Diving Gannets & Seabird Photography: In collaboration with Nikon School

Led by Rachel Bigsby in collaboration with Nikon School, this immersive three-day workshop is designed for photographers looking to strengthen both their technical confidence and creative approach to wildlife photography. Working across Yorkshire’s dramatic coastline and carefully selected inland wildlife locations, the workshop combines boat-based photography, cliff-top seabird colonies, and quieter field sessions shaped entirely around light, weather, and opportunity. From photographing Gannets plunge-diving at speed to refining composition amongst the seabird cities of Bempton Cliffs, this is a practical, observation-led workshop designed to help you progress in real conditions.

Workshop Highlights

• Three immersive days photographing Yorkshire’s wildlife and seabirds

• Exclusive boat charters to photograph diving gannets at sea

• Extended time at RSPB Bempton Cliffs

• Puffins, gannets, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, and kittiwakes

• Opportunities for dolphins, barn owls, kingfishers, brown hares, and birds of prey

• Combination of land-based and sea-based photography

• Tailored guidance from Rachel Bigsby and Nikon School instructors

• Practical field tuition in composition, autofocus, exposure, and behaviour

• Creative techniques including high key, low key, and in-camera multiple exposures

• Strong emphasis on producing finished images in camera

• Small-group environment designed for meaningful support and flexibility

Yorkshire’s coastline is shaped by seabirds. Gannets fold through the air at extraordinary speed before striking the sea. Puffins move constantly between cliff ledges and open water. Light changes rapidly across the chalk headlands of Bempton, transforming both the atmosphere and the behaviour unfolding in front of you. This workshop is designed to work within those changing conditions rather than against them.

Across three days, we combine time at sea with carefully chosen land-based locations to create a workshop that balances technical learning with creative development. Working from an exclusive charter vessel, you will photograph one of Britain’s most exhilarating wildlife spectacles, hundreds of Northern Gannets plunge-diving into the North Sea at speeds of over 60mph. From the water, the seabird colonies reveal an entirely different perspective. Puffins, Guillemots, and Razorbills crowd the cliffs around Staple Newk while Gannets wheel overhead in constant motion. The experience can feel overwhelming at first, which is precisely why repeated time on the boat becomes so valuable, allowing you to slow down, anticipate movement, and refine your approach with each session. Above Bempton Cliffs, the pace changes. Here, seabirds move at eye level against open sky and chalk cliffs, offering opportunities to focus on composition, behaviour, and atmosphere in softer, more controlled conditions. Beyond the seabird colonies themselves, Yorkshire’s surrounding reserves and farmland support a remarkable diversity of wildlife, from Kingfishers and Waders to Brown Hares, Kestrels, Owls, and Woodland birds.

Throughout the workshop, locations remain flexible and responsive to conditions. We follow the light, adjust for weather, and work carefully around wildlife activity to maximise opportunities in the field. Rachel’s teaching combines practical technical guidance from Nikon School with a strong emphasis on observation-led photography. Rather than simply reacting to action, participants are encouraged to recognise patterns, anticipate behaviour, and make more deliberate creative decisions. You will work with Rachel’s distinctive creative techniques including high key and low key imagery, in-camera multiple exposures, and motion-based approaches such as intentional camera movement and shutter drag. Central to her teaching is a commitment to creating images in camera, refining light, composition, and timing in the field, rather than relying on post-production.

Whether you are new to wildlife photography or looking to refine your existing approach, this workshop is designed to build both confidence and creative awareness in real-world conditions.

Outline Itinerary

Day 1 — Bridlington Bay & Bempton Cliffs

Exclusive boat charter from Bridlington Harbour to photograph diving gannets, seabird colonies, and Yorkshire’s dramatic coastline from the sea. Afternoon and evening sessions at Bempton Cliffs with optional sunset photography.

Day 2 — Yorkshire Wildlife Locations

A flexible field day exploring carefully selected wildlife locations inland and along the coast. Subjects may include kingfishers, waders, birds of prey, brown hares, swallows, and woodland birds depending on conditions and seasonal activity.

Day 3 — Second Gannet Charter & Final Field Session

A second exclusive gannet boat charter designed to refine techniques and explore new creative approaches after the initial experience at sea. Final photography session and workshop wrap-up in the afternoon.

Additional Information

Boat Photography & Sea Conditions

The diving gannet sessions are highly weather and tide dependent. Time spent at sea is expected to range between 3–4 hours per trip, with departures varying according to tides and conditions. Please note that photography takes place aboard a medium-sized deep-sea fishing vessel operating in open North Sea conditions. The boat can experience significant movement and rolling swell, and the workshop may not be suitable for those prone to motion sickness.

More information can be found here: https://nikonschool.co.uk/course/8027/nikon-school-adventures-diving-gannets-wildlife-photography/12497

About Rachel

Rachel Bigsby is a wildlife photographer specialising in seabirds, known for work that balances visual impact with behavioural depth. Her images are shaped as much by observation and fieldcraft as they are by composition and light, an approach developed through years of independent study and time spent volunteering with seabirds in remote coastal environments. She is the winner of the 'Natural Artistry' category in Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Portfolio Winner of Bird Photographer of the Year. Her work has been published by organisations including National Geographic, and she is a Nikon Europe creator and RSPB ambassador. Rachel has photographed extensively across the Antarctic, subantarctic islands, the Falklands, the Arctic, and the British Isles, often working in challenging marine conditions. Alongside her photography, she lectures internationally, with talks hosted by institutions such as the Royal Geographical Society and the Natural History Museum. As an IAATO-certified expedition guide, licensed powerboat operator, and advanced first aid professional, she brings a high level of operational experience to her workshops. This ensures that participants are supported not only creatively, but practically, allowing them to focus fully on their work in the field. Her teaching combines tailored, in-field tuition with an emphasis on observation-led photography, helping participants develop a personal visual style while working with light, movement, behaviour and creative technique in a deliberate and considered way.