Seal Pup

Yesterday I saw my first seal pup! Hopefully this will not be the last because it was really nice to see this in the wild. I was watching for about an hour and in this time the pup spent a small amount fo time feeding and then lay back to rest. This blog will start to get very busy now as I am soon to be starting my final project on the North Atlantic Grey Seal. 

North Coast Seals

Here a few of the seals present this evening. In total there were about 25-30 seals in the area but I was unable to count exactly as more kept appearing. It was very dark so my images were not great but..... there ok. 

Grey Seals Sequence

Here is a link to a short video captured yesterday whilst freediving with Grey Seals in Cornwall!
Please watch in HD!

http://vimeo.com/28560305

Also let me know what you think

Underwater with Seals

Today I put my freedive training to use! I decided to go and check out a site which I have dived before and it was a really success. I wanted to go to the site so that I could do a count of the seals present and as it is far from the nearest dry viewing platform the best way to see the seals is either by kayak or swimming. I decided to swim as it is way more fun and I wanted to get some underwater shots of the seals. The visibility in the water was not good however the seals came close enough to get some average images.

Present at the site was:
1 large adult male
2 Females - one juvenile and one adult
1 juvenile male

Dissertation Project

I am currently planning my third year final project at University. I am going to conduct a large photographic project under the title of:

'The positive and negative effects of human impact on Grey Seals'

I want to look at grey seal populations locally within Cornwall and also around the UK. This should hopefully allow me to raise awareness about the species and how they are being effect in both 'positive and Negative ways '

My final work will hopefully consist of a documentary film and photographic prints. Some of my work will be put on my blogs and with in my website however when the project is finished I will publish it all in a variety of forms and hopefully have a book for sale and my film for sale also.

Photographing Grey Seals

In order to photograph portraits of Grey Seals I have one trick which I try to use as much as possible! I get my lens as low to the ground/water surface as possible! I lie on my front holding my camera just above the water surface, I stand waist deep in the sea in a wetsuit or I might scarifice getting soaked by a wave if it means I can get a certain angle. I have been so low in the past that a large wave has raised the seal above my level and I have been looking up at it! 

By getting low you are basically erasing the background of the image. You are causing the background to be far in the distance because you are down at water level. This helps the subject to stand out and therefore can be easily viewed with in the image. For more information on this topic please visit, the tutorials section of my website at: www.samstewartphoto.org

The image below is taken at a very low angle and I am in fact lying flat to the ground on the edge of a wave cut platform. Hopefully this information is helpful to you and please remember seals should never be disturbed while taking photographs. Make no sudden movements and try to not make direct eye contact as this often causes them to spook.