BIRDS OF THE SHETLAND ISLANDS

WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS TOM DYRING & BRYDON THOMASON

BIRDS OF THE SHETLAND ISLANDS

WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS TOM DYRING & BRYDON THOMASON

COUNTRY: UK  PHOTO TYPE Birds  TRIP LENGTH: days  GROUP SIZE: 8-15 guests  DATES: June 27 – July 3 2023

Come along to the bird paradise of the Shetland Islands and photograph puffins and a large number of other seabirds up close.

Not only do the Shetland Islands offer a beautiful and dramatic landscape, it’s also a paradise for any bird photographer. With the dramatic landscape as a backdrop, photographing everything from the iconic puffin to pointing your lens at the steep cliffs where thousands of guillemots, razorbills, puffins, petrels, great skuas and gannets make their nests is a dream for anyone who enjoys photographing birds.

Now you have the opportunity to join renowned wildlife photographer Tom Dyring and local bird expert and bird photographer Brydon Thomason on a bird tour of the Shetland Islands. One of the highlights of the trip is the days we spend in the Hermaness Nature Reserve which is world famous for its spectacular colonies of gannets. As if this were not enough, during the trip we will also make a number of boat trips and try to photograph gannets plunging into the cold Atlantic waters in search of fish. Tom Dyring and Brydon Thomasonwill be with you throughout the journey to help develop your photography skills through inspiring lectures, personal guidance in the field and constructive image criticism.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

  • The beautiful and dramatic landscape of the Shetland Islands.

  • Photographing puffins in spectacular scenery at Sumburgh Head and on the island of Noss.

  • Hermaness Nature Reserves colonies of gannets and spectacular bird cliffs.

  • Boat trips for photographing diving gannets.

  • Thousands of nesting birds including guillemots, razorbills, puffins, petrels, skuas, and Northern gannets.

  • Participation from Tom Dyring and Brydon Thomason.

  • Lectures and workshops from Tom Dyring and Brydon Thomason.

     

COUNTRY: UK 

PHOTO TYPE Birds  

TRIP LENGTH: days  

GROUP SIZE: 8-15 guests  

DATES: June 27 – July 3 2023

   

Come along to the bird paradise of the Shetland Islands and photograph puffins and a large number of other seabirds up close.

Not only do the Shetland Islands offer a beautiful and dramatic landscape, it’s also a paradise for any bird photographer. With the dramatic landscape as a backdrop, photographing everything from the iconic puffin to pointing your lens at the steep cliffs where thousands of guillemots, razorbills, puffins, petrels, great skuas and gannets make their nests is a dream for anyone who enjoys photographing birds.

Now you have the opportunity to join renowned wildlife photographer Tom Dyring and local bird expert and bird photographer Brydon Thomason on a bird tour of the Shetland Islands. One of the highlights of the trip is the days we spend in the Hermaness Nature Reserve which is world famous for its spectacular colonies of gannets. As if this were not enough, during the trip we will also make a number of boat trips and try to photograph gannets plunging into the cold Atlantic waters in search of fish. Tom Dyring and Brydon Thomasonwill be with you throughout the journey to help develop your photography skills through inspiring lectures, personal guidance in the field and constructive image criticism.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

      • The beautiful and dramatic landscape of the Shetland Islands.
      • Photographing puffins in spectacular scenery at Sumburgh Head and on the island of Noss.
      • Hermaness Nature Reserves colonies of gannets and spectacular bird cliffs.
      • Boat trips for photographing diving gannets.
      • Thousands of nesting birds including guillemots, razorbills, puffins, petrels, skuas, and Northern gannets.
      • Participation from Tom Dyring and Brydon Thomason.
      • Lectures and workshops from Tom Dyring and Brydon Thomason.

DESTINATION

DESTINATION

THE SHETLAND ISLANDS

The Shetland Islands are a Scottish archipelago located on the North Sea-Atlantic border northeast of the United Kingdom between the Orkney Islands, the Faroe Islands and Norway. The Shetland Islands consist of several hundred islands, islets and skerries. Only 16 of the islands are currently inhabited. The total area of the islands amounts to 1,445 km2, and the total coastline is about fifty miles. The majority of Shetland’s population lives on the largest island, Mainland. On the east side of the island is Lerwick, which as early as the 18th century was the capital of the archipelago. The population of the Shetland Islands is about 23,000 people. Of these, about 7,500 live in the capital of Lerwick. The population often calls their archipelago “The Old Rock”. A name that fits the islands well because it’s bedrock, like those of Greenland, are among the oldest in the world and were formed more than 2,000 million years ago.

