Canonical URL: https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/ # Why Photographers Are Drawn to Greece Published on July 23, 2026 [![Tranquility On The Lake An Image Captured On The Natureslens Dalmatian Pelicans Of Lake Kerkini Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/tranquility-on-the-lake-an-image-captured-on-the-natureslens-dalmatian-pelicans-of-lake-kerkini-photography-holiday.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/tranquility-on-the-lake-an-image-captured-on-the-natureslens-dalmatian-pelicans-of-lake-kerkini-photography-holiday.jpg) Written by David Miles with images contributed by Alison Jenkins. ### Article brief Editorial article Published July 23, 2026 Lake Kerkini is one of those places that photographers who have been do not stop talking about, & photographers who have not been struggle to picture. [Northern Greece](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/greece/) is not where most people expect a pelican colony, but the lake holds one of Europe’s most accessible populations of Dalmatian Pelican — birds worked from a boat at close, respectful range, in winter light that sits low over the water for most of the day. For the current trip list, see our [Greece wildlife photography holidays](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/greece/); you can also explore more [nature photography in Europe](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/). [Alison Jenkins](https://natureslens.co.uk/about/alison/) guides both of our winter pelican trips & has built the itinerary around specific boat positions & known feeding behaviour rather than general birdwatching. Kerkini changes completely by season. Where the winter trips are built around pelicans, White-tailed Eagle, Common Crane & Whooper Swan, the spring departure shifts to breeding activity — herons, egrets, storks & Glossy Ibis all nesting & displaying in far greater colour & density than the winter birds. [Dan Trim](https://natureslens.co.uk/about/dan/) guides the spring trip, timed specifically around that seasonal shift. What makes the lake so valuable as a location is scale combined with access — a body of water large enough to hold genuinely wild numbers of birds, yet calm & shallow enough that a boat can approach slowly without disturbing them. That combination is rare in [Europe](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/), & it’s the reason a short trip here can produce a body of work that would normally take a much longer, more logistically complex itinerary elsewhere. ## Our Greece Photography Holidays We run three small-group trips to Greece, all centred on [Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/greece/) across two very different seasons. Here are the next departures for each: ### 8th – 12th Jan 2027 — [Pelicans of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/greece/pelicans-of-lake-kerkini-2027/) **3 nights | from £1,599 | Easy — Gentle Adventures, Accessible to Most** Winter pelicans with close, respectful access — a short, focused trip built entirely around boat-based pelican photography in low winter light. Our shortest & most affordable Greece departure. [More info on Pelicans of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/greece/pelicans-of-lake-kerkini-2027/) ### 12th – 16th Jan 2027 — [Dalmatian Pelicans of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/greece/dalmatian-pelicans-of-lake-kerkini-2027/) **3 nights | from £1,599 | Easy — Gentle Adventures, Accessible to Most** Dalmatian Pelican portraits at eye level — the same winter window as our other pelican trip, with a slightly different itinerary emphasis on tight portrait work rather than wider behavioural scenes. [More info on Dalmatian Pelicans of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/greece/dalmatian-pelicans-of-lake-kerkini-2027/) ### 24th – 29th May 2027 — [Spring Birds of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/greece/birds-of-lake-kerkini/) **4 nights | from £1,999 | Easy — Gentle Adventures, Accessible to Most** Breeding birdlife with spring activity & colour — herons, egrets, storks, Glossy Ibis & Greater Flamingo all in breeding condition, a very different trip to the winter departures & our longest Greece itinerary. [More info on Spring Birds of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/greece/birds-of-lake-kerkini/) **Still deciding which trip fits?