client images, galleries, scotland, uk tours

John & Rosamund’s Shetland Puffins

Posted on September 4, 2017 by David Miles

John & Rosamund were just 2 of our guests on this year’s trip to Fair Isle to photograph the iconic Atlantic Puffin. They were blessed with nearly perfect weather for the entirety of their trip which enabled them to get some fabulous images of the comical clowns of the sea.

Rosamund said “It was a fantastic opportunity for photographing puffins: the colony is healthy & the birds flying in with lots of sand eels. We learnt so much about the behaviour of these charming little birds.”

Rosamund added “Initially we thought 5 nights was too long, but given the good weather, it was easy to fill the time between morning & evening shoots. When the light was so bright in the middle of the day we much enjoyed ourselves walking the wonderful & accessible coastline & visiting the lighthouses & the museum.”

I absolutely love this puffin preening shot. Simply stunning & my favourite image from all the ones that they kindly sent in for us to share.

WHY NOT PHOTOGRAPH THE SHETLAND PUFFINS FOR YOURSELF?

If you would like to photograph the brilliant & comical Puffins of Fair Isle, which Kevin will be again leading in 2018, then you can book the 2018 Puffins Of Fair Isle for £1199. This is a great trip & will fill up fast so don’t miss out.

The trip is scheduled to run between the dates of June 14 – 19, 2018.

We include all accommodation on Fair Isle which is a full board basis, flight from Sumburgh to Fair Isle & ferry back from the island to Sumburgh. The itinerary is flexible between puffin sessions to allow us to photograph other species of birds, including Arctic & Great Skuas, Fulmar & other seabirds or if you wish you can head off on your own & explore the island.

announcements, photography holidays, scotland, workshops

£200 off the Shetland Puffins of Fair-Isle photography tour

Posted on January 8, 2017 by David Miles

As a New Year special offer, we got a special on the NaturesLens Puffins of Fair-Isle Photography Holiday, we’ve taken £200 of the price – for a limited number of places the price is reduced to £999 from £1199 – the holiday package to photography the Shetland Puffins still includes a flight from Sumburgh to Fair Isle, several days on Fair Isle on a full-board basis, & a return ferry – dates for the trip are July 8^th – 13^th 2017.

The trip will be lead by Kevin Morgans & he will be on hand to offer photography guidance & to spot opportunities to ensure that you get the best from the the photography tour that you can.

You don’t have to pay the full amount today, a deposit of £200 holds your place on the Shetland Puffins of Fair-Isle, with the balance due in early April 2017.

View the full details of the Shetland Puffins photography trip here.

reports, scotland

My thoughts on the Puffins of Fair-Isle

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Kevin Morgans

26
Jul

Fair Isle, measuring at just 3km wide & barely 5km long is Britain’s most remote inhabited island. It can be found marooned in the North Sea between Shetland & Orkney. Due to its location it is not the easiest place to get to. But once you set foot on the island, it truly is a puffin paradise & with almost 24 hours of daylight during June it is a photographers dream. The puffin population on Fair Isle may not be the biggest in the UK, but it is difficult to argue that it isn’t the most beautiful. Read on for my thoughts on the Puffins of Fair Isle & why Shetland, & in particular, Fair Isle, is one of the best locations to capture images of the comical clowns of the sea.

Posing with a gathered flower, one of Fair ISle's Puffins looks in a contemplative mood - photographed on the NaturesLens Puffins of Fair Isle Photographic Holiday Continue reading →

client images, galleries, scotland

Some of Stuart’s images from their recent visit to the Puffins of Fair-Isle

Posted on July 12, 2016August 9, 2018 by David Miles

12
Jul

Stuart has kindly sent in a selection of images captured on Shetland when they undertook the Puffins of Fair Isle Photography Holiday led by Kevin Morgans.

Fair Isle is the most remote inhabited island in the United Kingdom. It is administratively part of the parish of Dunrossness, Shetland, & is roughly equidistant from Sumburgh Head some 24 miles to the northeast on the Mainland of Shetland & North Ronaldsay, Orkney, some 27 miles to the southwest. Fair Isle is 3 miles long & 1.5 miles wide. It has an area of 3 sq miles, making it the tenth largest of the Shetland Islands.

Fair Isle has a permanent bird observatory, founded by George Waterston in 1948. Because of its importance as a bird migration watchpoint, it provides virtually all of the accommodation on the island.

The light, that is the reason for our photography holidays to both Fair Isle & Skomer which enables the capture of images like this

Continue reading →

announcements, scotland, uk tours

Puffins of Fair-Isle Photography Holiday

Posted on November 2, 2015 by David Miles

02
Nov

A Shetland Puffin as photographed on the NaturesLens Puffins of Fair Isle Photography Holiday

We have just launched a new trip to photograph the most charismatic sea bird of them all, the puffin, our new Puffins of Fair Isle Photography Holiday takes place on Fair Isle an offshore island so remote it feels like you are entering a community far removed from the rest of the world, Fair Isle is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, a jewel protected by soaring craggy cliffs, one moment bathed in sunshine the next topped by a crown of brooding fog.

