Ellen Lichtenheldt Photography

07/09/2026

A new story from São Tomé & Príncipe is out🌿

Dense tropical forest, volcanic coastlines, cocoa, wildlife and two islands that gave us far more than I had expected.

My latest newsletter takes you with me to São Tomé & Príncipe – from encounters with endemic species to views from above and moments below the surface.

And, as always, there are quite a few photographs along the way.

If you'd like to read it, check the link in my bio.

See the beauty. Protect the wild.

06/09/2026

Puffin love ❤️

Since you enjoyed my last puffin posts so much, here are a few more — this time all about puffin couples.

During the breeding season, Atlantic puffins spend a lot of time reinforcing their pair bond. One of their most recognisable courtship behaviours is billing: the two birds repeatedly tap and rub their beaks together, sometimes drawing quite an audience from their neighbours.

It’s one of those behaviours I can happily sit and watch for a very long time. Sometimes gentle, sometimes surprisingly enthusiastic — and always fascinating to photograph.

I’ve shared more from my time with the puffins of Skomer in my latest newsletter, including some of the behaviours I observed and photographed along the way.

See the beauty, protect the wild 🌿

You can subscribe via the link in my bio.

04/09/2026

New in my shop, check it out!😊

An aerial view of Banana Beach in São Tomé and Príncipe, where lush tropical forest meets a sweep of golden sand and the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Guinea. | Copyright: ©ellenlichtenheldt

03/09/2026

I don't normally talk about politics here, but today I feel the urge to make an exception.

Am Sonntag wird in Sachsen-Anhalt gewählt. Und wenn ich mir die aktuellen Umfragen anschaue, macht mir der mögliche Ausgang dieser Wahl Sorgen.

Ich wünsche mir ein Deutschland, das offen, vielfältig und tolerant ist. Ein Land, in dem unterschiedliche Kulturen, Lebensentwürfe und Perspektiven ihren Platz haben. In dem Kunst und Kultur frei sind. Und in dem Vielfalt nicht als Bedrohung gesehen wird.

Aber eine Protestwahl ist eben nicht nur Protest. Mit einer Stimme wählt man auch das Programm einer Partei – und die Konsequenzen, die daraus entstehen können.

Deshalb meine Bitte an alle, die darüber nachdenken, am Sonntag aus Protest AfD zu wählen:

Schaut euch an, welche Vorstellungen sie von Kultur und Gesellschaft hat. Was sie in Schulen verändern möchte. Was ihre Politik für Familien und unterschiedliche Einkommen tatsächlich bedeuten würde. Was ihre Migrationspolitik konkret bedeutet. Und auch, wie ihre wirtschaftlichen Versprechen finanziert werden sollen.

Man muss die bisherigen Regierungen nicht gut finden. Man darf wütend sein. Man darf enttäuscht sein. Und natürlich darf man Veränderung wollen.

Aber bitte entscheidet euch für die Veränderung, die ihr tatsächlich haben möchtet.

Ich weiß jedenfalls, in welchem Deutschland ich leben möchte: in einem freien, vielfältigen und toleranten. 🇩🇪

01/09/2026

One of the puffins you don't often get to see.

Pufflings spend most of their early lives hidden underground, inside the burrows where they hatch. While their parents come and go with fish, the chick usually remains out of sight.

Occasionally, though, one appears at the entrance for a few moments.

After spending so much time watching adult puffins around the colony, seeing a puffling outside the burrow always feels a little different – a brief glimpse of the next generation before it disappears underground again.



There's now a little more about pufflings – and many more observations from Skomer – in my latest Stories from the Field newsletter.

Subscribe via the link in my bio.

29/08/2026

Evenings on Skomer are always special.

After a full day of watching and photographing puffins, the light starts to change – and suddenly the same birds and the same places can look completely different.

I love these quieter moments towards the end of the day. No particular behaviour to wait for, no puffin flying towards me at full speed. Just time to watch, enjoy the evening light and see what happens.

And sometimes a puffin chooses just the right spot.

I've shared more about my time with the puffins of Skomer – and why I keep coming back – in my latest Stories from the Field newsletter.

You can subscribe via the link in my bio.

27/08/2026

The longer I spend with puffins, the more interesting their behaviour becomes.

There is billing between pairs, neighbours defending the space around their burrows, birds gathering nesting material, returning from the sea with fish – and plenty of smaller interactions in between.

Some moments last only a few seconds. Others repeat often enough that, after a while, you begin to recognise what might happen next.

That is one of the things I enjoy most about spending several days with the same colony: not just photographing individual moments, but getting to know a little more about the lives behind them.

I've written more about my time with the puffins of Skomer in my latest Stories from the Field newsletter.

You can subscribe via the link in my bio.

23/08/2026

🌊🦅 Fresh seafood, served fast.

The yellow-billed kite is the only resident bird of prey on São Tomé, and watching them hunt over the Atlantic is an absolute masterclass in aerial agility.

I managed to capture this split-second moment right as it skimmed the surface and snagged a fish from the sea.The precision and speed of these island hunters is unreal!

Swipe to see the full sequence of the dive. 👇📸

19/08/2026

My Instagram reach is really low...

Can some puffin photos help?

Share and repost if you love puffins😍

By now they're all back at sea, can't wait to see them again next year!

See the beauty, protect the wild 🎉

17/08/2026

“Monday morning, hang in there.” 💤

If you need inspiration on how to get through the start of the week, take notes from this Straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) hanging out in the lush canopy of Príncipe Island. 🇨🇻

Pure island serenity.

See the beauty, protect the wild 🌿