Skomer Island Puffin Low Light Portrait

rob-nikon · 30 Jun 2015

I've just got back from spending two nights on Skomer Island and I would highly recommend it, its so much better than photography on the day trips. This Puffin portrait was taken 5 minutes before sunset when the sun had disappeared behind the cliff leaving little light. This was taken wide open on a 85mm f1.8 lens, a first use for wildlife but perfect on Skomer for shallow DoF portrait images.

Puffin Sunset Low Light Portrait by Rob Cain, on Flickr

sbowler579 · 1 Jul 2015

Nicely caught between the OOF areas.

Bigdeaks · 1 Jul 2015

Shallow depth of field works really well. The WB looks a bit blue to me though.

BillN_33 · 1 Jul 2015

Bigdeaks said:
The WB looks a bit blue to me though.

Agreed …….

Rob, were you using Auto1?

rob-nikon · 1 Jul 2015

sbowler579 said:
Nicely caught between the OOF areas.

Thanks, that's the look I as going for.

rob-nikon · 1 Jul 2015

Bigdeaks said:
Shallow depth of field works really well. The WB looks a bit blue to me though.

BillN_33 said:
Agreed …….

Rob, were you using Auto1?

I was on cloudy but I altered it in Lightroom during editing, I will have look at altering it when I'm back from holiday next week.

BillN_33 · 1 Jul 2015

rob-nikon said:
I was on cloudy but I altered it in Lightroom during editing, I will have look at altering it when I'm back from holiday next week.

Thanks Rob

I've had a few comments that my (Nikon) images look blue - they were all taken on the same day ……. by a Lake …… I then googled "Nikon images - blue cast" and found that it was quite a well know fact

rob-nikon · 14 Jul 2015

Sorry its taken a while, here is the updated WB image. I've tried altering the WB but found its not easy getting it right, I think this because it was near sunset and the light had disappeared behind the cliff. The side of the puffins face is the shadow side and plays havoc with the WB.

Puffin Sunset Low Light Portrait by Rob Cain, on Flickr

Bigdeaks · 14 Jul 2015

Looks a lot better to me, I went puffin watching a couple of years ago and found they played havoc with the auto WB.

AdamSi · 14 Jul 2015

Very nice Rob its on my list to get there at some point

I live near Lundy Island but your a very long way from them and on cliff edges so very hard to get any shots this ones lovely

rob-nikon · 14 Jul 2015

AdamSi said:
Very nice Rob its on my list to get there at some point I live near Lundy Island but your a very long way from them and on cliff edges so very hard to get any shots this ones lovely

You have to stay on the paths on Skomer, Puffin burrows are only inches away on the other side of the ropes. It was interesting with 12 photographers on the path around The Wick at sunset, although probably a lot less photographers than during the day.

rob-nikon · 14 Jul 2015

Bigdeaks said:
Looks a lot better to me, I went puffin watching a couple of years ago and found they played havoc with the auto WB.

I mainly keep to the cloudy setting and alter in processing if needed. The problem I've come across is the d750 and d800 I had with me have different WB values on the cloudy setting so it's been interesting trying to develop images from both in changing light from roughly 1800-2200 on both days.

cjt2011 · 15 Jul 2015

Puffins are such a good subject great images

Karen · 15 Jul 2015

Caught just right

rjmartin · 17 Jul 2015

Nice photo Rob, the lighting is just right. Love Skomer, have visited a few times myself

dan_yell · 26 Mar 2018

@rob-nikon - sorry to drege up an old topic here Rob - did you go on an organised trip? And if so which one? I'm thinking of taking the plunge next year and wondered how they all compared as wanted to do a few days, not just a day trip i think. am based in essex so trying to decide if it's Skomer or Farne or somewhere else...