** [Get in touch](https://natureslens.co.uk/wildlife-photography-holidays/about-us/contact-natureslens/) & we’ll help you match the itinerary to what you want to come home with. ## What You’ll Photograph in Greece ### Pelicans [Dalmatian Pelican](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/dalmatian-pelican/), [Great White Pelican](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/great-white-pelican/), [Pink-backed Pelican](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/pink-backed-pelican/) & [White Pelican](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/white-pelican/) all feature on our winter trips, worked from a boat at close range across the lake’s calm winter waters. This is the headline subject on both [Pelicans of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/greece/pelicans-of-lake-kerkini-2027/) & [Dalmatian Pelicans of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/greece/dalmatian-pelicans-of-lake-kerkini-2027/). Working from a slow-moving boat at water level gives an eye-level perspective that’s very different from photographing pelicans from a bank or hide — you’re genuinely on their level, which flattens the background into open water & puts real emphasis on getting the moment of a wing-stretch or a fish catch rather than just a static portrait. [![A Trio Of The Dalmatian Pelicans Of Greece Drifting On The Waters Of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/a-trio-of-the-dalmatian-pelicans-of-greece-drifting-on-the-waters-of-lake-kerkini.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/a-trio-of-the-dalmatian-pelicans-of-greece-drifting-on-the-waters-of-lake-kerkini.jpg) ### Winter Supporting Cast Alongside the pelicans, our winter trips regularly encounter [White-tailed Eagle](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/white-tailed-eagle/), [Common Crane](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/common-crane/), [Whooper Swan](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/whooper-swan/) & [Pygmy Cormorant](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/pygmy-cormorant/) working the same stretch of lake, giving you variety within a very short, focused itinerary. Because the boat sessions are the backbone of the trip, these supporting species often turn up as a bonus within the same outing as the [pelicans](https://natureslens.co.uk/for/pelicans/) — useful to keep a second body or lens ready for a passing eagle without missing the main event. [![Lake Kerkini Is Also Home To The Flamingos Who Live In The Area All Year Round](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lake-kerkini-is-also-home-to-the-flamingos-who-live-in-the-area-all-year-round-photographed-on-the-natureslens-dalmatian-pelicans-photography-holiday.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lake-kerkini-is-also-home-to-the-flamingos-who-live-in-the-area-all-year-round-photographed-on-the-natureslens-dalmatian-pelicans-photography-holiday.jpg) ### Breeding Herons, Egrets & Storks [Spring Birds of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/photography-holiday/greece/birds-of-lake-kerkini/) works an entirely different set of subjects in breeding condition — Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Night Heron, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Black Stork, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Great Crested Grebe, [Eurasian Spoonbill](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/eurasian-spoonbill/), Black Tern, [European Bee-eater](https://natureslens.co.uk/photograph/european-bee-eater/) & [Hoopoe](https://natureslens.co.uk/for/hoopoe/). Breeding plumage & courtship display both peak in spring, meaning the same species that look relatively plain in winter are transformed — Squacco Heron in particular goes from a fairly nondescript brown bird to a striking, richly patterned subject once breeding colours come in. [![One Of Lake Kerkini'S Fantastic Squacco Herons Landing, Photographed During The Natureslens Spring Birds Of Lake Kerkini Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/One-of-Lake-Kerkinis-fantastic-Squacco-Herons-landing-photographed-by-Jane-Kearney-during-the-NaturesLens-Spring-Birds-of-Lake-Kerkini-photography-holiday.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/One-of-Lake-Kerkinis-fantastic-Squacco-Herons-landing-photographed-by-Jane-Kearney-during-the-NaturesLens-Spring-Birds-of-Lake-Kerkini-photography-holiday.jpg) ### A Trip That Fits Around a Longer Break At three to four nights, our Kerkini trips are the shortest in the whole series — deliberately so, since the lake rewards focused, repeated boat sessions rather than a long itinerary covering wide ground. That makes Greece one of the easiest destinations to combine with a longer break elsewhere, or to book as a first, lower-commitment introduction to structured wildlife photography before considering a longer trip further afield. Several past guests have used one of the winter departures as exactly that: a