Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire

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I was lucky that on?my first attempt to get out onto Skomer for some 1-2-1 tuition with a client, we succeeded.?Due to the poor weather forecast, the number of visitors trying to get onto the island was low with only 39 visitors. On a normal day it is closer to about 200 visitors.?We were able to take advantage of the extra space and spend some time learning the habits of the birds, plus it was?easier for me to teach without the crowds of people hanging about. The high winds made attempting flight shots almost impossible and even though the wind shifted during the day, it never came from behind us to slow the birds down on landing.

The challenge I set my client was to think differently and to try and come up with an image of the Puffins that was from a different perspective. The results were pretty good I thought. The images here are a few of the 16 images or so that I made?as examples to show my client. They may not be competition winners, but there was a nice variation to them I liked.

Our second attempt to get out onto the island failed due to high winds, so we resorted to some landscape images of Marloes Sands instead. I didn’t make any images though. I was hoping that the weather would change as the next day I had my Skomer Day course and five photographers travelling down to get some Puffin pictures.

The next morning was a bit of a roller coaster ride in trying to get the group informed of what was happening with the sailings. Would we go? What time was the sailing going? Would the 12.00 pm sailing happen as planned? When would we have to head back? After a flurry of phone calls and text messages to the group with a request to arrive an hour earlier than planned, followed by a message to say take it easy as the 12.00 pm sailing was going after all, we finally got out onto the island. For first time visitors it can be a bit overwhelming and?the group were amazed?as to how close the birds came to you. Super telephotos definitely not required!

On the way back to the island departure point we had a chance to warm up a bit as it had cooled off by the Puffins, plus we were hoping to photograph the little or short eared owls. Unfortunately there were no owls within photographic range. Overall it was a great few days on and around Skomer, but now it was time for myself and a day or so before I was heading out to Skokholm Island for a few days to photograph and record the birds.