Seabirds

The cliffs of Iceland are packed with “other birds”. Whilst the Puffins are the main attraction for most visitors, the Guillemots, with their white eye liner, and the Razorbills with the clean and delicate lines on their faces and beak, are also putting on a show.

The Guillemots don’t build nests, and lay their eggs on the bare rock. The eggs are shaped with a point at one end, so they roll around in a circle in place, rather than rolling off the cliff.

The struggle with photographing the Guillemots and Razorbills, on top of speed and weather, are that they nest further down the cliffs, and this is often a lot further away than the Puffins, making getting a good image harder.

Additionally, their dark brown / black feathers seem to absorb light, so getting the exposure right to bring their eyes out is almost impossible unless the light is with you.

These photos are from Grimsey and Látrabjarg.

Settings and Approach

90 to 280 mm lens (f/2.8 to 4.0).

Shutter Priority, with the shutter speed set to between 1/500 and 1/1000 seconds to freeze movement.

ISO set automatically or limited to ISO 400 to try and keep noise to a minimum.

Challenge: Low light, light direction, meaning a balancing act between ISO and shutter speed. Speed of the little tricksters.