Ruby-crowned Kinglet revisited

I am working on something special with Sony of Canada and Gosselin Photo at Parc-nature du Bois-de-L'Île-Bizard in Montréal, Québec, on May 27 in English and May 28 in French. Follow the links below to learn more.

While working on the event, I came across this image of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet made at Parc-nature du Bois-de-L'Île-Bizard in Montreal on OCTOBER 8, 2004, with a Canon 1D MK II, 500mm f/4 & 1.4X extender.

I reprocessed the image using the latest Adobe Camera Raw and the new noise reduction with AI. Talk about giving new life to an old favourite image! I am thrilled with the results!

The image was made at 1/50s at ISO 200 because those early digital cameras couldn’t produce quality images at higher ISO. I remember how many photos were thrown away because the subject had moved. So happy today with the ultra-high ISO performance of my Sony Alpha 1s which allows me to shoot at 20,000 ISO comfortably!

This image won the bird photography category and best overall picture in the only photo competition that I have ever entered :)

Bald Eagle and sun Silhouette

Here’s another silhouette from my recent Eagles Galore workshop in Alaska. After one of the most memorable afternoons with the Eagles (high winds from directly behind us during a four-hour outing), we were all desperately trying to keep our fingers warm as the temperature dropped; there were Eagles all over the beach begging for silhouettes - smile.

Bald Eagle with fish birdscape

We had spectacular light for both of my Eagles Galore workshops in Alaska. This was from a very windy day which meant that the eagles would grab a fish and fly directly into the heavy gusts, which propelled them skyward while quickly gaining altitude - often banking to reveal their fresh catch against the mountains while illuminated by the golden light.

Bald Eagle Fishing Silhouette

Creating pleasing silhouettes is much easier than you might think. Look back through this blog, and you will find that my exposure settings for silhouettes are almost always the same. I always point my camera to the brightest part of the sky and set the ISO to 400, aperture to f/5.6 and shutter speed to 1/5,000 of a second; this will always produce a sharp and noise-free image.

In post-capture processing, I slide the black point and shadow slider to ensure my subject is black. I usually slide the colour temperature to the right - remember this is a creative process and adjust to taste!

Bad Eagle Hunting

Another Bald Eagle on the hunt photographed during my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska with the Sony FE 100-400mm G Master zoom lens @ 263mm.

Bald Eagle Snowy Portrait

A Bald Eagle photographed during my Eagles Galore Workshop with the Sony FE 100 to 400mm G Master lens @ 330mm while it was lightly snowing.

Bald Eagle Portrait on black

Here is another portrait of a Bald Eagle made with the Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6 G Master lens at 400mm. The dark background makes for a much more dramatic image :)

Bald Eagle Portrait/Stare

Q: Hi Chris, I am interested in your Bald Eagle workshop in Alaska. My longest lens is the Sony 100-400, and I am worried that I won’t get close enough to the action/Eagles - especially for portraits.

A: Hey Marc, As this image demonstrates, we will get close to the Eagles. This portrait was made with the same Sony 100-400mm lens that you own - smile.

Bald Eagle Calling while Banking

Join me, Christopher Dodds, in Kachemak Bay, where many of my famous Eagle images were made. This is your chance to make a truly remarkable & complete portfolio of Eagle images, dramatic fishing and flight shots, and dynamic portraits, and there is truly no prettier place than this for Eagles in their environment with mountains as the background. Learn more about my Eagles Galore workshop in Alaska HERE.

Bald Eagle wings in flight

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

🦅

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

Bald Eagle Fishing

There are still a few spots left for my Eagles Galore workshop in Alaska. Join me for an incredible adventure in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Did I mention the Eagles Galore? Learn more about my March Eagles Galore workshop in Alaska HERE.

Bald Eagle Portrait

On a dark and miserable morning, I underexposed the ambient exposure by three full stops darkening the background and used an LED flashlight to illuminate the subject. I exhaled on the flashlight's lens to use the condensation to diffuse the light. The result is the same as a “flash as main light” image = something different.

Bald Eagle predawn fishing

It is always a thrill to set up on a beach in remote Alaska before dawn on a windless (and waveless) morning. This Bald Eagle made for a sudden adrenaline rush but ultimately missed the fish!

Join me in Alaska for a dream Eagle photography workshop. CLICK HERE for more information

🦅

Join me in Alaska for a dream Eagle photography workshop. CLICK HERE for more information 🦅

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!

Two Bald Eagles

Join me in Alaska in March for adventure, fun, learning and Eagles galore! Learn more about my March 5-9 & March 10-14 Eagles Galore Workshop HERE.

Bald Eagle

There is still space for my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. Join me in Alaska for Eagles Galore, adventure and a portfolio full of Eagle images.

Bald Eagle with four wings - caption this!

It’s Sunday = Funday! Caption this!

The rare and elusive four-winged Bald Eagle of Kachemak Bay, AK. Loch Ness has its sea monster, and you have heard it here first; Kachemak Bay has its own “never seen” monster!

Leave a comment with your caption, and I will dig up a prize to send to the person with the best one!

Bald Eagle over the top

I have posted a lot of fishing Eagles lately, so here is an image from the higher airspace, where Eagles compete, and the acrobatics are impressive and much like watching an airshow. This Eagle was flipping over at the top of its dive to try to beat another Eagle to the fish.

Bald Eagle sub-adult with fish

The first drops of morning light crested the mountains behind us in Kenai Fjords National Park at the bottom of the tide in Kachemak Bay as we lay on the wet rocks at the water's edge; then the tide turned, and a wave gently lapped up into my lens hood. I made this image just at that moment. The lens was fine after a careful cleaning - smile.

The darker markings amongst the white head and tail feathers, with the white markings on the dark wing feathers, indicate this is likely a 3.5-year-old Eagle.