Osprey showing off Fish for Breakfast in Golden Light

Being out on the boat on Lake Blue Cypress and in position at sunrise is one of my favourite ways to start a morning. Add the melody of calling Ospreys proudly announcing their arrival with breakfast and the first drops of golden light….with an Osprey showing off its fresh fish; it doesn’t get any better!

Due to a medical accident, one spot is still available from April 5-7. You can learn more or sign up for my Ospreys Galore Workshop on Lake Blue Cypress HERE.

OSPREY Showing off a Fish for breakfast in golden light (Pandion haliaetus, Balbuzard pêcheur, OSPR) from my Ospreys Galore Workshop Lake Blue Cypress near Vero Beach, Florida, USA. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm ISO 4,000, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s. Manual Exposure mode. Full-frame image. Join me for my Ospreys Galore workshop every April. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

“I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Dodds a few weeks ago in Florida when I signed up for his Osprey workshop. The sign up process and pre workshop communication was excellent and concise. I must admit that as I drove over from Tampa to the hotel I was a bit uneasy after looking at Chris’s images wondering if he was approachable, patient, and a good teacher with someone like me who didn’t have a lot of experience shooting wildlife before. We met in the hotel lobby , chatted for 30 minutes or so and thankfully Chris put my concerns to rest. I went to bed that night knowing that the next few days would be an adventure.

I can honestly say that Chris Dodd’s workshop for Ospreys far exceeded my expectations. Chris is a great guy, very happy to answer your questions and the best thing of all, fun to shoot with. I learned a lot, met a new friend and best of all was blown away at the quality of my images because of Chris’s help/techniques. I cannot wait to meet Chris somewhere else in the wild and experience another awesome outdoor shooting experience. Thank you Chris, I hope to see you again soon!”

— Mark Weaver Tampa, Florida, USA

Bald Eagle Silhouette

Here is another Bald Eagle from my Bald Eagles Galore Workshop near Homer, Alaska, in March. I usually work tighter for more visual impact online but I love the little horizon at the bottom of the frame. We had tons of fun with the silhouette opportunities that the fabulous weather offered - smile!

Bald Eagle wings in flight

Join me for an Alaskan Eagle Adventure like no other! Learn more HERE

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Join me for an Alaskan Eagle Adventure like no other! Learn more HERE 🦅

Bald Eagle Wing Stretch

Another from my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. Being close enough to capture this image at 224mm is always a thill!

Bald Eagle top of the dive

A Bald Eagle at the top of the dive from my Bald Eagles Galore workshop last March. Always fun to try to fill the frame with the camera turned to vertical orientation for birds in flight.

Snowy Owl Workshop last minute opening

“Thank you again for an amazing week of owls. I came home with some of my favourite images of all time. I was very impressed with many things throughout the week. Most notably, your concern for our groups’ comfort, your knowledge of the owls we were there to photograph, your technical ability, your advice/instruction, and your ability to always make things fun. Spending some time with you and seeing the amount of effort, time and processing that goes in to capturing your images was an eye-opening moment for me. It was an awesome experience and I am already looking forward to next year’s workshop. Thank you again for everything.”

— Andrew Feiler Las Vegas | Nevada | USA

Only one spot left for my Owl Workshops due to cancellation.

Click HERE to learn more or sign-up.

Sandhill Crane on final approach

Here is another Sandhill Crane from my Best of Bosque workshop last December. It is surprisingly difficult to to get a head-on landing image with the head and neck clear of the wings and body. As always, having five full days and an abundance of subjects and activity with an ounce of patience paid off - wink.

Sandhill Crane Landing

A Sandhill Crane lands directly toward us during my Best of Bosque workshop last December. The vast majority of Sandhill Cranes fly in family units with two adults and one juvenile, so isolating a single bird is always the challenge :)

I still have a couple of openings for my Dec. 5-9, 2022 Best of Bosque Workshop due to cancellations. Join me for an incredible adventure to photograph Cranes, Geese, Ducks and so much more!

Sandhill Crane Calling Silhouette

A silhouette of a Sandhill Crane calling with the high desert mountains in the background. Join me in New Mexico from Dec. 5-9 for my Best of Bosque workshop. Learn More HERE.

Sandhill Crane Landing in Golden Light

A Sandhill Crane lands in the very fist golden rays of high desert (5,000ft) light. You always know that you are in for a treat when the light and wind align from behind you :)

Join me Dec 5-9 for my Best of Bosque workshop adventure. Learn More HERE.

