Behind the image: Seal pup on the beach

For most of my photography projects, where I have an image in mind and I do further research and planning, it often involves leaving the house in the early morning to reach the location and make the most of the first light. One cold February morning, I headed to the Norfolk Coast and arrived just as the sun was rising over the ocean. There was still frost covering the sand when I made my way down the dunes onto the shoreline.

At this time of the year, the pupping season for grey seals would have already ended and most, if not all, of the pups born at the end of the previous year, were no longer being fed the fatty milk from their mothers, and their fluffy white coat would be replaced by its first waterproof coat. As I walked along the sandy beach up against the dunes, I spotted a young grey seal pup laying just before the wave line, already sporting its waterproof coat after moulting its fluffy newborn one. Looking further down the beach, there was a large group of adult seals socializing together on the shoreline, beginning to become more active with the rising sun. This pup seemed content with laying away from the larger seals and was a safe option, as the males would soon be looking for mates once again and on occasion the younger seals would get caught up in the males fighting one another.

I stood still up against the dunes and watched the behaviour of the seal pup for a while. It was awake and looking around but was otherwise unbothered by my existence, resting in a ‘banana’ pose (lying on its side with its rear flippers off the ground) which is a sign that the seal is relaxed. I slowly began to crouch down to the ground and proceeded to lay on my front with the camera and tripod placed in front of me, all the while watching the pup to make sure it didn’t become disturbed.

The sunlight was soft as light clouds were drifting low to the horizon, so I wasn’t too worried about dealing with any harsh shadows or highlights at that moment. The sea behind the seal pup was pretty calm with small waves crashing on the shore, providing a relatively smooth backdrop.

Because I positioned myself low to the ground, I was able to get at eye level with the pup. If I had stayed standing, my camera would have ended up pointing down at the pup which can alter the perspective and bring the background much closer behind which can reduce the blurred background effect.

I spent a good twenty minutes or so with the pup and the image above is one of my favourite images from the day when the pup looked right in my direction. Although I have witnessed many more amazing and exhilarating encounters with wildlife, I believe that the simple moments can also be the best ones; ones where it’s just you and the animal and you share the space together.

If you want to see the full video of my morning with the seals, please visit my YouTube channel!