Gannets in the Mist…

I recently led a Photography Workshop at Bempton Cliffs on the East Yorkshire coast. Upon arrival we were greeted by the thickest of sea mists with terrible visibility. I was pretty sure it would lift by the afternoon, but the fact is – it didn’t! So, rather than complain about what could not be changed, we persevered with our bird photography. It certainly gave opportunities for something different – which is never easy to do at Bempton. The histogram for our images was almost in one place due to the short dynamic range.

gannets1 The most difficult part was focussing. Regardless of lens speed, autofocus was having an absolute nightmare trying to lock onto wishy washy targets against a wishy washy background. I found the juvenile gannets slightly easier as the camera was able to lock on better due to their mottled plumage. gannets3 gannets6 The wind was also a real challenge. A strong easterly breeze kept the birds buffeted about and throwing sea spray onto our lenses. Yes, this was definitely a challenge!! As always its a case of keep trying and we all managed some reasonably sharp flight images including the additional guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes.

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A little closer to our cameras was this lovely pair of razorbills. Occasionally the sea fog thinned enough to capture some detail in the birds as in this shot here. A nice change from the constant grey fog.

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Thanks to my clients Louise and Martin who braved the conditions and embraced the challenge. It would have been all too easy to give up entirely..! As it happens I’m actually quite happy with some of the images and certainly gives me ideas for the future. If you’re interested in joining me on future workshops check out my Photography Course at Bempton Cliffs

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2 thoughts on “Gannets in the Mist…

  • 16th May 2016 at 11:58 am
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    Not exactly the conditions I was expecting on what was the hottest day of the year so far only 10 miles inland, but actually, the challenging conditions made it a really good learning experience, and I think I got more from the workshop than I would have done on a glorious clear sunny day! Thanks Paul!

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    • 23rd May 2016 at 10:52 am
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      Thanks for the feedback. It was challenging, but as you say it can often be a better learning experience for photography. Thanks for braving the weather at Bempton Cliffs and being so enthusiastic!

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