Hello and welcome to the world of the Puffin Whisperer, a place where a passion for photography meets love for nature and wildlife. It is a pleasure to have your company. I hope you enjoy my photographs, and I hope that my images will make you smile and will make you love the natural world as much as I do.
I am delighted to offer you three of my photographs printed on high-quality papers in different formats. They depict three special moments I have been lucky enough to experience in the magical Orkney Islands, my favourite place ever.
The tale of the Eider and the Selkie
Westray, Summer 2020.
A beautiful Selkie basks under the timid rays of the sun that barely peek through the clouds of an August afternoon. The other Seals are lying on the seaweed ashore, in Pierowall bay. The low tide gives them the opportunity to dry off, stretch and laze on the land at least a couple of times on a summer’s day. The small dock in the bay is one of their favourite spots. Just like the Selkies, the Eiders love to do the same. They jump out of the water, one by one, claiming their own space, all at a safe distance from each other. While on the seashore, they spend time preening their feathers.
The Selkie, who rests blissfully, finds them all around her, and observes them curiously and with respect. She appears to be much more cautious, and intimidated by the movements of passersby on the road adjacent to the small pier. An Eider chooses to rest next to the Selkie. I can imagine a conversation between them… The Selkie to the Eider: ‘Hi dear, did you have a good day? I love watching how you spend your days, and after then I start to dream… You can swim, fish and walk on land… I can do all this too, and I am very fast in the water. But you are able to do something more … you can fly! Would you please teach me to fly? Wouldn’t you? I feel I am too heavy when out of the water. If only I could fly, then I would feel light and beautiful…’
I love to imagine that, like in a fairytale, under the moonlight, magically the Selkie leaves her fur on the seashore, not to assume a human form, as it is told in Norse mythology, but to change herself into a charming bird, and feel, even if just for a day, the pleasure of feeling light as a feather. She flies free now over the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, watching the world from a different perspective, and when back she will have many stories to tell about her magical adventure to her friends and to the Eider. The Selkie and the Eider continue to live happily in the bay and I am sure they are having other interesting conversations. With a little bit of imagination, anything is possible!
The tale of the Eider and the Selkie is available in two different papers and sizes:
UltraHD Photo Print on Fujicolor Crystal Archive Paper Maxima. Signed. 53 x 30 cm (plus 2 cm white borders) SHOP
UltraHD Photo Prints on Fujicolor Crystal Archive Paper Maxima: the highest standards when it comes to definition and detail reproduction. Massive luminosity and light-resistance. Impressive details.
Hahnemüle FineArt Pearl. Silk gloss surface texture. 285 g/m² Bright white with a special coating for a refined pearl finish. Signed. 32 x 18 cm SHOP
Hahnemühle Fine Art Print – The Best Print with Epson UltraChrome Pro Pigments – A perfectly artistic way to print photos. Hahnemühle Fine Art Print on high-end artist paper is stunning, luxurious, and authentic! They are all stunning thanks to excellent image quality and brilliant colour gradation.
The mother-of-pearl pup
An adorable Grey Seal pup swimming close to the shore. His mum is in the water not far from him, ready if he needs help keeping his nose out of the water as you can see here.
He is making much effort to keep himself afloat, although I like to think that he looks peaceful and pleased. I am impressed by the extraordinary pearly lustre of his fur in the water. I am sure he is doing well now and he will keep swimming happily along the magnificent coasts of Orkney.
Atlantic grey seals make their home around the coasts of some islands in Orkney. One of my favourite places to watch them is from the cliffs at Burwick, South Ronaldsay. Here you can safely watch them on the beaches below without causing any bother to the mums and pups. The sheltered coasts are perfect for the breeding season. Between October and December you can see hundreds of fluffy white baby Grey Seals on the beaches assuming funniest positions ever. In Autumn I marvel at this miracle of life again and again.
Please remember not to go too close to Seals and their pups as the mother may abandon her pup if she feels threatened. Getting too close to a wild animal puts you and the animal at risk. Dogs and baby seals don’t mix, so don’t bring your dog with you. No matter how appealing they may look, don’t go close and don’t touch!
The mother-of-pearl pup is available in two different papers and sizes:
UltraHD Photo Print on Fuji Crystal Archive Maxima. Signed. 42 x 30 cm (plus 2 cm white borders) SHOP
Hahnemüle Fine Art Baryta. Glossy surface and classic baryta texture. 285 g/m² warm bright white with a glossy finish. For impressive color depth and crystal-clear definition. Signed. 28 x 20 cm (plus 2 cm white borders) SHOP
Mysterious Puffin
The Puffin is my spirit animal. Since I saw them for the first time ten years ago, I can’t spent a year without seeing them again. They have been my cure for depression during that time. Puffins have the power to do that. I think I have now got thousands of images of them of all types. There are never enough anyway! They lift my spirits and make me cherish my day. Do they do the same with you?
Here’s a different view of a Puffin, taken at Castle o’Burrian, the perfect place to spot puffins on Westray, Orkney. I am lying on the grass with my camera, waiting for some Puffins on the coast, when suddenly I notice there is already one close to me. He is staring at me, hidden behind the beautiful daisies. For once, I have been captured by a Puffin. He is the Mysterious Puffin.
Mysterious Puffin UltraHD Photo Print on Fujicolor Crystal Archive Paper Maxima. Signed. 45 x 30 cm (plus 2 cm white borders) SHOP
Mysterious Puffin UltraHD Photo Print on Fujicolor Crystal Archive Paper Maxima. Signed. 40 x 40 cm (plus 2 cm white borders) SHOP
Mysterious Puffin Photo print on Hahnemüle FineArt Torchon. Coarse surface texture. 285 g/m² It captures the three-dimensionality of the image in a unique way. Bright white and matte finish. Signed. 37 x 25 cm (plus 2 cm white borders) SHOP
They are also perfect for decorating walls in children’s rooms. There are many fairy tales you could tell your kids inspired by each image.
Thanks so much for looking! This is my first post here and there is so much to learn to improve this website with photographs and stories. Wish me luck!
