Gannets Galore Bonaventure Island Workshop Report & Side Light for Nature Photography

Great Black-backed Gull Emerging with fish (Larus marinus, Goeland marin, GBBG) Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure Island, Quebec. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS-1D MKIV, 800mm F5.6 L IS. ISO 400, 1/2000s F5.6 Manual. 580EXII Flash manual full power. Tripod & Wimberley Head II. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Gannets Galore Bonaventure Island Workshop Report I:

Julie and I made the 12 hour drive to Percé on June 8th, arriving in town early in the afternoon that day. We scrambled up to the Northern Gannet colony on Bonaventure Island the next day to see that all is well and the colony is continuing to grow as expected. Photographic conditions continue to be the very best that Bonaventure Island has to offer.
Middleton Evans (author of Rapsody in Blue: A Celebration of North American Waterbirds), Gordon Kadonoff, Pat, Stokes & Denise Fishburne, Nick Honig & Tuma Young, Provash Ganguli, Amanda Reed, Ron Kellner, Ellen Goff and Wojciech Bedkowski all were simply a pleasure to spend time with, each having great spirits and all adding to the many great memories of yet another great spring on Bonaventure Island. Photographic opportunities from the morning Zodiac outings continue to get better with every trip. Harlequin Ducks, Common Eider, Atlantic Puffins, Common Murre, Razorbill, Black-legged Kittiwake, Black Guillemots, Great Cormorants, Great Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls and Grey Seals all gave award winning appearances.

Side Light for Nature Photography

During the second workshop, on June 15th, Bonaventure Island was closed due to strong winds from the North that pushed big waves onto the wharf and prevented landings. This was good news as we went out and photographed Black Guillemots, Common Eiders, Herring Gulls and Black-backed Gulls from shore. With the birds doing what birds do, and flying into the wind, I seized the opportunity to make dramatic action shots of the gulls taking flight after snatching fish from the Common Eiders. Pretty amazing to see the female Eiders lunge out of the water and attack the Gulls. I knew the moment the first Gull emerged from the water that I had to use the side light, at 90 degrees off to the right, to add dimension, texture and life to the image and sparkle to the water. I caught myself, more than once, asking my groups to remember that Gulls are beautiful, and worthy photographic subjects, too.

Kudos

"Thanks for a great weekend.  I got some great shots, learned some new things and met some terrific people.  You and Julie were perfect hosts.  I really appreciated your patient, attentive instruction........ "

- Amanda Reed Cape Cod, Massachusetts