short, high-return trip that builds confidence & technique ahead of a bigger safari or hide-based holiday later in the year. ## When to Visit Greece Both winter pelican trips run in January, when [Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/greece/)’s resident pelican population is at its largest & the light stays low & warm-toned for most of the working day. The spring trip runs in late May, timed to catch the height of the breeding season across the lake’s herons, egrets & storks before the summer heat sets in & activity quietens. ## Planning Your Trip to Greece Every session on these trips runs from a boat, which makes them among the most physically relaxed in the whole series — there is no hiking, no early scramble to a hide, & no long game-drive days. That said, winter mornings on open water can be genuinely cold with a wind chill well below the air temperature on land, so warm, wind-resistant layers matter more than on almost any other European trip in the series. The spring trip trades that cold for warmth & considerably more insect activity around the reedbeds, so a different kind of preparation applies. Because the boats work slowly & predictably along known feeding & nesting areas, these trips also suit photographers who are newer to wildlife photography particularly well — there is time to think through a composition before a bird moves, rather than the split-second decisions that safari or hide photography elsewhere in the series can demand. Alison & Dan both keep group sizes small enough that everyone gets a genuinely clear line to the water rather than shooting over someone else’s shoulder, which matters enormously on a boat where repositioning mid-session is far more limited than on land. Group sizes stay small enough on every departure that everyone gets genuine, unhurried time with the boat positioned exactly where they need it, rather than working around a crowded itinerary. ## Join Us in Greece [Greece](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/greece/) rewards photographers who want a short, tightly focused trip built around one exceptional subject, with the option to see the same lake transformed completely by season. [Alison](https://natureslens.co.uk/about/alison/) & [Dan](https://natureslens.co.uk/about/dan/) both know the lake’s boat routes & seasonal patterns closely, which is what makes even a three-night trip here feel complete rather than rushed. The lake itself sits within easy reach of [Thessaloniki](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/greece/), making logistics straightforward for a short trip. [Get in touch](https://natureslens.co.uk/wildlife-photography-holidays/about-us/contact-natureslens/) if you’d like help choosing between our winter [pelican](https://natureslens.co.uk/for/pelicans/) trips & the spring breeding-season departure, or head straight to the [Greece destination page](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/greece/) to see current availability across all departures. ## Plan your Greece photography holiday Explore our [Greece wildlife photography holidays](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/greece/), compare more [nature photography in Europe](https://natureslens.co.uk/discover/europe/), & meet the [NaturesLens photography guides](https://natureslens.co.uk/our-guides/) who lead our small-group trips. ### What wildlife will I photograph in Greece? Our winter trips are built around Dalmatian Pelican, Great White Pelican, Pink-backed Pelican and White Pelican, alongside White-tailed Eagle, Common Crane, Whooper Swan and Pygmy Cormorant. Our spring trip covers breeding herons, egrets, storks, Glossy Ibis and Greater Flamingo instead. ### Which trip should I choose — winter pelicans or spring birds? Pelicans of Lake Kerkini and Dalmatian Pelicans of Lake Kerkini (3 nights, from £1,599 each) are short winter trips focused entirely on boat-based pelican photography. Spring Birds of Lake Kerkini (4 nights, from £1,999) is a completely different trip built around breeding-season herons, storks and waders. ### How difficult are the Greece photography holidays? All three Greece trips are rated Easy — Gentle Adventures, Accessible to Most. ### When do the trips run? Our current departures run in January for both winter pelican trips, and late May for the spring birds trip. ### Who guides the Greece trips? Alison Jenkins guides both winter pelican trips. Dan Trim guides Spring Birds of Lake Kerkini. ### Do I need previous wildlife photography experience to join? No — all three trips are structured as small-group photography tours with guidance built in throughout, so they suit photographers moving up from general travel photography as well as those with more birding experience. The Easy rating across all three reflects that gentler pace. ### What is included in the trip cost? Pricing covers the guided itinerary, accommodation, and the elements listed on each individual trip page — see the More Info link on each trip for the full breakdown, single occupancy details, and current availability. - [![One Of The Many Species That Were Photographed By Karen Folbeck During Our 2024 Costa Rican Wildlife Photography Holiday 41](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/thumbnails/medium/One-of-the-many-species-that-were-photographed-by-Karen-Folbeck-during-our-2024-Costa-Rican-Wildlife-Photography-Holiday-41-300x200.