The nature and wildlife, including Shetland ponies, 300,000 sheep and over a million birds, of which around 300,000 are gannets attract many photographers. During the nesting period, April-August, the ocean cliffs and wetlands are full of life. For a bird photographer, this is an Eldorado offering magnificent experiences. The cliffs are home to thousands of guillemots, razorbills, puffins, petrels, and gannets. On the moors you can see the great skua, the long-tailed jaeger, the Eurasian curlew, and the Eurasian whimbrel. In the wet meadows there are, among other things, Eurasian oystercatchers. In the sea, eiders are swimming, and in the lakes various ducks and loons. Birds are everywhere, but some places are better than others, such as Hermaness on the northernmost island of Unst and Sumburgh Head on the southern tip of Mainland.

 

 

TOUR ITINERARY

TOUR ITINERARY

TOUR ITINERARY •  JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2023

Attention! As the weather in the the Shetland Islands is very varied and can change very quickly, the day programme will be determined on site based on weather and wind.

DAY 1 (27/6) – ARRIVAL TO THE SHETLAND ISLANDS
Gathering at Sumburgh Airport in the afternoon where you will be met by Tom Dyring, Brydon Thomason and a representative from Zoom Photo Tours. From the airport, we head to Sumburgh Hotel to check in. Our days together will  begin with a lecture from Tom and Brydon. They will takes you into the world of bird photography and with pictures from some of the places we will visit during the trip, they will shows you what you should consider in your image creation to develop as photographers. After the lecture, dinner will be served at the hotel before heading to Sumburgh Head and its dramatic scenery to photograph puffins up close. These often sit on a cliff edge giving our images a stunning backdrop of cliffs and the dark blue sea stretching towards the horizon. When the sun starts to set and we’ve got a sample of all the photographic opportunities that await us in the coming days, we return to the hotel. (D)

DAY 2 (28/6) – BIRD LIFE AROUND SUMBURGH HEAD
Today we will explore the southern part of the island for species such as whimbrels, phalarope, or endemic subspecies of Shetland wrens. We will also get to photograph the iconic Shetland Pony which you can often get very close to for some good pictures. In the evening we return to Sumburgh Hotel for dinner. After dinner Tom will also hold a lecture on his work as a nature photographer(B, L, D)

DAY 3 (29/6) – BOAT TRIP WITH DIVING NORTHERN GANNETS
After photographing the iconic puffins in the soft morning light and then having a good breakfast, it’s time to check out and head towards the town of Lewerick. By boat, we leave the port of Lewerick for one of the main highlights of the trip, the west side of the Isle of Noss with 15,000 nesting gannets. Out on the rolling water, we can have the opportunity of taking pictures from a completely new perspective; the dramatic cliffs that plunge 100 meters straight into the Atlantic Ocean in some places. Up close, we can now photograph the spectacular moment when the gannets plunge into the water to catch fish. Tom is with you throughout the boat trip to show you what to consider in order to best capture the movement of the birds plunging down into the waves. Back in Lerwick we continue towards the northern part of Mainland where we check in and have dinner at the Brae Hotel for two nights. Dinner at the hotel. (B, L, D)

DAY 4 (30/6) – NOSS NATURE RESERVE
We leave in the morning for a five-minute boat crossing to the island of Bressay. After a short drive over to the island we meet a park ranger from Noss National Nature Reserve, who will take us over to Noss in his Zodiac boat. Upon arrival at Noss, a fantastic photo adventure lies ahead; as we reach the steep cliffs, an inspiring seascape awaits us as well as lots of puffins and thousands of gannets. In addition to good opportunities to get up close to the puffins, it offers completely new photo perspectives with high cliffs and nesting gannets. Dinner at the hotel. (B, L, D)

DAY 5 (1/7) – YELL AND UNST
Early in the morning we move on to the second largest island in the Shetland Islands, Yell. The island attracts visitors with rolling and pristine grasslands sloping down towards the long beaches, but also with its fascinating bird life. The island is one of the best places in Europe to photograph skuas on land.

In the afternoon we continue to the northernmost island of the Shetland Islands, Unst, and Hermaness National Nature Reserve. Hermaness which with its large colonies of soles offers an incredible birdlife. Overlooking Muckle Flugga, Britain’s northernmost point, Hermaness offers an oasis for thousands of seabirds. After about an hour’s walk through the grassy marshland we reach the western cliffs where numerous seabirds including fulmars, gulls, 20,000 gannets, puffins and kittiwakes make their nests. This is a paradise for bird photographers.

