GREY SEAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
East Coast of Norfolk
November 14th to 27th 2026
The grey seal pupping season on the Norfolk coast is easily one of my favourite UK wildlife spectacles, and I never tire of seeing hundreds of fluffy white pups on the beach. Because it’s such a sensitive time of year for the colony, a strict code of ethics and proper fieldcraft are everything. I'll show you how to read the seals' behaviour so we can safely keep a respectful distance. We’ll focus on capturing intimate, low-perspective frames, safe in the knowledge that the welfare of the animals has come first.
Key Information:
Cost: £180 per person | £300 when booked as a pair
Group size: max. 2
Duration: 3.5 hours (starting just before sunrise)
Location: East coast of Norfolk
Dates: Daily from 14th to 27th November 2026
Fitness: Moderate
The Terrain: Depending on where it is suitable to get down to the beach with the seals, we may be walking for up to 3km through sand dunes and on sandy beaches.
Photography Level: All levels welcome. Because grey seals are fairly stationary subjects, the pace is much more relaxed than some of my other workshops. It’s the perfect environment to get to grips with your camera settings and focus entirely on composition - and with a maximum group size of two, the tuition is completely tailored to you.
What You Will Need:
Camera: Your favourite camera.
Lenses: A focal length of at least 400mm (250mm APSC, 200mm M4/3). A zoom lens is particularly handy if you’d like to try out different compositions - from tight portraits to environmental shots.
Binoculars: Not required, but always handy.
Support: Once we get to the seals, we will be limiting our movement and trying to stay as low as possible. I would recommend bringing a ground pod or beanbag to get those low level shots. If you can’t physically lie on the ground, then I would suggest a monopod (or tripod if you have particularly heavy gear). You are more than welcome to borrow spare equipment of mine if you need it, just let me know in advance!
Extra equipment: Spare batteries and extra SD cards.
Clothing & Food: Layers & waterproofs. I strongly recommend bringing full waterproofs, as even if the weather is beautiful, we may well be lying on wet ground/sand. I will have a hot drink ready for us during the session, but please feel free to bring your own snacks.
Good To Know:
Weather: The workshop will go ahead in all weather conditions apart from very strong winds and/or constant heavy rain. If we do have to cancel, I will look to re-book you onto another date during that specific run of workshops. If that isn't possible, your payment will be issued as a credit voucher to use toward any future workshop or tour booking.
Meeting Point: To protect the locations and the wildlife, I don't publish the exact meeting spot publicly. Around 2–4 weeks before the session, I will send you a detailed pre-workshop email with the precise parking info and a pin drop for our meeting spot. If you are travelling from further away and need to book accommodation ahead of time, please feel free to drop me an email and I can give you some pointers on the best areas to look.
Parking: We always aim to use free parking. However, because we are dealing with wild animals, if the seals are not in an area where we can safely approach them, we may have to pivot to a paid for parking area.
Facilities: There are no public toilets or facilities available during the 3.5-hour session (yes, that means wild weeing!).
Supporting Local Wildlife: £10 from every single booking goes directly to RSPCA East Winch to help support their vital work rescuing and rehabilitating sick, injured, and orphaned seal pups.
The Post-Workshop Print: Every session includes a free, high-quality 8" x 12" print of your favourite photo from our day together. After the workshop, you can choose your image and I’ll print and post it directly out to you.
Other Species We May Encounter: Common/Harbour Seals, Turnstones, Dunlin, Oystercatchers, and Greater Black-backed Gulls.
Participant’s Photos
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