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/2025/01/27/some-of-the-images-that-were-captured-by-karen-kolbeck-during-our-2024-costa-rican-photography-holiday/) ### [Images from Karen’s Costa Rica Wildlife Photography Holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/2025/01/27/some-of-the-images-that-were-captured-by-karen-kolbeck-during-our-2024-costa-rican-photography-holiday/) January 27, 2025 Explore stunning images from the 2024 NaturesLens Costa Rican Photography Holiday captured by Karen Kolbeck - [![A Photograph From Alison Jenkins Which Demonstrates The Magic Of Dalmatian Pelican Photography 19](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/a-photograph-from-alison-jenkins-which-demonstrates-the-magic-of-dalmatian-pelican-photography-19-300x200.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/2024/01/09/ethical-photography-pelicans-of-lake-kerkini/) ### [Ethical Photography – Respecting the Pelicans of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/2024/01/09/ethical-photography-pelicans-of-lake-kerkini/) January 9, 2024 In this article, we will shed light on the importance of good ethics when photographing the pelicans of Lake Kerkini,… - [![An Atlantic Puffin Swimming On Calm Water Photographed By Robin Lowry During The Natureslens Puffins Of Iceland Photography Holiday On Grimsey Island](https://natureslens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/An-atlantic-puffin-swimming-on-calm-water-photographed-by-Robin-Lowry-during-the-NaturesLens-Puffins-of-Iceland-photography-holiday-on-Grimsey-Island-300x200.jpg)](https://natureslens.co.uk/2026/09/01/grimsey-island-for-puffin-photography/) ### [Why We Recommend Visiting Grímsey Island in 2027 with Robin](https://natureslens.co.uk/2026/09/01/grimsey-island-for-puffin-photography/) September 1, 2026 With our long-running residential Skomer workshops brought to a close from 2026 & Fair Isle already full for 2027, Grímsey… In this article 1. [Our Greece Photography Holidays](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#our-greece-photography-holidays) 1. [8th – 12th Jan 2027 — Pelicans of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#8th-12th-jan-2027-pelicans-of-lake-kerkini) 1. [12th – 16th Jan 2027 — Dalmatian Pelicans of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#12th-16th-jan-2027-dalmatian-pelicans-of-lake-kerkini) 1. [24th – 29th May 2027 — Spring Birds of Lake Kerkini](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#24th-29th-may-2027-spring-birds-of-lake-kerkini) 1. [What You'll Photograph in Greece](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#what-youll-photograph-in-greece) 1. [Pelicans](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#pelicans) 1. [Winter Supporting Cast](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#winter-supporting-cast) 1. [Breeding Herons, Egrets & Storks](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#breeding-herons-egrets-storks) 1. [A Trip That Fits Around a Longer Break](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#a-trip-that-fits-around-a-longer-break) 1. [When to Visit Greece](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#when-to-visit-greece) 1. [Planning Your Trip to Greece](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#planning-your-trip-to-greece) 1. [Join Us in Greece](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#join-us-in-greece) 1. [Plan your Greece photography holiday](https://natureslens.co.uk/article/why-photographers-are-drawn-to-greece/#plan-your-greece-photography-holiday) ### Author Written by David Miles with images contributed by Alison Jenkins. Next step ### Find your next wildlife photography holiday Browse small-group trips by destination, subject, season and photographic goal. [Browse Holidays](https://natureslens.co.uk/) ### Article topics ### Field notes by email New articles, trip reports and wildlife photography holiday announcements from NaturesLens. [Join The List](https://natureslens.co.uk/newsletter-preferences/)