In the evening we check in at the Baltasound Hotel, the UK’s northernmost hotel. This will be our base for the next two nights. After dinner we will go through our picture harvest and Tom will provide some constructive image criticism. (B, L, D)

DAY 6 (2/7) – THE COOLEST BIRD CLIFF IN EUROPE
In the morning we continue to explore the Hermaness National Park, a dream for any bird photographer with its steep cliffs and plenty of different kinds of birds. The area is an oasis of rich bird life and world famous for its large colonies of Northern gannets. Numerous seabirds are nesting along the cliff edges and the motifs are endless. Like previous sessions, Tom is available on hand to help you develop as a photographer through personal guidance. If the opportunity is given at the right motifs, Tom will also give a couple of common practical tutorials where he shows how he thinks when creating images.

If the weather permits, we will head out to sea again in the afternoon for new photo opportunities. From our boat we can point our cameras at the nature of Hermanus and zoom in on Europe’s most spectacular bird cliff. Looking up from the rolling sea towards the steep cliffs while being greeted by the sound of thousands of birds is as magnificent a nature experience as it is a photo experience. Back at our hotel we have dinner and talk about all the photo opportunities of the day. Before dinner, you can submit two pictures to compete for the best pictures of the trip, from which Tom will chose “Image of the trip” after dinner. The winning image automatically advances to the final of the ”Image of the year 2023” competition. (B, L, D)

Day 7 (3/7) – JOURNEY HOME
Our last day in this dramatic Bird Paradise begins with another visit to Hermaness, whose rich bird life always delivers good photo opportunities. Perhaps we can also photograph some of the area’s many Shetland ponies. These benevolent animals will often allow you to come very close for portrait shots. Afterwards, we head south towards Sumburgh and the airport. On the way there we will make a photo stop at the old castle ruins at Muness where we will also have a picnic lunch. Afterwards we continue to the airport for flights to Edinburgh and further transport to Sweden on your own devices. (B, L)

Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Red Grouse

TOUR ITINERARY •  JUNE 27 – JULY 3, 2023

Attention! As the weather in the the Shetland Islands is very varied and can change very quickly, the day programme will be determined on site based on weather and wind.

DAY 1 (27/6) – ARRIVAL TO THE SHETLAND ISLANDS
Gathering at Sumburgh Airport in the afternoon where you will be met by Tom Dyring, Brydon Thomason and a representative from Zoom Photo Tours. From the airport, we head to Sumburgh Hotel to check in. Our days together will  begin with a lecture from Tom and Brydon. They will takes you into the world of bird photography and with pictures from some of the places we will visit during the trip, they will shows you what you should consider in your image creation to develop as photographers. After the lecture, dinner will be served at the hotel before heading to Sumburgh Head and its dramatic scenery to photograph puffins up close. These often sit on a cliff edge giving our images a stunning backdrop of cliffs and the dark blue sea stretching towards the horizon. When the sun starts to set and we’ve got a sample of all the photographic opportunities that await us in the coming days, we return to the hotel. (D)

DAY 2 (28/6) – BIRD LIFE AROUND SUMBURGH HEAD
Today we will explore the southern part of the island for species such as whimbrels, phalarope, or endemic subspecies of Shetland wrens. We will also get to photograph the iconic Shetland Pony which you can often get very close to for some good pictures. In the evening we return to Sumburgh Hotel for dinner. After dinner Tom will also hold a lecture on his work as a nature photographer(B, L, D)

DAY 3 (29/6) – BOAT TRIP WITH DIVING NORTHERN GANNETS
After photographing the iconic puffins in the soft morning light and then having a good breakfast, it’s time to check out and head towards the town of Lewerick. By boat, we leave the port of Lewerick for one of the main highlights of the trip, the west side of the Isle of Noss with 15,000 nesting gannets. Out on the rolling water, we can have the opportunity of taking pictures from a completely new perspective; the dramatic cliffs that plunge 100 meters straight into the Atlantic Ocean in some places. Up close, we can now photograph the spectacular moment when the gannets plunge into the water to catch fish. Tom is with you throughout the boat trip to show you what to consider in order to best capture the movement of the birds plunging down into the waves. Back in Lerwick we continue towards the northern part of Mainland where we check in and have dinner at the Brae Hotel for two nights. Dinner at the hotel. (B, L, D)

