Edinburgh and Fife - Bass Rock
11th June 2018
The visit to Scotland this year was only for a week, so we limited the driving by staying in Falkirk.
My highlight was a chartered boat trip to see the Gannets feeding off Bass Rock.
So early Monday the family dropped me off at New Berwick. The weather looked bad with the morning haar not lifting. I struggled into the boat, not an easy boarding to a small boat with a backpack carrying Nikon D820, D500, Sony RX10 and various lenses.
The journey out to Bass Rock was rough into the swell and I wasn’t that well, it doesn’t help looking through a telephoto lens.
On arrival near the feeding ground birds started circling specially herring gulls and they were first to take the herring. Then the Gannets started, like concord diving in the water, though some would hover above and try getting food off the birds that had invested their energy in diving and taking the food. Watching the whole scene is very dynamic.
Technically it was difficult knowing how to photograph the birds. The 70-200mm was best to get close ups, however tracking individuals was almost impossible.
Fixing onto the fish in the water was a better option and firing as the birds hit the sea.
The best images for me were the wide-angle shots, I have not used my Tamron 15-30mm that much and a lot of reviews said it is very good, however one or two comments are its heavy and it doesn’t need VR. Well I disagree in this instance VR was great for hand holding on a boat, tripods and monopods just did not work, not steady and too much vibration. The lens in my opinion was fantastic set at F8.
See pictures in portfolio
My highlight was a chartered boat trip to see the Gannets feeding off Bass Rock.
So early Monday the family dropped me off at New Berwick. The weather looked bad with the morning haar not lifting. I struggled into the boat, not an easy boarding to a small boat with a backpack carrying Nikon D820, D500, Sony RX10 and various lenses.
The journey out to Bass Rock was rough into the swell and I wasn’t that well, it doesn’t help looking through a telephoto lens.
On arrival near the feeding ground birds started circling specially herring gulls and they were first to take the herring. Then the Gannets started, like concord diving in the water, though some would hover above and try getting food off the birds that had invested their energy in diving and taking the food. Watching the whole scene is very dynamic.
Technically it was difficult knowing how to photograph the birds. The 70-200mm was best to get close ups, however tracking individuals was almost impossible.
Fixing onto the fish in the water was a better option and firing as the birds hit the sea.
The best images for me were the wide-angle shots, I have not used my Tamron 15-30mm that much and a lot of reviews said it is very good, however one or two comments are its heavy and it doesn’t need VR. Well I disagree in this instance VR was great for hand holding on a boat, tripods and monopods just did not work, not steady and too much vibration. The lens in my opinion was fantastic set at F8.
See pictures in portfolio