My nonstop flight to Iceland was quick, only about 5 1/4 hours. My friend Michael Zajac is helping me with the driving during the workshop since I need two vehicles. He’s never been to Grimsey so it’s a new adventure for him. I’m excited to get back and see some puffins. I’m also anxious to try out my new Sony 100-400mm f/4.5 lens. AND I took my 400-800mm out of its case and brought it along. I’ve been meaning to use the 400-800 but it just never seems to make it into my bag :). But I brought it this time with the intention of using it. I’m also going to try out my new 7R6 camera body.
Day 1) We arrived on Grimsey via the local ferry (2 vehicles and 10 people). Our host was waiting for us with open arms; she is such a sweetheart. After getting settled into our accommodation we set out for our first photo shoot. It was crazy windy and I thought none of the guests would get any shots of the puffins flying given their incredible speed and erratic flight patterns. But to my pleasant surprise this talented group all managed some incredible captures. So, we were off to a great start.
There were tons of puffins flying with mouthfuls of fish, sand eels, and krill. Of course, everyone’s dream shot is of a puffin flying with a mouthful of krill. Luckily, even with the strong winds everyone was able to capture that shot. Another shot everyone wanted was of a Razorbill showing its yellow- orange gape. We worked on getting everyone that shot as well. Arctic terns nest on the island and they were everywhere, all busy feeding their chicks.
Day 2-5) During this trip we had cloudy and windy conditions, more so than in previous years. The photographs did not suffer. Every different element that nature threw at us, just helped us create something unique. One of the best things about being on Grimsey Island during the midnight sun is the ability to walk around the island at any time of night or day. Because of the strong winds I got some of my favorite flight shots. Cloudy days can be like a giant soft box and with the black and white on the puffins it helped with our exposures. Plus, we didn’t have to worry about sun angles or cutting shadows. So that was a big plus.
There is a restaurant on the island where we had our lunches and dinners. There is also a “Cod Dog” food truck on the island and everyone was anxious to try one as they came highly recommended. They were delicious.
I spent a lot of time doing portraits of birds with out-of-focus flowers in the foreground. Those types of images appeal to me. On our last morning before our ferry off the island, we revisited a few of our favorite photo spots. I ended up capturing a couple of photos that filled out my Grimsey gallery nicely.
Overall, I loved the trip, so did all of the participants. There is something very special about having so many puffins, razorbills, terns, etc... just outside your door and then having the freedom to go out and photograph them at any time of day while feeling completely safe— no words. Harold Klein accompanied me on this trip as well. He had signed up for it long before I had asked him to join the team. He and Michael will now be taking over the trip. They both loved everything about the island and are eager to return. Harold is a dedicated workshop leader and is a lot of fun to be around. Everyone on the trip said they would like to travel with him again.
As far as my gear selection that I brought for this trip: I could have left the 400-800mm lens home. With the conditions we were handed, the new Sony 100-400mm f/4.5 lens was a work horse. Plus, I used the new Sony 7r6. This was the first time I shot with both of these, and it is now my “killer combo”” for trips like one. I will also bring it to the Falkland Islands as my main set -up. It was crazy sharp and lightweight. Plus having an f/4.5 all the way through proved invaluable. The only tiny issue I see with the lens is the zoom slides from 400mm to 100mm when you put the lens downward. Even though it’s an internal zoom. There is a smooth/tight switch that you can put on tight to keep it from gliding, but it tightens up the zoom ring which does not help when photographing birds in flight. I ended up working it out, but I did get tripped up a couple of times thinking I was at 400mm. I’m sure the second generation will fix that but for now, I am happy to have this lens. I found it sharper than the 200-600mm and I liked being able to shoot a bit more wide open. As far as the camera, the auto focus worked perfectly. I had absolutely no issues with the camera and it was comparable to my a1. Plus, the files looked incredible!
I added a small sampling of my photos from the trip to this blog, I hope you like them.
