On The Beach With Winterton's Wild Families

The morning drifted in through a veil of grey subdued light penetrating the bedroom curtains, and the sound of a metallic growl, which I soon identified as a coffee bean grinder somewhere in the distance.

I was lying in bed, figuring out what to do with my day, when I started thinking back on all the photography I'd done this year. I was mostly happy, but visiting the grey seals at Winterton in late January was a mistake. The season really starts in November through to late December.

For nearly two hours, I had trudged up and down the beach, the frozen sand crunching beneath my feet, with scant success. Maybe I should have another forty winks to forget about it.

The creaking of the bedroom door and the smell of coffee, accompanied by my wife's appearance, instantly dispelled my hopes for five more minutes of rest. "Are you planning on remaining here the entire day, or would you be interested in having some coffee with me before I go to work?" Her voice carrying the familiar disapproval I'd grown to expect whenever I sleep in. "Yes, no, I mean yes to the coffee and no to the question of lying here in bed all day, I'll be through in a jiffy."

Oh well, claggy overcast day or not, she who must be obeyed will clearly have the hump if she thinks I can lie about whilst she is at the coal face again today.

Half an hour later, the boss headed off to work, and a calm silence settled on the house again. Finishing my coffee, I realised it was late November, and I could revisit Winterton and check out the seals again. Hopefully, the mist may even burn off before my arrival.

Decision made and my camera bag packed with my newish 50 – 400mm Tamron lens, I headed off for Winterton, just over the border in Norfolk.

On arrival, it was still a little misty inland, but the beach appeared clear, and the sun was blazing through the cold, clean air.

With walking boots on and rucksack secured, I headed off into the dunes. As I crested the higher dunes, I was welcomed with the vision of a fairly crowded beach, multiple grey seals with pups, some just hours old.

What a lovely day to be alive and out with my camera.

The bright day would make the light a serious challenge, especially with the pup's snow-white fur. So I opted for a metering mode that safeguards highlights, with the intention of addressing shadows during post-processing.

There were great opportunities everywhere, and I spent almost three hours along the coastline. I even managed a couple of different shots of people enjoying the fresh air to round off my trip.

I also discovered that waiting patiently for the animals to move into interesting poses was far more successful than keeping moving about, hoping to catch an interesting event. Although I didn't manage any fantastic captures, I really did enjoy my day and would recommend a visit before the seals all vanish into the depths of the North Sea again.

With my day complete, I was happy to dump my gear in the back of the car before sitting down with a coffee and cake from the little beach cafe in the car park. I could have easily drunk another and watched the day drift lazily by, but decided to head home for a Lighroom session instead. If you are looking for a day out over the holidays, then Winterton is worth the trip, but please don't wait until mid January!

The Curious

The Relaxed

The Cuddle

The Walkers

The Watchers