Two Crested Auklets mutually preening during courtship and pair-bonding behaviour on a backlit cliff ledge on Saint Paul Island, Alaska. — **Crested Auklets Mutual Preening — Saint Paul Island, Alaska (***Aethia cristatella*, Starique cristatelle, Mérgulo empenachado, CRAU) from my Saint Paul Island, Alaska Workshop. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens and Sony 2x teleconverter @ 1,200 mm. ISO 25,600, f/16 @ 1/4,000s, manual exposure.

The Scent of Courtship: Crested Auklets on Saint Paul Island

Christopher Dodds September 3, 2026

Two Crested Auklets mutually preen during courtship on Saint Paul Island, surrounded by their remarkable vocalizations and citrus-like scent. A rare opportunity to photograph one of the Bering Sea’s most fascinating seabirds.

Red-faced Cormorant spreading its wings in flight on Saint Paul Island in Alaska's Pribilof Islands, photographed by Christopher Dodds. — **Red-faced Cormorant — Saint Paul Island, Alaska (***Phalacrocorax urile*, Cormoran à face rouge, Cormorán carirrojo, RFCO) from my Saint Paul Island, Alaska Workshop. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @ 600 mm. ISO 2,500, f/6.3 @ 1/5,000s, manual exposure. Full-frame image.

At the Edge of the Bering Sea: Photographing the Red-faced Cormorant on Saint Paul Island

Christopher Dodds September 1, 2026

The Red-faced Cormorant isn't a bird most North American photographers get many opportunities to photograph. Saint Paul Island in Alaska's remote Pribilof Islands is one of the best places to change that.

Tufted Puffin flying up a cliff carrying a feather and vegetation to its nest against out-of-focus sea foam on Saint Paul Island, Alaska. — **Tufted Puffin With Nesting Material — Saint Paul Island, Alaska** (*Fratercula cirrhata,* Macareux huppé, Frailecillo coletudo, TUPU) from my Saint Paul Island, Alaska Workshop. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens @ 600 mm. ISO 3,200, f/7.1 @ 1/5,000s, manual exposure. Full-frame image from top to bottom.

Tufted Puffin With Nesting Material on Saint Paul Island, Alaska

Christopher Dodds August 28, 2026

A Tufted Puffin carrying a feather and nesting material races up the cliffs of Saint Paul Island as exploding sea foam creates the perfect background.

Crested Auklet portrait showing its pale eye, orange bill and distinctive crest against dark rocks on Saint Paul Island in Alaska's Pribilof Islands. — **Crested Auklet Portrait — Saint Paul Island, Alaska** (*Aethia cristatella,* Starique cristatelle, Mérgulo empenachado, CRAU) from my Saint Paul Island, Alaska Workshop. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens and Sony 2X Teleconverter @ 1,200 mm. ISO 16,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s, manual exposure. Full-frame image.

An Hour With a Crested Auklet on Saint Paul Island: Making a Bird Portrait

Christopher Dodds August 27, 2026

Sometimes wildlife photography happens in seconds. Sometimes nature gives you an hour. During my Saint Paul Island photography workshop, we spent nearly an hour with this remarkable Crested Auklet—time to look, see, learn and work toward a better bird portrait.

**Pacific Wren Singing on a Cold Morning at Sunrise on Kodiak Island** (*Troglodytes pacificus,* Troglodyte de Baird, Chochín del Pacífico, PAWR) Kodiak Island, Alaska, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 II Mirrorless camera & the new Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5 GM OSS Lens & Sony 2X teleconverter @800mm ISO 10,000, f/9 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Pacific Wren Singing in the Cold Morning Air on Kodiak Island

Christopher Dodds June 24, 2026

On a cool Kodiak Island morning, a Pacific Wren perched atop a spruce tree and filled the air with its surprisingly powerful song. Backlit by the rising sun, each note briefly revealed wisps of visible breath, creating a fleeting photographic moment that combined behaviour, light, and a little bit of Alaskan magic.