Fishing Bald Eagle Exploding Head-on with Fish

A Bald Eagle explodes towards us with freshly caught fish during my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. I can’t think of anything as thrilling in nature photography as when you review your images and realize you got the shot!

We have two spots open for my March 10-14 Eagles Galore trip due to an unfortunate medical emergency, so join me for the Ultimate Alaskan Eagles Galore trip of a lifetime if you can get to Alaska in time.

Fishing Bald Eagle Exploding Head-on with Fish (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens. ISO 4,000, f/4 @ 1/5,000s. Manual Exposure mode. Full frame image. Join me for my Eagles Galore workshop every March. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Bald Eagle in blizzard

The excitement is always off-the-charts during my Eagles Galore workshop when we are out with the Eagles and it snows. I had our captain head straight to my favourite spot with dark cliffs to emphasize the snowflakes and I chose an aperture of f/2.8 to render the dark cliff in the background out of focus to make the Eagle pop.

Bald Eagle with breakfast

Here is a Bald Eagle with its fresh breakfast captured at first light on Kachemak Bay (near Homer), Alaska. I love the intensity of the stare! Captured with a Sony alpha 1 camera using bird-eye auto-focus and a Sony 600mm f/4 lens with a Sony 1.4 X Teleconverter. Join me in Alaska for my annual Bald Eagles Galore Workshop in March. There will be plenty of opportunities to make images of fishing Eagles - smile. Learn more HERE.

Bald Eagle Trophy in Golden Light

American Bald Eagle Trophy in Golden Light (Hailiaeetus leucocephalus, Pygarge a tete blanche, BAEA) from my BALD EAGLE WORKSHOP in Kachemak Bay (near Homer), Alaska ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens  ISO 640, f/2.8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

I recently returned from Chris’s Eagle Workshop in Homer Alaska. Over the years, I have traveled extensively and can say without hesitating that this was the best trip I’ve ever been on. Chris is a very cordial but no nonsense guy. Everything about the trip was organized to the max. I’ve been photographing wildlife for 35 years and thought I had a pretty good idea about how to do it so I wasn’t expecting to learn a whole lot that was new. Wrong! Over the years, other “professionals” had encouraged me to shoot in aperture priority or auto ISO. When Chris told us he was going to teach us to set our camera exposures manually, I thought that sounded like a lot of unnecessary effort. That notion turned out to be false. If you attend this workshop and don’t already shoot in manual mode, your life will be changed. The exposures of the photos I took are spot on and better than any I have ever achieved. 
In addition to the new material I learned, the “eagle shooting” was beyond anything one could ever imagine. It was both action packed and challenging. Our group was only five people and Chris bent over backward to make sure that each of us got the best photos of our lives. Even though I had substantial problems with my equipment, I now have more killer eagle photos than I could have ever hoped for. If you want an informative and fun packed trip, I encourage you to sign up for this or any of Chris’s workshops. I have signed up again for next year’s Eagle Workshop, in spite of my truck load of eagle photos, which I believe tells the whole story.

Ron Brown Colorado USA

Bald Eagle Fishing

American Bald Eagle with fresh catch (Hailiaeetus leucocephalus, Pygarge a tete blanche, BAEA) from my BALD EAGLE WORKSHOP in Kachemak Bay (near Homer), Alaska ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens  ISO 2,500, f/2.8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

He is dedicated to doing everything he can to make sure you come home with lots of amazing photographs!

There are a lot of photographers to choose from when deciding to take a workshop.  I had come across Christopher Dodds Photography on Facebook and really like his photographs.  I read about Chris’ workshops.  They all sounded well organized and he has years of experience going to various places.

I love Alaska and had been dreaming of taking an Eagle photography workshop and decided to sign up with Chris.  I am so glad I chose Chris for a lot of reasons.  The workshop was very well organized.  Chris provides the attendees with a list of suggested clothing to be sure you are comfortable in the Alaskan winter weather.  He provided us with a list of suggested equipment so that we knew exactly what was needed to get the kind of photos posted on his workshop page.  The group was limited to 5 attendees, so we each had ample opportunity to get feedback and suggestions from Chris. Chris is extremely knowledgable about Kachemak Bay and knows where to go to get the best shots depending on the wind and the weather, and whether there is sun or snow.  Chris uses the same boat and captain for this workshop, so the captain knows exactly what Chris wants to do and how to get us into those best areas…. Chris believes in safety above all else, but snow, sleet and rain did not keep us from going out.  In fact, it made for some great photos depicting the Alaskan winter eagle environment.  It was an amazing trip and I got a lot of great photos and learned so much!  I would definitely choose Chris for another birding workshop as he is dedicated to doing everything he can to make sure you come home with lots of amazing photographs!   Thanks, Chris, for a fantastic workshop and wonderful adventure!


 Jessica Duke Eagle Nest, NM, USA

Bald Eagle DREAM CATCHER

American Bald Eagle DREAM CATCHER from my Bald Eagle Photographic Expedition (Hailiaeetus leucocephalus, Pygarge a tete blanche, BAEA) Kachemak Bay (near Homer), Alaska ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DX mark II, EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 IS II USM @300mm ISO 800 f/5.6 @ 1/3,200s manual mode. Click HERE to order a print or license image for publication.

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Knowing where to find flat water, getting low on the beach and being out before the sun rises usually results in some EPIC images in Alaska - smile. Join me in Alaska next March for a pretty exciting (and well rehearsed) Eagle photography workshop. Read more about the March Eagles Galore Photo Tour HERE. 

Bald Eagle TOP OF THE DIVE

American Bald Eagle TOP OF THE DIVE (Hailiaeetus leucocephalus, Pygarge a tete blanche, BAEA) Kachemak Bay (near Homer), Alaska ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DX, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM @400mm. ISO 400, f/5.6 @ 1/3,200s Manual. Full Frame. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Here's another image from my Bald Eagles Galore Photo Tour in March. If you want to come home with a portfolio full of Bald Eagle images, then this is the trip of a lifetime for you. I have guided more photographers in Kachemak Bay than anyone else and know where to be in any given weather, wind and light conditions. I know where to find flat dark water when it's snowing, and I work very hard at getting us the very best opportunities. No matter if you are a beginner, or seasoned professional, this is the right trip for you.

Be sure to book your EPIC Bald Eagles Galore Photo Tour spot before it's too late; March 2017 dates are live. Get more information HERE.