DAY 4 (30/6) – NOSS NATURE RESERVE
We leave in the morning for a five-minute boat crossing to the island of Bressay. After a short drive over to the island we meet a park ranger from Noss National Nature Reserve, who will take us over to Noss in his Zodiac boat. Upon arrival at Noss, a fantastic photo adventure lies ahead; as we reach the steep cliffs, an inspiring seascape awaits us as well as lots of puffins and thousands of gannets. In addition to good opportunities to get up close to the puffins, it offers completely new photo perspectives with high cliffs and nesting gannets. Dinner at the hotel. (B, L, D)

DAY 5 (1/7) – YELL AND UNST
Early in the morning we move on to the second largest island in the Shetland Islands, Yell. The island attracts visitors with rolling and pristine grasslands sloping down towards the long beaches, but also with its fascinating bird life. The island is one of the best places in Europe to photograph skuas on land.

In the afternoon we continue to the northernmost island of the Shetland Islands, Unst, and Hermaness National Nature Reserve. Hermaness which with its large colonies of soles offers an incredible birdlife. Overlooking Muckle Flugga, Britain’s northernmost point, Hermaness offers an oasis for thousands of seabirds. After about an hour’s walk through the grassy marshland we reach the western cliffs where numerous seabirds including fulmars, gulls, 20,000 gannets, puffins and kittiwakes make their nests. This is a paradise for bird photographers.

In the evening we check in at the Baltasound Hotel, the UK’s northernmost hotel. This will be our base for the next two nights. After dinner we will go through our picture harvest and Tom will provide some constructive image criticism. (B, L, D)

DAY 6 (2/7) – THE COOLEST BIRD CLIFF IN EUROPE
In the morning we continue to explore the Hermaness National Park, a dream for any bird photographer with its steep cliffs and plenty of different kinds of birds. The area is an oasis of rich bird life and world famous for its large colonies of Northern gannets. Numerous seabirds are nesting along the cliff edges and the motifs are endless. Like previous sessions, Tom is available on hand to help you develop as a photographer through personal guidance. If the opportunity is given at the right motifs, Tom will also give a couple of common practical tutorials where he shows how he thinks when creating images.

If the weather permits, we will head out to sea again in the afternoon for new photo opportunities. From our boat we can point our cameras at the nature of Hermanus and zoom in on Europe’s most spectacular bird cliff. Looking up from the rolling sea towards the steep cliffs while being greeted by the sound of thousands of birds is as magnificent a nature experience as it is a photo experience. Back at our hotel we have dinner and talk about all the photo opportunities of the day. Before dinner, you can submit two pictures to compete for the best pictures of the trip, from which Tom will chose “Image of the trip” after dinner. The winning image automatically advances to the final of the ”Image of the year 2023” competition. (B, L, D)

Day 7 (3/7) – JOURNEY HOME
Our last day in this dramatic Bird Paradise begins with another visit to Hermaness, whose rich bird life always delivers good photo opportunities. Perhaps we can also photograph some of the area’s many Shetland ponies. These benevolent animals will often allow you to come very close for portrait shots. Afterwards, we head south towards Sumburgh and the airport. On the way there we will make a photo stop at the old castle ruins at Muness where we will also have a picnic lunch. Afterwards we continue to the airport for flights to Edinburgh and further transport to Sweden on your own devices. (B, L)

 

PHOTOGRAPHERS

PHOTOGRAPHER

TOM DYRING – Wildlife

Tom Dyring is a professional Norwegian nature photographer, living outside Oslo and a member of the Norwegian nature photographers (NN). Tom exclusively photographs birds and wild animals. He works on various projects all over the world for a large part of the year. Tom has received a number of international awards and prizes for his animal photos, including: Nordic Nature Photo Contest, British Birds, Siena SIPA, Asferico, Oasis, Narava and Concours Photo de Namur. He has also held a large number of exhibitions in Norway and at a number of international exhibitions in connection with major photo events.

Read more

 

 

BRYDON THOMASON – Wildlife

Brydon is a born and bred Shetlander and is widely known for his passion and knowledge of Shetland’s animal and bird life. He has worked all his life with the island’s bird life and its wildlife. Brydon is best known for co-authoring Shetland’s best-selling book, Otters. He also regularly works as a media consultant/guide for more than 20 television productions filmed on this unique archipelago. He is a judge in the British Wildlife Photography Awards.

