Third Annual Photo Geek Christmas Party

Polar bear SUNRISER (Ursus maritimus, Ours Blanc) at sunrise along the shores of Hudson Bay 50km North of Churchill, Northern Manitoba, Canada (North of Wapusk National Park). Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Canon 1DX, 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM @146mm ISO 200 f/5.6 @ 1/125s. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

 

If you are reading this, then the world didn't end after all, and you need to start filling your 2013 calendar. Please book immediately - last year's Photo Geek Christmas Party sold-out quickly!

 

 I'm hosting my third annual PHOTO GEEK CHRISTMAS PARTY!

It's a PARTY with a CAUSE!

 

Le Nichoir Wild Bird Rehabilitation Centre was founded in 1994 as a non-profit organization (#894112358RR001) and is located in Hudson, Quebec. Le Nichoir is a licensed centre, part of a community of North American rehabilitators, supported by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) and the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA). Their mission is to conserve wild birds as part of our natural heritage.
Le Nichoir provides proper care and treatment for injured or orphaned wild birds and releases them back into their natural habitat. Le Nichoir also provides advice and information about wild birds and their environment through educational programs and annual public events. In 1995 Le Nichoir received 478 birds. Today, it is the largest rehabilitation centre for songbirds in Canada. They admit more than 1400 wild birds and receive 5000 telephone calls each year. There is no charge asked for any of their services, but they need our help! It costs about $6,000.00 each for the six wildlife biology students who work tirelessly for the summer at minimum wage.

Join me, Canadian nature photographer Christopher Dodds, on March 9, 2013 at 6:30 PM at the Casgrain Theatre (CEGEP John Abbot College 21275 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec H9X 3L9, Canada) for an hour and a half long slideshow presentation to benefit Le Nichoire. The show is designed to be entertaining and informative to all; nature lovers and photographers alike. Stories of adventure, natural history facts and information are all on the menu and this show is designed to offer helpful tips & techniques sure to improve your photography efforts with everything from a camera phone, point & shoot camera or professional SLR camera system. Over one hundred of his images will be projected, many unseen.  Everyone is welcome!
Hurry! Only 280 seats. Tickets are only $18.00 each and are available for advance purchase only - every penny is collected by, and goes to Le Nichoir. Please call or email Le Nichoir (communication@lenichoir.org 450-458-2809) to secure your tickets, or make a donation if you can't make it (be sure to tell them it's on behalf of Chris' Photo Geek Christmas Party) Major credit cards and cheques accepted. There will be ample time to mingle, meet my friends and contacts and share some of your images with others, so feel free to bring prints, iPads or laptops with your favourite images to share. I hope to see you there and PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!

The door prizes were over the top last year, and thanks to my good friends and sponsors, we have secured an even better stash for this year.

If you would like to contribute door prizes for, or sponsor, this worthy cause, please email me (chris@chrisdoddsphoto.com) to discuss. It's a great way to have your product or brand mentioned in every blog post until the main event while helping an awesome cause!

Last year we raised over $2,500.00 and I am asking for your help to at least double that!

Christopher Dodds joins elite X-Rite Coloratti

Polar bear POLAR INTENSITY (Ursus maritimus, Ours Blanc) at Cape Tatnam Wildlife Management Area (south of Wapusk National Park) along the shores of the Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Canon 1DX, 500mm F4 L IS , 1.4X Teleconverter III, Tripod & Jobu Jr. 3 (with Deluxe Swing-arm upgrade) ISO 800 f/9 @ 1/640s Manual Mode. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

 

  Yet again, I am thrilled and honoured to share some fantastic news. I have accepted the invitation to join the elite X-Rite Coloratti. It truly is a huge honour, and I am very grateful to be one of the few to be recognized by X-Rite as a worthy ambassador. Here's how the Coloratti are described on the X-Rite website:

"X-Rite's Coloratti includes the world's top professional photographers, a group whose vision, passion, leadership, and partnership are recognized and valued by X-Rite. Coloratti photographers are highly respected by their peers and are admired by up-and-coming professionals, enthusiasts, and students alike.

The Coloratti understand the importance of implementing color management in their workflow and freely share their knowledge on how to get the very best color for all your images, no matter how it is presented – on screen or in print. The Coloratti photographers have a dedicated passion for the world of photography and achieving accurate color is presented in many of their workshops, seminars and at sponsored X-Rite events. They foster creativity in others and inspire their students and audiences to easily master color control in their imagery and their art."

Check-out my Coloratti Profile HERE.

 

Polar Bear Portrait - Bear Safety

 

Polar bear PORTRAIT (Ursus maritimus, Ours Blanc) at Cape Tatnam Wildlife Management Area (south of Wapusk National Park) along the shores of the Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Canon 1D mark IV, 500mm F4 L IS , 2X Teleconverter III, Tripod & Jobu Jr. 3 (with Deluxe Swing-arm upgrade) ISO 1,600 f/8 @ 1/1,000s Manual Mode. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Here's a portrait of a Polar Bear from my recent wet and muddy adventure to the remote shores of the Hudson Bay. We spent considerable time finding a spot that offered some autumn colors in the background, and were thrilled with the results of our efforts.

There's been a lot of talk about recent photo encounters gone wrong that have resulted in deaths. Please use caution when approaching wild animals; I wouldn't dream of going close to Polar Bears without an expert guide to look out for me and the bear I am photographing. Even though I have spent countless hours studying bears, am totally comfortable with them and understand their body language, I still hire an expert. It's just a matter of common sense.

Christopher Dodds Canon Northern Explorer of Light

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus, Ours Blanc) at Cape Tatnam Wildlife Management Area (south of Wapusk National Park) along the shores of the Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Canon 1DX, 500mm F4 L IS , 1.4X Teleconverter III, Tripod & Jobu Jr. 3 (with Deluxe Swing-arm upgrade) ISO 800 f/8 @ 1/800s Manual Mode. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Canon Northern Explorers of Light

I am thrilled and honoured to share the news that I have accepted the invitation to join the Canon family and their NORTHERN EXPLORER OF LIGHT Initiative as an inaugural member. The Canon Northern Explorers of Light initiative has been founded for the purpose of educating photographers and targets professional photographers. It truly is a huge honour, and I am very grateful to be one of the founding few to be recognized by Canon as a worthy ambassador. Watch out for news from Canon and I'll be sure to let you know when their new pro website goes live over the next few weeks.