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Join me Dec 5-9 for my Best of Bosque workshop adventure. Learn More HERE. 🪶

Neotropic Cormorant

A Neotropic Cormorant lands directly towards me. If truth be told, I was really hopeful of a similar image of a Redhead, Widgeon or Canvasback, but this is, without a doubt, my favourite image of a Neotropic Cormorant.

Bald Eagle Landing in snow

A Bald Eagle landing in the snow during my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. We had fresh snow reflecting the soft overcast light against the underside of the Eagles which resulted in some incredible details in the dark feathers.

Atlantic puffin in flight in golden light

A Puffin changes direction while on final approach in the last drops of golden light.

The pose with diagonal wings and the head position with the bill clear of the body/wings align with the golden light and catchlight in the eye to make this a keeper :)

Bald Eagle with fresh fish

Here is a Bald Eagle with a freshly caught fish. That stare!

Every few years a story makes the rounds about a bald eagle carrying off a dog or trying to snatch someone’s cat. Biologists who study birds of prey and folks who live around eagles have seen plenty snatching and carrying – as well as swooping and swimming – and they offered insights into what eagles really can and cannot do.

Bald eagles are strong, aggressive birds but like everything that flies they are governed by aerodynamics. The wings of an eagle need to support the eight to 12-pound bird as well as whatever the bird is carrying, and best estimates put the lifting power of an eagle at four or five pounds. But it’s not quite that simple.

Lift is dependent not only on wing size, but on airspeed. The faster a bird (or plane) is flying, the greater the lift potential. An eagle that lands on the beach to grab a fish, and then takes off again, is limited to a smaller load than an eagle that swoops down at 20 or 30 miles an hour and snatches up a fish. That momentum and speed gives the bird the ability to carry more weight.

You can read more @ The Alaska Fish & Wildlife News HERE.

Atlantic puffin banking in first drops of golden light

There were so many opportunities for Puffins with fish, it was an exercise to remember to get some without a beak full of Sand Lance or Caplin :)

Atlantic puffin with Caplin and Stormy Skies

The very first image of my first day of the first Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop last year. I almost didn’t press the trigger as I was waiting for the Puffin to launch into the air. Properly exposing the subject lead to pure white over-exposed sky, so I just took the liberty of replacing the sky in Photoshop instead of throwing away the otherwise unimpressive image. I love the result!

Atlantic Puffin Sunset Landing

An Atlantic Puffin landing in golden light with wings fully spread was photographed during my Deluxe Puffins Galore workshop in Quebec, Canada.

Join me for the Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop in Quebec, Canada

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Join me for the Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop in Quebec, Canada ~

Join me August 10-13, 2022 for a dream Puffin adventure on a beautiful little island in The Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Our accommodations are in a newly restored lighthouse and the gourmet food is to die for! We will have easy access to the island’s Puffins and Razorbills from before dawn until after sunset. A Photographer’s dream!

Atlantic puffin in Flight in Golden Light

An Atlantic Puffin battles heavy winds while landing at its nesting site in the very last drops of golden light. Join me for a deluxe adventure of a lifetime on a little island full of Puffins and Razorbills. We will be the only inhabitants on the island and have exclusive use of the lighthouse and newly restored accommodations. Did I mention the gourmet food? Learn more about the Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop HERE.

Atlantic Puffin Post Sunset Stretch

An Atlantic Puffin stretches against a magical magenta sky after sunset during my Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop.

Do you like Puffins? Gourmet food? uber cool accommodations? Join me from August 10 to 13, 2022 for an exceptional adventure in a lighthouse on a little island in the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence. This is a truly deluxe adventure with some of the very best Puffin photography in the world. Learn more about my Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop HERE.

“The Puffins Galore Workshop on I’ile aux Perroquets exceeded my expectations. Chris is an exceptional photographer, teacher, and all around good guy. He was quick to point out the best photographic opportunities for the group, taking into account the constantly changing weather, light and tides. He was always available to answer questions and give tips, catering to all levels of experience in the group. The accommodations were excellent and the food was first rate. Our chefs/housekeepers/hostesses, Louise and Johanne, were amazing. The photographic opportunities were endless with an unbelievable number of puffins as well as razorbills, guillemots, gulls, whales and seals. This was my first photography workshop and I am looking forward to my next adventure with Chris.”

— Mark Adkins Rochester| MN

Northern Gannet Over-the-Top

A Northern Gannet cartwheels while calling at the top of its dive in the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence, Quebec, Canada. We have had some epic time photographing from the early morning Zodiac excursions during my Gannets Galore Workshops in Percé, Quebec, Canada.