Great Gray Owl WINTER SQUALL & Private Winter Owl Workshops Announced

A wide-angle black & white view of a Great Gray Owl against dark storm clouds in Quebec, Canada. Despite working with a wide-angle lens (the Sony 24-105mm f/4 G OSS) at 28mm and choosing an aperture of f/16, the sky in the RAW file lacked the detail that I saw with my eyes. The solution was to replace the sky with Photoshop using the new Sky replacement feature that usually works surprisingly well.

Private one-on-one Winter Owl Workshops announced

Skip the Covid-19 Coronavirus risks and join me for a private one-on-one winter owl photo tour offered in January and February. The cost is $1,500.00/day plus expenses and sales tax. Includes guiding to the owls and as much instruction as you would like. Spots are filling quickly (currently booked up until Jan. 20), so make sure to reserve your day(s) soon!

Great Gray Owl PEEK-A-BOO

I love being in the woods looking for owls and I love feeling that something is watching me even more, as was the case here - smile.

The most remarkable moment with this Great Gray Owl was a group of about 14 birders who walked past me and the owl without even replying to my “hello”. No reply, eyes down as if they had already decided that they were not going to see an owl; so they didn’t get to see the owl :)

Bald Eagle Winterscape

I’ve long been wary about joining a workshop with a “big name” pro. I’ve heard (and witnessed) a litany of workshop horrors, ranging from egomaniac leaders to unwieldy, unhappy groups. Plus, as a professional photographer, I did not think that I would learn much from a workshop. Indeed, I teach photography and postproduction.

Chris Dodds’ Eagles Galore workshop changed my mind. Although he is a supremely talented photographer, Chris is approachable and friendly, and he works tirelessly to make sure that everyone in the group has a fantastic experience. He limits the workshops to a small, manageable size. And, in spite of my I’m-a-professional-and-don’t-need-help attitude, I am a better photographer for having joined the workshop. After spending a week with Chris, my flight photography is materially improved. (Chris is an expert on the nuances of servo autofocus, for example.) Chris also taught several useful post-production techniques that I now use routinely in my workflow.

The true measure of any photo trip, however, is the photos. Chris’ stated goal is for every workshop participant to go home with images that Chris would be proud to call his own. He means it. The eagle photography was fantastic. I came home with several dozen “portfolio grade” images, plus thousands of strong shots. Indeed, the single biggest complaint from my fellow workshop participants is the number of eagle shots that they had to sort through when they got home.

I’ve already registered for another workshop with Chris.

Andrew Kelley Denver, Colorado USA

Bald Eagle LOCK-ON

“I love Alaska and had been dreaming of taking an Eagle photography workshop and decided to sign up with Chris. I am so glad I chose Chris for a lot of reasons. The workshop was very well organized. Chris provides the attendees with a list of suggested clothing to be sure you are comfortable in the Alaskan winter weather. He provided us with a list of suggested equipment so that we knew exactly what was needed to get the kind of photos posted on his workshop page. The group was limited to 5 attendees, so we each had ample opportunity to get feedback and suggestions from Chris. Chris is extremely knowledgable about Kachemak Bay and knows where to go to get the best shots depending on the wind and the weather, and whether there is sun or snow. Chris uses the same boat and captain for this workshop, so the captain knows exactly what Chris wants to do and how to get us into those best areas…. Chris believes in safety above all else, but snow, sleet and rain did not keep us from going out. In fact, it made for some great photos depicting the Alaskan winter eagle environment. It was an amazing trip and I got a lot of great photos and learned so much! I would definitely choose Chris for another birding workshop as he is dedicated to doing everything he can to make sure you come home with lots of amazing photographs! Thanks, Chris, for a fantastic workshop and wonderful adventure!”

— Jessica Duke Eagle Nest, NM, USA

Save the date! I will be hosting a presentation at The Camera Store sponsored by Sony of Canada on Dec. 9, 2020 at 19:00 MST. The event is free and open to all. Register HERE.

Bald Eagle fishing in golden light

“Chris, Thanks for another great photo adventure to Alaska during your Eagles of Alaska photograpic Expedition!!!!!!
This is the third trip with you and they keep getting better. Always challenging. Always easy-going. Always taking my photography forward. (Take a look at my site for a few new pictures from Alaska.) Your instruction is the best I've experience in taking these kinds of trips. You always seem to know where to put us in the absolute best place. Top Notch!!!! Can't wait till the next one.....wherever that might be. Thanks again!!!!!!!”

