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.

Arctic Fox photographed at eye level against dark volcanic rock and sand on Saint Paul Island in Alaska's Pribilof Islands, with soft rim light outlining its ears and fur. — **Arctic Fox (*Vulpes lagopus*) — Saint Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska,** 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 10,000, f/6.3 @ 1/5,000s, manual exposure. Full-frame image.

An Arctic Fox Encounter on Saint Paul Island, Alaska

Christopher Dodds August 31, 2026

An Arctic Fox on remote Saint Paul Island, Alaska, provided a wonderful opportunity to slow down, work with the light and create an intimate wildlife portrait.

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.

Christopher Dodds field testing the Sony FE 100-400mm GM lens during torrential rain along Alaska's Katmai Coast for a real-world wildlife photography review. — The **Sony** **FE 100-400mm GM** proved itself during days of wildlife photography in torrential rain along Alaska's Katmai Coast, delivering outstanding image quality, reliable autofocus, and confidence-inspiring weather sealing.

Sony FE 100–400mm GM Review: Field Tested During Torrential Rain Along Alaska's Katmai Coast

Christopher Dodds June 27, 2026

What happens when you take Sony's new FE 100-400mm GM into days of torrential rain on Alaska's Katmai Coast? Instead of laboratory charts and specifications, this real-world review covers autofocus, image quality, weather sealing, handling, and why this versatile telephoto zoom impressed me in the demanding conditions where wildlife photographers actually work.

**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.