Exclusive & Tailored Photo-tours
Overview
We are the only company to offer a program of seasonally tailored, one-to-one and bespoke photo-tour itineraries on Shetland. These programs have been evolved through Brydon’s lifelong inspiration from and understanding of Shetland’s wildlife. Our bespoke photo-tours offer unparalleled and unique opportunity and insight for photographers seeking to capture the best of Shetland’s wildlife on their own private assignments.
As a born and raised Shetlander, Brydon has studied the species featured in these assignments all his life. His deep connection, understanding and love of the islands and their wildlife provide a unique and intimate insight which facilitate an exciting program throughout each season. As a naturalist before a nature photographer these itineraries not only feature unrivalled opportunities to photograph Shetland’s most iconic species, but also give a fascinating insight into their behaviour and overall lives.
Though many species feature in our group tours and so there is overlap, such as Otter and seabirds, these tours provide more specialist assignments which are not possible for conventional group size tours. Our pioneering licensed hide work assignments for some of the UK’s rarest and most charismatic breeding birds (which Brydon has been working on for over a decade) offers the unique opportunity to photograph Merlin and Red-throated Diver under schedule 1 license authorised by NatureScotland.
These itineraries are meticulously planned for each season to put photographers in front of the most iconic species, at the very best shooting locations and always with an intimate understanding of behaviour and the fieldcraft needed to work responsibly, whilst creating the most engaging images.
Who are they for?
Tailored tours and assignments are a popular choice for photographers preferring the exclusivity of booking their own privately guided itinerary. Though there are many advantages of group photo-tour dynamic, (particularly socially) more and more photographers appreciate how special it is to be alone with their guide and the connection felt to them and the subjects, not to mention the opportunity to capture images in encounters not shared with others.
Tours can be booked exclusively as one-to-one, for couples, (or two friends working together) or a small group of photographers and are tailored to suit for all levels; from amateurs seeking extra guidance, tuition and mentoring to help take their photography to the next level; leading professionals seeking a specialist assignment or target a specific species and also media production companies. Our media portfolio now includes well over twenty productions ranging from popular prime-time shows to very latest high end ‘blue-chip’ natural history documentaries.
The assignments – just you, your guide & the wildlife
These exclusive tours have become increasingly more popular in recent years and this stands to reason, in nature photography, the fewer people there are around, the better your encounters and image opportunities will usually tend to be. It is also fair to say that images are always more gratifying when you are the only one to have shot them!
Through Brydon’s lifetime of knowledge and love for Shetland’s wildlife, combined with the knowledge and expertise of our team of leaders, these tours provide a totally unique perspective of Shetland’s wildlife and opportunities for photographers in any month of the year. From the depths of Shetland’s wild winter to the island’s summer splendour, we have evolved itineraries for photographers to get the very best opportunities with the species of each season.
There are many benefits to working exclusively. As your own private itinerary, each day and each assignment is tailored to your own preferences. This allows you the freedom and flexibility to start and finish when you wish and spend more time with the species you most want to work on and also, if required, have as much hands-on tutoring as you wish.
For many of our most iconic species we facilitate unique opportunities in specialist itineraries, featuring hides to facilitate photographic opportunities with Red-throated Diver, Merlin, Raven and Great Skua at the nest. Knowing the sensitivities involved, particularly with schedule 1 species, we feel proud and privileged to have been working under licenses, (where appropriate) authorised by NatureScotland for almost 15 years, which demonstrates our stringent code of ethics and responsible approach.
Tours by season
We offer a program of itineraries that are individually tailored to feature the most iconic species of each season. All of these feature Otter and with a little bit of luck, as they are recorded in every month of the year here, Orca are a realistic possibility on any itinerary. During the spring and summer months there is some overlap on target species, particularly seabirds and moorland breeding species but from adorable autumn Otter cubs and Seal pups to our specialist one-to-one licensed hide assignments for Merlin and Red-throated Diver – we have a program of totally unique tailored assignments. See below for tour overviews:
(Follow the links below for information on each tour program)
Otter: (year-round) View Shetland Otter Photography Tours page for details and the seasonal insight to our signature species
Winter: (Dec-March) Otter, Raven hide, Long-tailed & Eider Duck, Mountain Hare
Spring: (April-May) Otter, Raven nest hide, Red-throated Diver hide, Long-tailed & Eider Duck
Summer: (June-July) See our summer tour program and contact us direct for bespoke booking costs.
Summer specialist: (June-July) Merlin, Red-throated Diver, Gannet boat charter, Otter, breeding waders
Late summer: (July-Aug) Seabirds, Gannet boat charter, Red-throated Diver, Otter, cetaceans
Autumn: (Late Sept-Nov) Otters with young cubs, Grey Seal pups, sea ducks
Working Responsibly
The importance of fieldcraft and understanding of behavior are fundamental to how we lead and work on all species. On each and every assignment we pull on our field experience with the subject we work and local knowledge on to ensure we have the right balance between working responsibly, whilst still getting you the best possible image opportunities. The little nuances make the biggest difference; knowing the routines and behaviour of each species and how light, tide and the elements affect what they do and where they will be, helps us get you into the best shooting locations and make the most of every assignment.
It’s the little things, such as the body language used or reactions to other species present that help us preempt the best opportunities for the photographers we lead. It is with this level of knowledge and awareness that we make sure the balance is levelled between getting the image, but making sure it is taken ethically.
Book your own bespoke itinerary
Contact us to book your own bespoke seasonal itinerary or to ask questions and plan a more tailored and personalised itinerary.
Costs
Single or multi day itineraries the daily fee includes transport and ferry fares (if applicable). For these we recommend and can even book accommodation that best suits logistics.
- One-to-one = £375 per person (includes transport and ferry fares if applicable)
- Two-to-one = £225 per person (includes transport and ferry fares if applicable)
- Three-to-one = £175 per person (includes transport and ferry fares if applicable)
For seasonally tailored week-long itineraries view the tour programs above as costs vary.