— Jeff Moore Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA

Bald Eagle Fishing in golden light EYE SPY

“Hey Chris, yesterday you recommended a very high shutterspeed to capture ultra sharp images. I was wondering what trade off in iso there would be. I try not to go above 1600 but my shutter speeds are 1/2000 to 1/4000. Are you suggesting higher iso to get higher shutter speeds? Thanks, Rob”

— Rob Palmer

You can read my blog post that Rob refers to here: Top birds in flight settings for Sony a9II

Hey Rob,

Absolutely, yes! I set my desired aperture and target shutter speed in manual mode and then use whatever ISO that I need to get there. There are many examples in this blog of images made using a higher ISO than the 1,600 that you limit yourself to.

UNCOMPRESSED RAW AT HIGHER ISO

One consideration when photographing action at high ISO with a Sony a9 or a9II is to consider lowering your capture rate and switching to uncompressed raw images to lower the noise in the dark portions of the image. I usually switch to uncompressed raw at 6,400 ISO.

Top birds in flight settings for Sony a9II

“Hey Chris!
It’s Trevor Pottelberg. Hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy! With the unique spring we are all facing, I have been finding myself photographing more songbirds. They are obviously a lot faster and more erratic than the larger predatory birds. Do you have any suggestions of settings for capturing them in flight? I’ve tried with the Flex Point M setting but haven’t had a lot of tracking luck when a bird leaves it’s perch. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks Trevor”

Hey Trevor,

Thank you. We are safe, healthy and staying in self-isolation on our property.

There are a lot of factors that collide into a razor sharp action shot of anything. Here’s the short list:

• Firmware: Make sure you are using the latest firmware from your camera manufacturer. It amazes me how few opt to check and upgrade their camera’s firmware. Manufacturers constantly tweak and tune many aspects of how your camera operates and often unlock great new features.

• Shutter Speed: I strive to use at least 1/5,000s when I want razor sharp images. As you can see from the settings above, I was at 1/6,400 of a second exposure to ensure every detail was sharp in this image. Our cameras and lenses resolve so much detail these days, it is imperative to start to realize that freezing our movement (or that of the camera/lens) is just as important as freezing the subject; think about the wingtip speed of a windmill vane (blade).

• Silent shutter: Be sure to use electronic shutter and turn off any shutter sounds so that your subject remains undisturbed. Migrating songbirds fly away as soon as they hear the sharp sound of a mechanical shutter; it was always the best way to end a great opportunity, we used to have to hold off until everything was just right and often missed the best image with hope of something better; something mirrorless has changed forever.

• Solid footing: I use a solid tripod with gimbal head (Wimberley Head II) as often as I am able.

• Camera settings: Here are the key settings that I use most often to ensure the most reactive AF on my Sony a9II:

• Priority set in AF-C (Camera 1 - 5/14): AF

• Focus area (Camera 1 - 5/14): Tracking: Flexible Spot S (note that less experienced action shooters or those who have trouble acquiring and following the target may get better results with Flexible Spot M)

• AF Tracking Sens. (Camera 1 - 6/14): 1 (Locked-on). This is counter-intuitive to some who feel that they need to use 5 (Responsive) for fast moving birds with erratic flight patterns. The AF remains really responsive when set to 1 (Locked-on), however it will stay locked-onto your target much more reliably. If you were photographing a team sporting event, you would choose 1 (Locked-on) to continue to track a player when other players enter the frame between you and your target. You would choose 5 (Responsive) if you wanted to start tracking that new player who entered the frame in front of your original target.

Hope this helps. Enjoy and be safe.

Bald Eagle Fishing in Golden Light MISSED IT

I’ve only been fishing a handful of times, but there is a story for every one of them. When fishing for the first time shortly after moving to Canada my first bike (a metallic gold banana seat bicycle - but I probably shouldn’t tell you that) was destroyed by a drunk taxi driver in Chateauguay, Quebec and new friend that day Kevin Harvey (Now of Juno Nominated Durham County Poets fame) saved the day like the rock star his today (He remembered the Taxi permit and license numbers, and his dad drove me and my wrecked bicycle home). I’ve fought battles with what seemed like monster Halibut in Alaska, but they were really 20 pound Rock Fish. Finally, I do know that feeling of a great catch escaping the hook just before being landed in the boat when Halibut fishing in the Shelikof straight (AK); it would have been the biggest Halibut ever caught I’m sure!