Dramatic & untouched, our Puffins of Fair Isle Photography Holiday sets the scene for images so atmospheric; they are nothing short of mesmerising.

So, why not head to Shetland, guided by award winning photographer Kevin Morgans, the NaturesLens Puffins of Fair Isle Photography Holiday offers an opportunity to add the distinctive brightly coloured bill & puffy cheeks of the Puffin to your photography portfolio.

Like many of our other trips, all participants who travel alone will have their own room, with no sharing.

The accommodation is on a full board basis in the Fair Isle Bird Observatory & Guesthouse.

Dates are June 16, 2016 – June 21, 2016.

UNTIL NOVEMBER 8th 2015, A DISCOUNTED PRICE OF £999 INSTEAD OF £1099 IS AVAILABLE

Please visit the Puffins of Fair Isle Photography Holiday page for full details & contact us by email if you have any questions.

announcements, scotland, workshops

Black Grouse Lek Photography in Scotland

Posted on September 24, 2014 by David Miles

24
Sep

One of our personal highlights during 2014 was photographing Black Grouse in Scotland. We have photographed lekking black grouse before at a number of sites, but 2014 was very special! The setting for these sessions of black grouse photography was perfect & the conditions all came together. We are now able to offer this to others, but why stop at just Black Grouse Lek photography? Our trip consists of a packed pair of days which will allow you to also photograph red grouse & the ptarmigan, (a white grouse variant), plus we have great accommodation lined up & some of the best backdrops you could hope for.

Calling Black Grouse photographed in the Scottish Highlands during lekking season

[su_promotional_box promo_link_text=”Book Now” promo_link=”https://natureslens.co.uk/event/scottish-grouse-photography-holiday/” promo_content=”Reserve a place on the NaturesLens Black Grouse Photography Holiday, with a deposit of only £100, balance due March 2015.”]

We have availability on the four days encompassing the Easter 2015 weekend, so that is either the Friday & Saturday or, the Sunday & Monday. Whichever days you choose, you should leave the pair of days with some fantastic shots, we certainly have done so in the past!

If the climb to the ptarmigan is not suitable, subject to the agreement of all guests, we can substitute in mountain hare, who at this time of year look brilliant as they are changing coat from winter coat to summer, often resulting in multi-coloured hares, some with brown body & white heads, others the inverse with white body but a brown head.

If you would like to book the NaturesLens Black Grouse Lek Photography Holiday, you can view full details here & send through an enquiry.

announcements, natureslens, scotland, uk tours, workshops

July 2015 Osprey Photography Holiday

Posted on August 25, 2014August 9, 2018 by David Miles

25
Aug

We are happy to announce an osprey workshop for July, 2015; NaturesLens have secured accommodation & hide spaces for a stunning Osprey Photography Holiday during July 2015; these osprey photography sessions are one of the most exciting sessions of photography a wildlife photographer can encounter. The sessions typically start at 4.30am, the anticipation builds, the birds come in to fish, a splash as the bird dives to the loch an to grab a trout, then the lift-off … an exhilarating experience to photograph.

The bulk of the days are free for participants to catch up on sleep, however, one of the days does include an early evening session of Osprey Photography in the same hides. These evening sessions provide opportunities for backlit shots.

The NaturesLens Osprey Photography Holiday, which costs £599, includes:

Two morning hide sessions for photography of the ospreys as they fish to feed their new offspring.
One evening hide session for photography of the diving ospreys.
Accommodation at the High Range Lodge Hotel from July 9th – July 11th.
Tuition as required.

[su_promotional_box promo_link_text=”Book Now” promo_link=”https://natureslens.co.uk/scottish-osprey-photography-holiday/” promo_content=”Reserve a place on the NaturesLens Osprey Photography Holiday in Aviemore, with a deposit of only £150, your balance will be due May 2015.”]

In addition to the Osprey Photography Holiday in Aviemore, NaturesLens will, if demand is sufficient, run a 3 day trip immediately afterwards to Mull for several days of Sea Eagle Photography. This extension will include transport to Mull, three nights bed & breakfast accommodation, two public Sea Eagle Photography Cruises & two exclusive Sea Eagle Photography Cruises.

Facebook Rating

5.0

NaturesLens

David Jones

2018-07-17T15:44:04+0000

I have been on a number of trips with NaturesLens and this one was like all of my previous ones: well organised with excellent leaders, at the correct time for maximum photography and generally provided a great time.

