During the first week of the NaturesLens Grey Seals of Lincolnshire photography holidays, Sean took the group out onto the sandbanks at low tide where they were able to capture images of the seals in the surf. They were lucky enough to get some lovely shots of these iconic mammals swimming around, frolicking in the ocean & curiously popping their heads up through the waves.
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During our Seals of Lincolnshire photography holidays, the first group of guests experienced what can only be described as the most extreme weather conditions. From rainstorms to hailstones & sandstorms to rainbows. The conditions were harsh, but the opportunities presented by the ever-changing weather were completely epic, as evidenced by the images in this blog post.
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Over the course of the two weeks of our Seals of Lincolnshire photography holidays, our guests were blessed with some excellent light. This gave Sean the opportunity to show them how to produce some creative imagery using the light for side-lit, front-lit & back-lit portraits.
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Do seal images work in black & white? Judging from the photos taken by Sean while guiding our Seals of Lincolnshire photography holidays, I’d say an emphatic yes!
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During November, I spent two weeks guiding the NaturesLens Grey Seal photography holidays. The Grey Seal is one of Britain’s most charming mammals & my personal favourite subject to photograph so to spend this amount of time with them was an enormous privilege!
With just under half of their global population inhabiting the UK, their curious nature & cuddly appearance make,s these animals fascinating to watch let alone photograph.
This pair of Grey Seal photography trips started at a beautiful fully-equipped cottage with the private beach being a stone’s throw away from the seals. Once the group & I had settled in, we kitted up in our waterproofs & boots & headed to the beach for our first session with the Seals. It was low tide, so we were able to venture straight out to the sandbanks where some of the seal colony stayed.
Sean & I have been planning this photography offering for a while, & we’re now ready to announce the details of the NaturesLens Atlantic Grey Seals Photography Holiday that will be taking place during November 2017, which will be lead by Sean for NaturesLens.
When discussing ideas for the photography holiday, we decided that rather than it be one or two days, what we really wanted to offer was something immersive, something that would allow for the capture of strong images at both the beginning & the end of the day. We wanted to be able to offer an experience away from the crowds that gather to photograph the seals & their newborn pups, we wanted to offer something that would allow for intimate photos of the seals in an unhurried & respectful fashion. This lead us to develop the idea of a week long residential offering that will, hopefully, enable our participants to add a selection of fantastic male & female seal images & of course, those of their the young seal pups to their photography portfolios.
The NaturesLens Atlantic Grey Seals Photography Holiday is held in a secluded location in Lincolnshire.
The Atlantic Grey Seals Photography Holiday has places for only 3 participants. The workshop includes 7 nights accommodation on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis, in a cottage that we have hired. The best part is that the cottage has private access to a secluded beach that the seals make use of. Photography guidance will take place around the two main photography sessions each day, an early morning , pre-dawn session, followed by an late afternoon to early evening session that will run up until sunset. Your meals will be warming, homely affairs – think spaghetti bolognese & similar, we will ensure that there is plenty to get you warmed through & filled up after a long day on the beach.
Every day, you will be making a very early start, to take full advantage of the, hopefully, beautiful early morning light. This photography holiday is primarily an opportunity to enjoy photographing wild animals on location in their natural habitat, in an unhurried manner away from the crowds. Sean will be on hand to offer practical advice & guide you to get the best images that you can capture, & make the most of this wonderful opportunity.
Due to the location of the cottage & the private access that we have to the beach, we believe that this approach avoids the issues that have plagued seal photography, notably at Donna Nook, in recent years, but at all times, our photography holiday leader, Sean, will be mindful to ensure that the seals are not disturbed, are kept a respectful distance from & in no way is the seal pups welfare compromised. For this very reason, our lens recommendations on this trip will be at the longer end of the range.
The dates for the Atlantic Grey Seals Photography Holiday are 18th – 25th November 2017 – & the cost is £849 for the whole week, including the accommodation in the cottage, breakfast & dinner, & guidance from Sean on an as needed basis. If you’re confident & achieving what you want, then our leaders will not hassle you!
You can view all the trip details here – to finish, here are a couple more images from Sean