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‘Spirit of the Sea’
A collection of award-winning images that celebrate seabirds and their wide ranging mastery of our oceans, their intimacy with the ways of the storm and sea and their alluring beauty as they inhabit a world beyond the one we all know.
'The Art of Seduction'
Each summer, the sculpted sandstone island of Noss, Shetland, hosts more than 22,000 Northern Gannets which return to breed on the ledges carved by the elements. As I stood in a small boat in turbulent sea swell at the foot of the towering cliffs, I noticed the perfect pair, isolated on a lower ledge, intertwining their necks and framed by streaks of guano. I immediately saw potential, and realising my vision would be tricky, anxiously awaited the few seconds that the boat aligned with the rocks, hoping for a chance. Everything came together - the courting Gannets drew up against a dark hollow on the guano-painted curves of sandstone and I got my shot, enhancing the complementary shapes in black and white.
'Embrace'
For days, an impenetrable sea fog eclipsed the island of Skomer, Wales. It was the height of the breeding season and I was surrounded by monogamous seabirds when a Razorbill arrived back to its partner after a long fishing trip. Their reunion was a wholesome moment of gentle embrace that I felt privileged to capture whilst lying face down on the cold jetty. My first intention was to capture the simplicity of their sleek, monochrome plumage against the icy fog. However, when I noticed the graceful symmetry of this pair strengthening their bond, my intentions changed. It was almost forty-five minutes before this behaviour was repeated, and captured just before a downpour of rain.
'Angel'
On a dreich day in May, isolated on an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire, the weather conditions and bird behaviour I wanted most, collided. I’d positioned myself for potential, and waited for the moment. In this situation, the moment was a Razorbill stretching out its wings whilst extending its head upward creating an almost perfect symmetry. The results were exhilarating, and satisfied my desire to capture something unique with this species.
'Surface Tension'
In the shadow of Bass Rock - the world's largest gannet colony - I stood on a boat photographing the spectacle of a gannet feeding frenzy. The temptation in these situations is to photograph the ferocity and chaos caused by the birds, but instead my eyes were drawn to something much calmer and in some ways, a spectacle of its own.
It was a calm dawn so the ocean was still. As the birds plunged into the water, they remained visible and I stood in amazement watching them use their feet and wings for propulsion, pursuing mackerel into the depths. At this point they were lost from sight, but resurfaced just as quickly as they vanished.
I found myself paying no attention to the frenzy that was happening around me and instead, locked into the anticipation of their ghostly bodies rising from the depths, fixated on trying to photograph both birds and bubbles as the water conformed to their contours.
It was a calm dawn so the ocean was still. As the birds plunged into the water, they remained visible and I stood in amazement watching them use their feet and wings for propulsion, pursuing mackerel into the depths. At this point they were lost from sight, but resurfaced just as quickly as they vanished.
I found myself paying no attention to the frenzy that was happening around me and instead, locked into the anticipation of their ghostly bodies rising from the depths, fixated on trying to photograph both birds and bubbles as the water conformed to their contours.
'The Fisherman'
The Puffin is a remarkable fisherman, diving to depths of 60m and using their wings and feet to steer through the oceans to capture their prey. Sandeels are the most common prey species for Puffins, and are held firmly in the birds beak by a row of backward pointing spines called denticles. These spines allow the Puffins to gather approximately 10 fish per hunt, but have been recorded to gather 126 fish at one time! By removing the distraction of colour in my image, I have drawn immediate focus to the texture and light in this image, and encouraged an appreciation for the often unseen for detail in a Puffin’s face when dazzled by colour.
'To Darkness'
From the serenity of a boat as the early morning sun began to rise and wispy fog burnt off of the surface of the sea, Gannets soared overhead. As I gazed up in admiration and awe, I noticed how the sun was silhouetting the birds’ iconic shapes so beautifully. Through the protection of my sunglasses, the sky looked darker and it inspired a ‘low-key’ approach to the shot, which when converted into black and white, became something truly unique.
'Skarf'
Accessible at only a handful of locations around the UK, the Shag is an increasingly difficult seabird to photograph well. Upon arriving at an island known well for its Shag population, I positioned myself in front of the bird that I felt had the most potential, sat against a striking black rock and illuminated by a soft side light. Patiently, I waited for almost three quarters of an hour for the bird to stand up, raise its neck and turn to melt into the shadowy rocks behind.
'Life and Death'
Where the North Sea meets the North Atlantic, 22,000 Northern Gannets retreat each year to raise one precious chick, battling the most wild and ferocious conditions. Amidst the deadly wave of Avian Influenza that devastated Gannet populations, a single rock holds an entire life cycle as new life begins at the top of the rock, and disease steals life from the bottom.
'Eyes of Emerald'
The Shag is a seabird of myth and legend with mystery hidden deep within its piercing eyes of emerald. An intimate encounter with the bird allowed for a precious moment to capture its beauty, before leaving it to rest.
