Ullswater diaries. Day 2. Part 3. RSPB St Bees head. Black Guillemots

As you walk from St Bees to St Bees head, you get to view this rather marvelous scenery.

Fence and path are set back from the cliff's edge. This does make walking a lot safer and easier, allowing one to look to sea - we were hoping to see Cetaceans. However, it does make for challenging photography, as subjects are obscured by the cliff.

The path is not strenuous to walk, with hardly any steep bits. Just follow the path around the coast, aiming for the lighthouse.

About half way to the lighthouse, you start to see birds like these. All photos cropped.

The birds come whizzing in like arrows.

Even with my lens at 600mm, the bird are quite tiny. Only the pixel density of the Canon R7 allows a halfway decent image.

Good fun, though, photographing them. Only, I didn't know what they were. I like the reflections of the bird in the glossy sea.

The sea got even more amazing as the bird got closer.

And finally, before the cliff edge got in the way.

I must admit that the AI tracking on the R7 made photography much easier than usual, as the camera kept the subject in focus for much of the time. However, AI tracking is easy to fool, so judicious use is required.

90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.

  • A good and informative series of posts so far Angus :o)
    I noted in one of the posts you said about half holding the shutter release button down as the AF does its thing... have you tried "back button focussing"? I'm a recent convert and have found it a revelation!

    Thanks for sharing your journey and thoughts so far
  • Thanks, PB.

    I shall definitely look into 'Back button focusing'. Currently, I have my hands and brain cell full of getting used the R7.

    I have found I am slightly all thumbs when it comes to the back buttons. I sometimes press them by accident whilst simply aiming the camera.

    90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.