Susie Cro

2018-07-07T14:53:38+0000

What a fabulous experience. I was looked after from start to finish by our guides Sean and Jayne who made this, my first photographic holiday, one to remember. I enjoyed my time so much that I booked two further trips on my return and I’m now off to Wales and then Greece. We had a fabulous group of people on our excursion and I have made good friends, some of which I will meet up with on my next trips. If you ever wanted to join a photo tour but weren’t sure who to use then look no further, NaturesLens will do you proud!

Laura Galbraith

2018-06-25T20:32:28+0000

Recently went to Skomer with Natures Lens. Excellent guides, well organised, great group. What more can you ask for.

Ali Basil

2018-06-21T16:18:53+0000

First time on a trip with Naturelens to Skomer, great organisation and prices. David and Pui were very helpful prior to going on the trip. The trip was guided by Sean and Jayne which were helping us all the time, learned a lot from them and got some nice photos that I couldn’t manage to get before. We struggled a bit with the weather but the guides handled it well. It was my first time also to be with a group and it was a nice & fun � Can’t wait to go on another trip with Naturelens soon.

Mark Jankiewicz

2018-02-23T04:31:35+0000

Just sitting in the airport in Tokyo waiting for my flight home after finishing the Japanese Winter trip with #Natureslens.Wow - what a trip. The team lead a flawless trip that encompassed stunning scenery, superb local accommodation through to the main reason for being here, the stunning wildlife.Everything was as promised but with so much more. I won't go into detail about the wildlife here as that will be evident from the photos posted on the site.What I do want to do is document what an exceptional company #Natureslens are. It starts with the initial communications and unlike most companies they respond almost immediately to emails and are always at the end of the phone. The help, assistance and honest guidance they provide is exemplary. During the trip they use local contacts that have been cultivated over many years and the team and the contacts fully understand the special requirements that photography puts on location and travel. We stayed in some of the best hotels that range from superb western style, to very traditional Japanese accomodation. Each place being ideally suited close to the 'viewing locations' so that travel is minimised and time at site is maximised. They go out of their way to fulfil any dietary requests, with all the locations being able to cater for mixed requirements, at no point was it 'it is that or nothing'.On this trip there were two that made up the team and three guests. At no point did I have to wait for any guidance or assistance, which was freely and generously given. We had a mixture of photographic skills on the trip and Dave and Ian were more than able to provide us all with help. Equally as important as the help was the fact that that if you wanted to do your own thing then that was fine as well.I was so impressed with this holiday that I am now booked on my next trip in South Africa on safari with these guys, so it is 'out of the freezer into the frying pan' (or something like that).

George Reekie

2018-01-24T19:13:16+0000

Great trip to see Dalmatian Pelicans at Lake Kerkini. Leader, Sean, was great as was the boatman. The group was probably the most fun I have ever been on a trip with! The hotel and boatmen were excellent. All in all it was a very good three days of photography.

Darren Hitch

2017-11-03T07:36:24+0000

Was well worth the trip, got way more out of it than I could have imagined and as an added bonus have made some new like-minded friends. For people thinking of going, even if you consider yourself a respectable amateur photographer, I urge you try a workshop, so much can be gained from simply seeing how other people interpret the same scene. If you’re new to photography you will gain valuable knowledge from the guides that will give you more confidence during and after the workshop, nothing was too much trouble for Pui or Sean. Looking forward to some more trips away with NaturesLens in the near future, thanks again.

Csaba Tökölyi

2017-07-21T08:16:40+0000

Just returned a few days ago from a trip to Skomer island, Wales with NaturesLens, and I wish I would be heading back again tomorrow. One thing that location was fantastic, it also came through that they had a lot of planning put into the trip. The guides were friendly and helpful and had extensive knowledge of the place, therefore always could recommend a place for any time of day and kind of light. Those little extras that food was plentiful and great were the cherry on the cake. If you are into puffins, think no longer!

Annette O'Connell

2017-07-19T19:40:57+0000

Just returned from my first visit to Skomer Island with Natureslens. From start to finish it was an exciting well organised trip.Sean and Kevin our host photographers were fun, knowledgeable and most importantly extremely helpful. In fact Kevin let me try out one of his lenses over 2 days.Despite not having the knowledge and experience of my fellow travellers through their help and that of Sean and Kevin I've come home with some much improved images. I plan on joining Natureslens again especially if either of these talented photographers are leading it.

Karen Jehan

2017-07-18T22:02:17+0000

Have been with them on 2 occasions to Skomer to photograph the Puffins, their trips are well organised with detailed information about what is included in the trip. The guides are knowledgable in making sure you get the shots you want and are great fun to be around.....their cooking isn't bad either! :-) Looking forward to the next trip to Greece.

