Puffin plan

QThis summer, my mission is to photograph a puffin. Will my 100-400mm lens be long enough? Bobby Halsall

AI can’t promise that it will be long enough for every occasion; but, as a rule, I think you have plenty of reach with that focal length range. I have rarely needed to go much longer than 400mm while photographing puffins – even when I’ve wanted a tight portrait. Depending on the locations you are visiting, you might find that 400mm is actually too long, especially if you want to include some environment within the frame, too.

My example image here, taken in the Farne Islands, was shot at a focal length of 300mm. Puffin only come onto land to breed and raise their young, so they are relatively tolerant of humans. I find it’s best to locate an area where they come and go, then I just sit still, waiting for them.

The one in the image landed, posed for a while on one rock, then actually hopped closer to my position. I kept very low so

I was at the bird’s level, and focused on its eye, managing to get some lovely,

Patterns in nature are a wonderful visual device to work with. Here, converting to mono helps bring out the repetition of the trees and draws the viewer’s eye into the frame.