an incredible sight.
Definitely one for you to keep on your list for the future - get well soon!
 
Lindsay D said:
I've just been enjoying your pictures Duncan, some lovely shots there - and thankfully not too many right on the edge :eek:

I chickened out of the Puffin trip, but ironically even if I had agreed I would have had to pull out. I damaged both Achilles tendons a couple of months back and the injuries are quite bad, I have days when I can't walk at all and I haven't been able to drive for a few weeks now. I've been told that tackling slopes and steps will be several months away (from Rob's account of the climb I think I will have to rule this out entirely). Absolutely no idea how the injury happened as I haven't altered my (very moderate) running route in any way this year. So pretty much anything active will be off the agenda for a few months :crying:

Oh well, I will enjoy the Puffins vicariously through the rest of you. ;)
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Sorry to hear about your Injury Lindsay, hope you get better soon. The best photo of the steps I can find is on the skomer website. For most visitors they are not bad at all. Once you get up them it's fine as you are not near edges and the island is quite flat. You can take your time to get up them and there are plenty of people to help each other.

http://www.welshwildlife.org/skomer-day-trip-2/

I understand how you feel, I'm not a fan of boats. the first time I went I was able to check whether the sea was calm enough. This year I stayed for 2 nights so didn't really have a choice on the state of the sea as we were booked for the early boat, it was a little choppy, for most it was fine but for me another 5-10 mins would probably have been too much.

The boat or steps shouldn't put you off, Skomer is a great experience that is even better when staying over. I thought on the day trip there was plenty of Puffins, that was until I experienced sunset on the wick, the puffin numbers increased 10 fold and it was a great sight. I stayed over on a Monday when the island is closed to day tripper, I spent time on my own at the wick at midday on the Monday just watching the puffins. It was great to experience the wick without any visitors.
 
Lindsay D said:
:eek: :puke:

I know, it's just that I'm terrified of both :arghh:
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It is worth the trouble, being able to stay, avoid the crowds and go out when the light is at its best is worth trying just once. I'm sure you could get better images than I did, one of my favourites was this backlit Puffin.

Backlit Puffin by Rob Cain, on Flickr
 
Just visited Skomer this weekend, got very lucky with the weather as boats didn't go out the day before and after we were there. Its a great Island and very pretty, even though it wasn't peak season there were still loads of puffins and birds to see. Here are a few of the best shots we took.If you are a beginner its very good place to fill your frame.View attachment 42658 View attachment 42659

View attachment 42657
 
The W said:
I've been to Skomer twice (2013, 2014) and my first stay on Skokholm this year; it's fair to say I've been hooked!
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Having now been to both islands, I wrote a blog post on my thoughts on how the two islands compare. (Tl,dr: first timers should opt for Skomer, but Skokholm has it's strengths over Skomer.) I'd be interested if any veterans of both islands disagree with my assessment...
 
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The W said:
(Tl,dr: first timers should opt for Skomer, but Skokholm has it's strengths over Skomer.) I'd be interested if any veterans of both islands disagree with my assessment...
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Hi Paul, I've stayed on Skomer x 3 & Skokholm x1 , feel free to PM me if you don't want to clutter up this thread :)
 
And if you want publicly call my assessment cods-wallop, I'm big enough not to cry!
 
I really don't think any of these assurances are helping are they Lindsay? Rational comments about how safe it is really don't cut the mustard, I can see that from your description of being in a car on a bridge. Please don't think I'm being rude but have you described your fear to a doctor? There are techniques to help people overcome serious phobias, it seems to me as though this is seriously hampering your ability to enjoy life to the full; tell a professional. I look forward to joining your first guided trip, after you've driven yourself across the Severn Bridge of course!
 
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