Shetland Otter & Puffin Photo-assignment
Dr Richard Shucksmith in collaboration with Shetland Nature, Brydon Thomason run joint exciting, informative and fun workshops. Commencing in July/August 2014, dates to be confirmed this species specific assignment to photograph two of Europe’s most iconic, adorable and charismatic species – the Otter and the Puffin. The assignment is run in conjunction with Shetland Nature please follow the link to book Shetland Otter & Puffin Photo-assignment.
Species Specific Assignments
It stands to reason that the more you get to know a species and the more time you spend with it, the more you understand it and the better your encounters become. With this in mind, when it comes to photographing a species this is very much the case and we have found ‘Species Specific assignment’ to be the most productive, popular and rewarding approach to creating a portfolio of images and to work towards the competition entries we all aspire to.
Knowing the ecology and behaviour of your subject well and with guidance to the best locations, at the best times and offering advice on new techniques provides the opportunity shoot more than conventional portrait shots and explore both the behaviour of the animal and the creativity of photography.
It has been by way of popular demand from photographers seeking our guidance to photograph Shetlands most iconic wildlife that encouraged us to launch this totally unique program of Species assignments throughout the seasons. These assignments are available as one to one assignments and can be tailored for your requirements or as small group workshops with set dates.
Shetland Otter & Puffin Photo-assignment
A unique photo assignment focussing on two of Europe’s most iconic, adorable and charismatic species – the Otter and the Puffin.
• Unrivaled local knowledge of species & sites
• Species specific assignment on Otters & Puffins
• Exclusivity of only four photographers
• Expertise of two well-known leaders
• Five nights all inclusive accommodation
This exciting ‘species specific assignment’ provides photographers an opportunity to work exclusively on capturing a portfolio of inspiring images by working exclusively on the Eurasian Otter and the Atlantic Puffin, through the collaborative leadership, local knowledge and expertise of native Shetland naturalist Brydon Thomason, award winning photographer Richard Shucksmith and well known bird photographer, Rebecca Nason.
• Species specific assignment on Otters & Puffins
• Exclusivity of only four photographers
• Expertise of two well-known leaders
• Five nights all inclusive accommodation
• Two nights/days on Fair Isle
The Headline Acts
The Atlantic Puffin
There are few birds better known than the Atlantic Puffin. What other species encapsulates such traits as beauty, charisma, excitement and comedy better? Riding out the long winter months in the open ocean, rarely in sight of land and through the toughest storms, Puffins are as hardy as they are beautiful. Arriving back on land to their underground cliff-top colonies in spring, they spend just a few months ashore to raise their young.
By working on some of Shetland’s (and arguably Britain’s) best locations this itinerary offers an unrivalled photographic opportunity to create an exciting and diverse Puffin portfolio of images.
Each destination offers the opportunity to create different images through composition, techniques and use of light. Example of possible images we will work on creating;
• Various portrait composition from individual to groups of birds
• Wide angle landscape compositions, taking in dramatic backdrops of cliffs & seascapes
• Sunrise/sunset to get the purest light & silhouette/backlit evening (cloud cover depending)
• Puffins in flight
• Behavior and interaction
The Eurasian Otter
This is undoubtedly one of the most sought after, challenging and ultimately rewarding subjects for wildlife photographers in Europe. Few creatures encapsulate both the ‘aw’ and the ‘wow’ factors like Otters do; from their stealthy hunting and predatory abilities to the intimate, adorable and playful antics of a mother and her cubs.
Otters are captivating loveable animals, full of character and interesting behaviour that lead fascinating lives and are highly evolved to exploit both the underwater and terrestrial environments. They are shy, but with knowledge of how they live, what signs to look for and how to approach them, they can be observed in their natural environment and their behaviour can be studied.
Our combined knowledge of Otters and the remote locations they inhabit is unrivalled. We work on these elusive creatures all year and study many sites so we know where is active and when. In addition to capturing images of these elusive creatures we will be covering the following;
• Otter field skills; finding and reading the signs
• How to read and interpret otter behaviour
• Hone and improve field craft, essential when working with such shy animals
• Working within the otters environment; how to use the elements to maximise opportunities
The Itinerary
This action packed five day itinerary will be split over the two species equally and guests will rotate so that there is only two with each guide throughout most days. This adds a real element of exclusivity to the itinerary and in some ways this is closer to a one-to-one assignment.
Our combined species and location knowledge working in Shetland is unrivaled. Intimate knowledge of the sites and behavior of the species is key to the success of these itineraries. Knowing each nook and cranny and especially how our subjects use them and when images can be shot. really ensure our guests are in the right place at the right time. This might be the best cliff top spot for Puffins taken on wide angle with dramatic backdrop; sunset silhouettes against the setting sun or where to shoot them in flight as they come in to land- all this is affected by many elements such as light and wind direction, we ensure our guests are in the right place at the right time.
Early starts and late finishes will be expected (but always the chance to opt out) to make best use of light and possibly to work around optimum tide times for Otter activity.
The cost of this exclusive workshop is £1375
TO BOOK THIS WORKSHOP PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK AND BOOK THROUGH SHETLAND NATURE
You can see images of Shetland Puffins here and Shetland Otters here
Typical Session
Maximum of 4 photographers. Both guides will work independently at separate locations so two guests will be with one guide each day and will rotate throughout workshop.