THEME: puffin with eel pouts

[annmpacheco]

How many of you lock focus on the bird and repeatedly plea to yourself for a glance, a bank, or whatever wishful on the fly (or stationary) composition you hope for... I do all the time, I talk to myself and i talk to the bird, silently most of the time. I was tracking this puffin as it came in to land and i could tell it had prey in its beak and as it got closer i remember coaxing, begging, and anticipating the "glance" and then we locked eyes for a split second. Click. It was this shot that made me put down my camera for a while and sit on top of the cliff top watching and listening to all the activity around me. I sat there and processed my journey as a bird photographer and i was filled with emotional gratitude that i have been able to share company with many birds and excitedly appreciate their every nuance. Immersed in this colony of puffins, I truly had both guilt and shame as I shared company with them and also knew their vulnerability that is traced to the hands of humans... The puffin population in Iceland is significantly declining along with other seabird populations... Is is an Icelandic tradition to hunt puffin and many tourists contribute to the slaughter so they can say they went to Iceland and ate a "puffin" Climate change is especially brutal to wildlife because their fragile ecosystem is in jeopardy and adaptation to such a rapidly fluctuating environment brings stress, harm, and decline to the puffin population. Recent declines in populations and nesting successes have led to puffins receiving world status of Threatened and Endangered in Europe by the International Union for conservation and Nature. Meanwhile back at our guesthouse on the island, a Father and son were enjoying their puffin hunt and within a couple of days they gleefully bagged up in excess of 500 puffin to take South to their island where puffin hunting has been banned because their population has depleted... It was disturbing to sit amongst the puffins and know that we have collectively contributed to their climate change, and throughout the day there will be humans with long poled nets that will catch them and wring their necks. And if you happen to be a parent of your lone puffling, well its likely it will die as well from starvation. As Joni Mitchell sang: "pave paradise and put up a parking lot" I just had to say this...

D5
500mmPF
ISO 2000
5.6
1/3200

[arash_hazeghi]

I like the close up details and the fish but the flat aka pancake wing position spoils this one a bit for me, I like the view of the feet and the nails though

TFS

[David Roach]

Love the pose with perfect head turn from that full beak to the tip of those upturned toes. The view of the eye is wonderful and yes, yes, yes to your sentiments. Images like this just might make us realize what we will be missing if we aren't more diligent. So, sincerely, TFS...

[gail bisson]

Great narrative with this image.
I could not have stated the puffins' case more eloquently.
Great FF shot with good processing. Love the perfect head turn and the superb view of the foot and nail.
These shots remind me of the song "Ride like the Wind" by Cris Kross.
Arash- The wing position is flat because this guy/gal was riding the wing and soaring so no wing flap.

[Daniel Cadieux]

How cool is that! I'm OK with the wing position here as it obvious the puffin is riding the wind. I love the curled tail.

[John Mack]

Nice view of all those eels and the feet. Detail on the bird looks pretty good as well. Interesting story. Did not know people hunt and eat puffins.

[Mike Poole]

No problems with the wing position from me either, although it would have been stronger with a downstroke. The way the eels have sat in the mouth are perfect with the flow and a few of the eyes showing, and the little head turn from the puffin works wonders

Mike

[dankearl]

I think it could be sharpened a bit more.... Thanks for the backstory, Iceland really needs
to end its ridiculous 18th century view of it's resources, including Puffins and Whales which they continue to hunt and eat...
You description of the instant we make eye contact is universal to us all.
Thanks.

[Arthur Morris]

Yes, we have been trashing the planet for at least the last two centuries. I too am fine with the gliding pose. And I love the head turn.

with love, a

[Dorian Anderson]

Image is beautifully presented (exposure, detail, color) but the flat-wing pose isn't my favorite. More extension either up or down would have been perfect with that payload and killer HA!

[annmpacheco]

Image is beautifully presented (exposure, detail, color) but the flat-wing pose isn't my favorite. More extension either up or down would have been perfect with that payload and killer HA!
Hey Dorian and others... Thanks for all your comments. I get the "no pancake wing position thing" however, this is a puffin staying in place for bout twenty seconds balancing and hovering the winds to land. Got hundreds of wings up wings down but never ever have caught this gorgeous pose before.

[Bill Dix]

Great mouthful, and a skillful capture at full frame. I understand he is riding the wind, and the resulting flat wing position makes this frame different from hundreds of other Puffin shots. That said, I prefer an upwing or downwing position. Thank you for the thoughtful narrative.