Sea Otter Mother Nursing Pup

Sea Otters are trending here, so I’ll continue with this image of a mother nursing her pup. The hardest part of making this image in the Homer harbor (Alaska) was getting an image without a reflection of the many colorful boats. I started lying on the dock, but didn’t like the split horizon that the ice floating in the background caused. I slowly stood-up and was lucky they drifted closer to me while both looking at me - smile!

Stay safe!

Sea Otter Mother and Pup KISS

Here’s a special moment between a mother Sea Otter and her Pup. What appears to be a kiss, is really the baby trying to take food from it’s mother’s mouth ;) If you missed it, and are looking for something to do, here is a link to my recent Vistek Live Stream that was sponsored by Sony of Canada. We had our share of technical difficulties, but that often happens live.

In this episode we discuss what it takes to get world class wildlife images and how any nature enthusiast can immediately start taking better photos of their...

Bald Eagle OLD CRUSTY

I think I will have to call this one OLD CRUSTY; If you take a look closely, there is green staining on the underside of the head and at the base of it’s tail. There is even some green lichen between it’s wings. This might be a senior Eagle. I rejected this one during my first pass, but then reconsidered the second time around; something that doesn’t happen often ;)

Adult Bald Eagle Portrait

Here’s a head shot of an adult Bald Eagle made with the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens. The edge to edge sharpness is as impressive as the Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens.

Immature Bald Eagle Portrait

A portrait of an immature Bald Eagle (1.5 yrs. old basic I plumage; mostly black beak and cere with ochre eyes) with a drop of ice at the end of it’s beak.

I probably spent half an hour with this beauty and it put on quite a show. I was lying on the ground and every time I lifted my foot behind me, it would fluff-up and look directly at me. I had plenty of time to increase my depth of field to f/20 to ensure sharpness from the tip of the beak to beyond the eyes.

Bald Eagle Fishing Panorama

A four image stitched panorama from my recent Bald Eagles Galore Photography Workshop. The activity was slow to start when we arrived just after the top of the tide, but we all still managed to get some awesome Eaglescapes while the water was nice and flat. I grabbed my Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens and started off by lying downhill on my belly at the waters edge to get as low as possible. It didn’t take long for my back to act-up, so I had to settle for sitting as low as possible on my bum.

Bald Eagle flying in snow

I’m hiding-out in the studio in self-isolation and spending time trying to distract myself from the news (bad news). Here’s another Bald Eagle headed straight at me from an EPIC shoot in the light snow. We made so many images in such great conditions! Let me know if you are getting sick of the Eagles……

Long-tailed Duck

Sitting on shore photographing the ducks and gulls at the end of the spit in Homer has always been a favorite pastime during any available downtime during my workshops. There is a pipe that expels effluent from the fish processing plant into the bay that all of the birds come to every 20 minutes or so. Sadly, the plant wasn’t in operation when the light was nice or the water flat this year. Luckily, this Long-tailed Duck flew right into the mass of Eagles during our shoot for 10 seconds one morning; it fluffed-up, spread it’s wings and took off when it realized it’s mistake :)

Getting off the boat and working with super telephoto lenses (Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens, Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @ 1,200mm) for the fishing images really isolates the Eagles from the water surface background. The Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless camera handles high ISO so well that noise is never a concern IF you expose the image correctly and try not to crop much. This image was shot vertical and is full frame on the width; I cropped off a little top & bottom to make a stronger composition with more visual impact.

Bald Eagle HOOKED ON FISHING

This is one of many thousands of images made from the ultra-low angle at the water’s edge. My March 5-9 workshop window has delivered flat water and golden light with a sprinkle of snow for every workshop for more than 15 years running; it is simply the very best time to be on Kachemak Bay photographing Eagles!

My Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens continues to be the most versatile lens that I have ever used. It’s zippy auto-focus and amazingly sharp results continue to blow my mind.

Coronavirus discount

It seems like the world is in a state of health and wealth panic right now, so I am offering a US$500.00 discount off my March 5-9, 2021 Eagles Galore workshop. This is a limited time offer while space is available only.

Snowy Owl Silhouette

A silhouette from my recent Owl workshop. I pushed the black point, white balance and saturation to make it more dramatic and add visual impact. It was a fun morning with a great group and everyone got down low to work the rising sun as the clouds parted.

Boreal Owl a la Sony 200-600

There have been a few Boreal Owls around this winter; It really is rewarding to find one in a forest, more so when it is on a clean perch. After everyone in my group got images, we discovered a Northern Saw-whet Owl within about 10 meters (30 feet) and both were at eye level and showing nicely.