LITTLE OWL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Isle of Sheppey
May 2027
Join me on a workshop on the beautiful Isle of Sheppey in Kent to photograph the incredible Little Owl. We'll be based inside a hide that places us right at eye level with these tiny, charismatic birds of prey. Because it is a hide-based session with highly predictable action, this workshop is perfectly suited to beginners who want plenty of on-hand camera support, though photographers of any skill level are welcome to join. Throughout the morning, I'll be right alongside you in the hide to help you perfectly dial in your settings and capture the classic perched portraits, explosive flight frames, and delightfully grumpy expressions of these stunning birds.
Please note: This workshop involves feeding the little owls with morio worms. If this is something you are not comfortable with, please do not book onto this session.
Key Information:
Cost: £150 per person
Group size: max. 2
Duration: 3.5 hours (starting at 8:00am)
Location: Isle of Sheppey, North Kent
Dates: Mid-May 2027 (Specific block dates to be confirmed)
Fitness: Easy / Gentle
The Terrain: The physical demands of this workshop are low. Reaching the hide involves a very short, from our parking spot over slightly uneven ground. You will spend the vast majority of the 3.5-hour session seated undercover, making it an incredibly accessible and relaxed day out.
Photography Level: All skill levels welcome. Because this is a hide-based workshop with highly predictable action, it is aimed towards beginners looking for a comfortable environment to receive hands-on camera support, fine-tune settings, and practice bird photography. Of course, more experienced photographers are completely welcome to join to capture intimate close-up details or fast-paced action frames.
What You Will Need:
Camera: Your favourite DSLR or Mirrorless camera.
Lenses: A focal length of 400mm (250mm APS-C, 200mm Micro 4/3) is the sweet spot. The owls do have a number of different favoured perches, so a 100-400mm or 150-600mm zoom lens is perfect for flexible framing between tight portraits and environmental shots.
Support: Beanbags are provided for you in the hide, but if you prefer to use a hide plate and a gimbal or video head, then please bring it along.
Extra equipment: Spare batteries and extra SD cards.
Clothing & Food: It is worth dressing for warm weather while still bringing plenty of layers. The hide can heat up quite quickly in direct sunlight, but if it’s a cooler morning, a draft can cut straight through you. I will have a hot drink ready for us, but please feel free to bring your own breakfast or snacks.
Good To Know:
Weather: Because this workshop is fully hide-based, we are completely protected from the elements and the session will comfortably go ahead in almost all weather conditions. If spectacular weather does force us to cancel, I will look to re-book you onto an alternative 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.
Breeding Success & Cancellations: This workshop is entirely dependent on the owls' natural breeding cycle. By mid-May, the resident pair are usually busily foraging to feed their newly hatched chicks, which creates the high activity levels we rely on for photography. However, nature offers no guarantees. If the nest fails for any reason during the season, the owls' behaviour changes instantly, and the workshops will have to be cancelled. If this happens, I will contact you immediately to issue your payment as a full refund or credit voucher toward any future workshop or tour.
Meeting Point: To protect the locations and respect the private land we access, I don't publish the exact meeting spot publicly. Around 2–4 weeks before your session, I will send you a detailed pre-workshop email with the precise parking info and a pin drop for our meeting point. 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: There is free parking available on site.
Facilities: There are no toilets available at the hide itself during the session (yes, that means wild weeing!).
Supporting Local Wildlife: £10 from every single booking goes directly to Kent Wildlife Trust’s Nature Regeneration Fund to help support their vital work restoring natural habitats, reintroducing keystone species, and driving large-scale landscape recovery across Kent.
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: Various garden birds, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, Stoats and Foxes.
Participant’s Photos