Read more

ACCOMMODATION

ACCOMMODATION

PRICES, FACTS & BOOKING

PRICES, FACTS & BOOKING

PRICE

Price per person: £ 2 095  or  USD 2 490

The price includes:

  • Bus transportation according to the programme.
  • Accommodation according to the programme as part of double rooms/apartments.
  • Meals according to program (indicated by B= breakfast, L=Lunch, D=dinner).
  • Daily photo activities.
  • Participation from Tom Dyring during the trip.
  • Participation of Brydon Thomason  during the trip.
  • Workshops and lectures during the trip.
  • Participation of a host from Zoom Photo Tours.
  • Hotel and other local taxes and fees.
  • Travel documents and practical travel information.
  • Boat tour 

Excluded:

  • Flights to and from Shetlands
  • Single room supplement. £ 395  or  USD 465
  • Costs of a personal nature, such as drink with your meal, etc
  • Cancellation protection / travel insurance. See our website under “other”.

TRANSPORTATION

Fly to  The Shetland Islands your own devices. You should be at the Sumburgh Airport  later than around 15.30 on july 26 and do not book your return flight until around 14.30 on July 2.

If you want help with booking your flights, we are more than happy to assist you with this. You are welcome to email us at info@zoomphototours.com or let us know when you book the tour.

GROUP SIZE

In order for you to get personal photo guidance and the best experience with our expert photographer, our groups are always small. On this workshop, the minimum and maximum number of guests are 8 / 15.

PHOTO GEAR

  •  Your camera.
  • Lenses from wide-angle to medium telephoto lens.
  • A tripod
  • A laptop with Photoshop or Lightroom.
  • Extra batteries, chargers and memory cards.
  • A camera bag that can carry both the camera equipment and food for the day.

TOUR LEADER

Apart from an award winning photographer, our tours are always accompanied by a tour leader from Zoom with good photo knowledge. Our tour leader will handle all logistics and general matters and make sure you are having the best possible experience during the workshop.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

For more information about Terms & Conditions click here.

BOOKING

Use the online booking form below and you will receive a booking confirmation right away or you can give us a call on +46 70 180 90 99 or send an email to info@zoomphototours.com

Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Red Grouse

 Photo: Tom Dyring

PRICE

Price per person: £ 2 095  or  USD 2 460

The price includes:

  • Bus transportation according to the programme.
  • Accommodation according to the programme as part of double rooms/apartments.
  • Meals according to program (indicated by B= breakfast, L=Lunch, D=dinner).
  • Daily photo activities.
  • Participation from Tom Dyring during the trip.
  • Participation of Brydon Thomason  during the trip.
  • Workshops and lectures during the trip.
  • Participation of a host from Zoom Photo Tours.
  • Hotel and other local taxes and fees.
  • Travel documents and practical travel information.
  • Boat tour 

Excluded:

  • Flights to and from Shetlands
  • Single room supplement. £ 395  or  USD 465
  • Costs of a personal nature, such as drink with your meal, etc
  • Cancellation protection / travel insurance. See our website under “other”.

TRANSPORTATION

Fly to  The Shetland Islands your own devices. You should be at the Sumburgh Airport  later than around 15.30 on july 26 and do not book your return flight until around 14.30 on July 2.

If you want help with booking your flights, we are more than happy to assist you with this. You are welcome to email us at info@zoomphototours.com or let us know when you book the tour.

GROUP SIZE

In order for you to get personal photo guidance and the best experience with our expert photographer, our groups are always small. On this workshop, the minimum and maximum number of guests are 8 / 15.

PHOTO GEAR

  •  Your camera.
  • Lenses from wide-angle to medium telephoto lens.
  • A tripod
  • A laptop with Photoshop or Lightroom.
  • Extra batteries, chargers and memory cards.
  • A camera bag that can carry both the camera equipment and food for the day.

TOUR LEADER

Apart from an award winning photographer, our tours are always accompanied by a tour leader from Zoom with good photo knowledge. Our tour leader will handle all logistics and general matters and make sure you are having the best possible experience during the workshop.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

For more information about Terms & Conditions click here.

BOOKING

Use the online booking form below and you will receive a booking confirmation right away or you can give us a call on +46 70 180 90 99 or send an email to info@zoomphototours.com

 Photo: Ben Hall, Daniel Iglesias, Carl-Göran Nyrell, Richard North och Lars Backman. 

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