'Dagger'
The blood red beak of an Arctic Tern is primarily used to hunt, build nests, feed young, clean feathers and most importantly, protect from predators. Using their dagger shaped beak, Arctic Terns will fiercely defend their nests from anyone who ventures too close by striking the top of or the back of heads, often drawing blood. By isolating the beak against contrasting colours, it was my aim to draw attention to a tool which deserves to be noticed.
'Bass Rock'
Rising 106 metres above sea level in the Firth of Forth is Bass Rock, an immense chunk of carboniferous rock that is home to 150,000 gannets in the peak breeding season, the biggest colony anywhere in the world.
Upon landing, I climbed the rocks and was met by a staggering tower of birds. They soared all around me, and as the skies darkened and the rains rolled in, the scene became atmospheric, as if it were crying out to be captured.
Upon landing, I climbed the rocks and was met by a staggering tower of birds. They soared all around me, and as the skies darkened and the rains rolled in, the scene became atmospheric, as if it were crying out to be captured.
'Rainfall'
Isolated on the wild island of Lunga, 12 miles from Tiree in the Treshnish Isles, the rain began to pour. I was mesmerised by the microscopic droplets of rainfall that were gathering on the birds’ heads, in particular, on the Razorbill as the rain trickled down its distinctive white stripes.
'Pterodactyl'
A small island 12 miles from Tiree in the wild and windy Treshnish Isles of Scotland, is home to hundreds of Shags. The island is like no other I had visited before, providing unrivalled opportunities to photograph these birds like never before.
Their tolerance and little fear allowed me to cautiously approach them with a wide angle lens, and photograph as they spread their wings and pointed skyward, reminiscent of a Pterodactyl.
Their tolerance and little fear allowed me to cautiously approach them with a wide angle lens, and photograph as they spread their wings and pointed skyward, reminiscent of a Pterodactyl.
'The Art of Courtship'
'Arctic Angel'
The agile and iconic shape of an Arctic Tern hovering was an image that I’d longed to capture for several years, however, it was of utmost ethical importance to me that I avoided photographing the “classic” version of this image. With welfare in mind, the image took close to an hour to capture as I patiently waited for a Tern to hover naturally, and, almost symmetrically over my lens. What is unique about this image is that it does not encourage or showcase the fiercely defensive and territorial dive bombing behaviour of a bird who has had to leave its nest, but instead, the beauty of a bird returning from sea that feels safe in my presence.
'Rest'
'The Razor's Bill'
'Guga'
'Skyward'
A small island 12 miles from Tiree in the wild and windy Treshnish Isles of Scotland, is home to hundreds of Shags. The island is like no other I had visited before, providing unrivalled opportunities to photograph these birds like never before.
Their tolerance and little fear allowed me to cautiously approach them with a wide angle lens, and photograph as they spread their wings and pointed skyward, reminiscent of a Pterodactyl.
Their tolerance and little fear allowed me to cautiously approach them with a wide angle lens, and photograph as they spread their wings and pointed skyward, reminiscent of a Pterodactyl.
'Into The Shadows'
Nesting in the dark cracks and crevices on the wild island of Lunga, 12 miles from Tiree in the Treshnish Isles, were pockets of Razorbills. Their croaky, razorblade calls could be heard underfoot and all around, and if you cautiously peered into the shadows, the handsome birds were often looking straight back at you.
'Auks'
'Kittiwake Kingdom'
Uniqueness is often hard to find, but viewing a nesting cliff from the sea provides a unique perspective, allowing a special view of the birds and their nests from an angle that is often unseen like the pattern of Black Legged Kittiwake nests, meticulously placed against the dark basalt cliffs of Shetland.
'Dragon'
Whilst marooned on an island in the North Sea, the scale-like, glossy green feathers of the primitive-looking Shag became too alluring to ignore. With patience, an intimate encounter provided a rare opportunity to document the often unappreciated details in their iconic feathers that are almost invisible to the naked eye.
'Storm Soaring'
As I stood on the cliff tops of Yorkshire, staring out to sea, I watched fondly as menacing storm clouds rolled and tumbled across the skies. I was excited by the photographic potential they could provide, and hoped that something great was about to happen.
The clouds loomed closer, the world darkened and Gannets flying high on the hunt for fish soared and swirled so freely amongst the clouds which were now dappled in burnt orange light as the sun attempted to break through.
'Storm Soaring'
As I stood on the cliff tops of Yorkshire, staring out to sea, I watched fondly as menacing storm clouds rolled and tumbled across the skies. I was excited by the photographic potential they could provide, and hoped that something great was about to happen.
The clouds loomed closer, the world darkened and Gannets flying high on the hunt for fish soared and swirled so freely amongst the clouds which were now dappled in burnt orange light as the sun attempted to break through.
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