Tufted Puffin

I”ve got to stop reading all the wonderful and sweet comments about me you all are sending my way. I am beginning to believe them! Thank you all so very much. I really do appreciate each one of them.  As a last comment on this entire affair I will say that I am back to normal now (sorry!), riding my bike, cutting firewood, going to the farm every morning, doing all the  things I have always done. I must admit that the personality improvement that so many people wished for did not occur (sorry again!) so my critiques of your images will not suddenly become any more pleasant (or helpful for that matter). But not all was lost. I did learn a few new latin medical terms for cardiac health. My favorites are ‘darkus chocolatus’ and ‘pinot noirae.’ I expect to be a devoted follower of both!

Now, can I get back to being that old cranky photographer?

By the way, the tufted puffin head shot above was taken at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport the day before my workshop started. I had pretty crummy strong light so the best I could do was a backlit portrait against a darkly shadowed background. I shot this hand held at f8 with my Nikon 28-300mm lens. The puffin was sitting on a rock about 4 feet away. If you are ever in the area, the aquarium is a great places for taking pictures. Not only can you photograph puffins but also sea otters, rhino auklets, black oystercatchers, giant green anemone and all kinds of bizarro sea creatures in tanks. Go early on a cloudy day and the light will be magnificent.

(Thank you all again!)