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 surf & 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.
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.
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 makes these animals fascinating to watch let alone photograph.
This pair of Grey Seal photography trips started off 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.
November 2017 saw Gladys joining one of the NaturesLens Seal Photography tours, the intent, to spend a week intensively capturing images of the Seals of Lincolnshire coastline in all lighting & weather conditions, under the guidance of Sean, who led the trips for us & offered mentoring & advice.
The group experienced all types of behaviour throughout the week of seal photography, but apparently the most daunting & loud was when this pair of bull seals decided to face-off & fight each other.
As Gladys describes it ‘An Awesome Moment‘, which is fitting for what happens when you have the opportunity to capture an image of your target subject with a rainbow in the background!
The group were very lucky with the ideal weather conditions throughout the week which resulted in lovely colors. However, in the case of this image, Gladys couldn’t resist processing it to monochrome.
On the first morning, the group found this lovely pup in beautiful morning light, Gladys states that she was amazed to see that a part of the umbilical cord was still attached, which appears to be a very common thing even when the pups where already a few days old.
Without a doubt this was the group’s favourite seal pup! They nicknamed him ‘Chubba’, & every day they looked out for him as he demonstrated funny behaviour which caused the whole group much amusement!
In addition to the photography on the beaches & at the surfs edge, sometimes the seal pups made their way up to the dunes, which as Gladys says, gave a nice change of setting, for seal photography in the green grass areas.
One afternoon, the group experienced some extreme weather conditions, everyone commented that it was very difficult to photograph under these circumstances; but they persevered & managed to get some extraordinary images. This female seal was reaching out to her pup to make sure it was still laying next to her as it was impossible to see in the sand storm.
In November 2018, Sean will be leading a 5-night-long wildlife photography holiday focussed on Seal photography, but this time in Norfolk for NaturesLens, specifically between the dates of November 25 – 30 2018.
The cost is £999 per participant which includes 5 nights accommodation in a gorgeous cottage on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis, your meals will be warming, homely & plentiful to get you warmed through & filled up after a long day on the beach. Numbers are limited to ensure that the trip is sustainable, ethical & enjoyable for every photographer.
Earlier this week, we launched our new intensive Atlantic Grey Seals Photography Workshops for November 2017, the first set of dates that we launched filled quickly, the second now only has one place remaining available.
You can join Sean Weekly, who is leading this workshop for us for 6 days & venture to the coastal region of Lincolnshire, photographing the impressive Atlantic grey seal within this bleak & dramatic landscape. You will stay in a hired cottage, which will provide you with comfort & convenience so that you can focus on obtaining photographs that you will cherish for years to come. You will benefit from private access to a secluded beach, which is used by the seals, which provides excellent viewpoints from which to capture them on camera as they rest & interact with one another.
There will be two main photography sessions per day; one early session as the sun comes up & the second taking place in the late afternoon & evening as the sun goes down, both giving you the chance to make the most of varied lighting & tidal conditions with your photography. Our unique & private accommodation provides the opportunity for an ethical approach to photographing the Atlantic grey seal colonies without compromising the welfare of these iconic mammals.
Our intensive Atlantic Grey Seals Photography Workshop includes 6 nights accommodation in a gorgeous cottage on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis, your meals will be warming, homely & plentiful to get you warmed through & filled up after a long day on the beach. Numbers are limited to ensure that the trip is sustainable, ethical & enjoyable for every photographer, so make sure you book early to avoid disappointment!
North Lincolnshire is well known for being of the most important locations for the Atlantic Grey Seals in the United Kingdom & it is easy to see why.The bleak & often harsh coastal landscape enables images to be captured in different conditions & lighting, our 6 night intensive photography workshop in the midst the territory of these impressive animals provides an abundance of opportunities.
With tony one place remaining available, our Atlantic Grey Seals of Lincolnshire Photography Holiday costs £899 exc travel to North Lincolnshire & lunches – all transportation, breakfast & dinner, accommodation & tuition is included, the only remaining available date is November 11 – 17, 2017.
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