Simon Armstrong

2017-07-06T18:58:20+0000

I’ve been on numerous Natures Lens workshops here in the UK and around the world, and can’t wait to go on my next one with them. The communication they provide is top notch, and ensures that the lead-up to the trip is as smooth as possible, you know what to expect on the trip, and most importantly, what to take with you!Once there, it’s clear that long and careful planning has gone into the trip in order to give you the most and best possible opportunities to photograph wildlife in their natural environments. They obviously take great pride in seeing what photographs their clients can achieve, and arevhappy to have some flexibility, if the trip permits, so that you can try and get that one shot you’re after. As always, the tour leads are experienced photographers and are more than happy to give you any help and advice you may want with your gear, composition, technique, etc.Most of all, a photography trip with Natures Lens isn’t a workshop - it’s a photography holiday. It’s an opportunity to share your wildlife photography passion with like minded people, take great photos, learn new things, see nature and wildlife at it’s best, and have lots of fun and make new friends in the process.

Brett Lewis

2017-06-26T10:29:43+0000

I've joined NaturesLens on just two occasion and each time we visited the natural history spectacle that is the puffin colony on Skomer island.For each trip the communications have been excellent and the details provided ahead of the adventure have enabled me to be well prepared for each trip.Once on the island the accommodation has been exactly as expected and the hospitality provided by the hosts has been excellent. Great, friendly banter and helpful in every way.The photography opportunities are boundless and the advice on offer is always close to hand. The team are considerate and are always checking to make sure the needs of their clients are met, with 1-2-1 opportunities for beginners and those looking to get the best out of their equipment. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time on the island and I'd highly recommend it.

Wayne Tuckwell

2017-06-26T10:19:49+0000

Have been on a couple of events with NaturesLens and have found them to be professional and well organised each time. Communication prompt and all details communicated in a timely fashion.Excellent photographic knowledge to help you get the best shots in the time you have.If you are in the market for a photographic trip, then NaturesLens are well worth looking at.

Ian Roberts

2017-06-26T09:38:12+0000

I've been on several NaturesLens holidays and workshops and never had a bad experience. Not sure what I'm most impressed with: Their planning is meticulous and they try to anticipate every eventuality beforehand. The locations are extensively researched and are difficult to better. Local contacts, guides and drivers are experienced, high quality, and know the best places to go to get the sightings. The 'tour leaders' are experienced photographers and can offer advice on settings and composition, but it does help if you are already familiar with your equipment. Accommodation and dining is high quality, even when it's simple and stripped back. Most of all, you're going to have fun with like-minded people. I can thoroughly recommend NaturesLens

Jane Hodges

2017-06-25T23:43:33+0000

I attended a two day Red Deer Workshop last Year which was superbly run. From start to finish, ease of booking to having a great tutor for the weekend in Sean Weekly. I managed to capture some great images despite the rather wet conditions. It certainly did not stop us as a group from having a brilliant time. I have made some lovely friends and I have already booked other trips with Natures Lens.

Peter Martin Bentsen

2017-06-25T21:17:04+0000

Very well organized, with all the right information before, under and after the trip. Often smaller groups which is a big advantage. Always ready to answer questions if you have any. They always strive to put the clients in the best possible situations for them to make some really nice shots. Natureslens is highly recommended and just really nice people too :-)

Vedant Dubey

2017-06-25T15:14:10+0000

One of the best tour company, with great photographic opportunities,

Sorcha Lewis

2017-06-25T14:53:56+0000

I did a wonderful birds of prey photography workshop with Natureslens. There was so much help and I learnt so many new photography skills. Everything was taught as you went along and at a natural speed and much of what I learned has really helped with my wildlife and general photography. So I'm just about to embark (today) on the bears of Finland trip. I'm really excited and know I'm in very capable hands as everything is so well organised by NaturesLens. I'm already looking ahead to which wonderful trip I should book in 2018. Love meeting like minded people on trips like this as well.Thank you for all your hard work; you guys are doing an amazing job.UPDATE: Wow Finland was amazing, we were provided with so many opportunities to capture and watch these amazing animals in the wild. I was really pleased with my pictures and had great help and advice with how to achieve the most from my camera and photos from Pui and Sean. Would definitely recommend.... enjoyed watching the red squirrels near the accommodation; so these were delightful to photograph.....

Alan Grant

2017-06-25T14:18:11+0000

Always good trips, with great photographic opportunities, and lots of camaraderie. Recommended.

Kuruma Sangam

2018-04-08T08:49:27+0000

Tony Caseiro

2018-03-23T20:39:10+0000

Tamara Cartwright-Loebl

2017-06-29T02:43:52+0000

Frederic Falconnier

2017-01-18T12:32:49+0000

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WHY NOT PHOTOGRAPH THE SHETLAND PUFFINS FOR YOURSELF?