I always make it a point to arrive early for my photography workshops. It’s not just about possible travel and baggage delays; it’s also about giving myself a chance to settle in and explore the area before the official program kicks off. That proved to be a great decision during my recent "Ultimate Brown Bears of Alaska" workshop.

On the first morning in Kodiak, before the hustle and bustle began, I met up with my friend and participant, Dave Evans. We decided to take an early stroll around the local boat launch, harbour and walk the trails on Near Island; often a goldmine for wildlife photographers, frequently offering fantastic opportunities to capture a diverse range of bird species, seals, and even the majestic Stellar's sea lions.

We were hoping to catch some exciting action, and I was patiently trying to frame a good shot of a Black-billed Magpie when a flash of movement diverted my attention. Perched for just a fleeting moment was an Orange-crowned Warbler. It was a quick, unexpected distraction, but one I was absolutely thrilled with! While the Magpie decided to play hard to get, I was more than pleased with the warbler's unexpected portrait.

**Orange-crowned Warbler** (*Leiothlypis celata*, Paruline verdâtre, Reinita coroninaranja, OCWA) Kodiak, Alaska, before my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai adventure workshop in Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS Lens @700mm ISO 6,400, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Is it sharp enough?

I've got to say it; an image is either sharp or soft, there is no in-between, no compromise and no faking it. If you know it's not razor sharp, you are only kidding yourself by trying to fake it. While it is true that an "almost sharp" image can be tweaked in Photoshop to look good at web size, the truth is always revealed when someone wants a big print. There may be more to it than simply good technique; have you calibrated your camera?

LensAlign MKII

I first told you about the LensAlign focus calibration tool in Nature Photography Blog back in August, 2010. Michael Tapes is at it again, he recently sent me the LensAlign MKII. The new and improved knock-down design, lower price and proven consistency from the True Parallel Alignment Sighting System™ are well worth the upgrade, but the most compelling reason for my excitement is the new ruler patterns; it is now much easier to decide where the sharpest part of the ruler is. Truly a must have for any serious photographer, The LensAlign MKII is the key to making consistently sharp images.

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