Backlit Crested Auklet in flight

This image has been on my bucket lit for a very long time. Crested Auklets are the least abundant seabirds on the cliffs of Saint Paul Island, so finding them flying into the right background can be challenging. All of the other images in this sequence had busy and bright coloured rocks in the background. I was fortunate to have a few sequences as this bird circled multiple times waiting for the right wind to land.

Deluxe Atlantic Puffins Galore Workshop last minute openings

I am sad to report a couple of cancellations for my Deluxe Puffins Galore and so much more workshops. If you love Puffins, gourmet food and adventure (think living in a fully renovated lighthouse on a tiny island), then get in touch to grab your spot! If you want to master birds in flight photography and create a complete portfolio of Atlantic puffin images, then this is the trip for you!

July 29 to August 1 SOLD OUT

August 1 to 4 LAST MINUTE OPENING!

August 4 to 7 SOLD OUT

August 7 to 10 SOLD OUT

August 10 to 13 ONLY ONE ROOM LEFT!

Crested Auklet in flight

There was no shortage of Crested Auklets on Saint Paul Island during my recently concluded workshop there. They share the same habitat as the much more numerous Parakeet Auklet, so you really do need to focus on finding the few Crested Auklets amongst the masses of seabirds flying on windy days. The quick identifier is the dark belly compared to the pale underside of the Parakeet Auklet. Absolutely my favourite bird on Saint Paul Island - smile.

Atlantic puffin with Caplin

It’s not too late to join me for my Deluxe Puffins Galore (and so much more) Workshop at the best place on earth to photograph Atlantic Puffins. There is still space for my newly announced Deluxe Puffins Galore and so much more August 10-13, 2022 trip.

Crested Auklet Portrait

Crested auklets are known for their forehead crests, which are made of black forward-curving feathers. These forehead crests are highly variable and can have between two and twenty-three narrow forward curving feathers. The average auklet has 12 crest feathers, which are of variable length, between 8.1 and 58.5 millimetres. Auklets have auricular plumes and a bright orange bill with curved accessory plates. Like forehead crests, these features vary widely within auklet populations.

Join me on Saint Paul Island in the Bering Sea, Alaska for an adventure of your lifetime: Saint Paul Island Workshop adventure details CLICK HERE.

Crested Auklet CURIOUS STARE

A Crested Auklet gives a curious glance during my last Saint Paul Island, Alaska Workshop.

Auklets produce a pleasant social odour during the breeding season, described as smelling like tangerines. This odour originates from tiny wick feathers located in a small patch of skin between their shoulder blades.

Atlantic puffin in the Spring 2021 World Wildlife Magazine

I don’t often share or brag about published images, but I hope someone out there will send me a copy of the spring 2021 World Wildlife Fund Magazine. All of their staff at the magazine are working from home and seem unable to get me anything other than this low-res proof. Let me know if you are willing to part with your copy of the magazine, and you may end-up with a limited edition print :)

This is an Atlantic Puffin portrait from my 2019 PUFFINS GALORE DELUXE WORKSHOP. We woke to fog on several mornings and there were Puffins perched everywhere. We used the park information signs as blinds, and were able to spend hours making portraits at just about point blank range. After making the standard tight head shots, I always explore more interesting poses while working at minimum focusing distance with an extremely limited depth of field. Little did I know that the Covid-19 world-wide pandemic would shut me out of my 2020 trip :(

There is limited space available in August 2021:

July 29 to August 1: SOLD OUT!

August 1 to August 4, 2021: SOLD OUT

August 4 to August 7: SOLD OUT

August 7 to August 10, 2021: ONLY THREE ROOMS LEFT!

Atlantic Puffin PORTRAIT in the fog (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 1,600, f/8 @ 1/400s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

Atlantic puffin in flight with fish at 20,000 ISO

Q&A: High ISO

Q: Hey Chris, There's a lot of hype on the internet about buying the latest Sony a1 for its high ISO capability which is particularly important to me as a bird photographer. My question is more about the financial side of things: I remember several posts where you claimed the a9 was a great performer and wondered since I don't have the money but value your opinion if you would go into debt to buy the a1, or continue to work with the a9 that I have and stay out of debt. - Marc Lejeune

A: Hi Marc, Here's an image of a Puffin flying with fish that was made with the Sony a9, Sony 100-400, and Sony 1.4X teleconverter. I used 20,000 ISO and the results are remarkable in my opinion.

The key to making great images at high ISO with any camera is simple: Use a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action, be sure to expose the image correctly, and try your best to shoot full-frame and not to crop.

I would never go into debt to buy a camera. In today’s electronic and disposable world, cameras lose value much more quickly than ever before. Look at it this way: by the time you save your money for it; something better with more features will be available :)

Bird Photography Intentional Blur and Q&A

Q:

Christopher,

I am constantly gobsmacked by your exceptional images. The details are captivating to me. I do wonder if you ever slow down your shutter and create artistic blurs? - Peter Wentworth

Hi Peter,

Thank you. Yes, I am not typically a fan of intentional blurs, but I do occasionally play around and slow my shutter speed down. Here is a Great Gray Owl I recently photographed at 1/40s with the new Sony a1 and 200-600mm lens. I find the key to my liking an intentional or artistic blur is having the eye(s) relatively sharp.

Q:

Hello Christopher, I liked your comments on the new alpha 1. How did you find it with the 200-600 zoom. I use this lens with the a7r3. The combo I found a bit slow to focus with wildlife. Where you happy with it on the a1. I have preordered the a1 and hoping to not have to upgrade the lens. Best, - Steve Aidelbaum

Hi Steve,

I think you will notice a significant autofocus performance boost with the focus acquisition speed and AF responsiveness of the 200-600 with the a1 vs. the a7RIII.

Q:

Thank you for responding to my query (Antman) in the comments. I would value your opinion on the following.

If you could buy either the 600MM f4 or A1 what would you go for based on the pairing

A9 + 600mmF4 or A1 + 200-600MM.

I own the A9 + a7R4 and 200-600mm and am wondering what makes more sense. My gut feel says go for the 600mm f4. However, I have never used either and I cannot get to see or feel the 600mm f4 in Australia. Both options have advantages. - Thanks, Anthony Heuver

Hi Anthony,

The most practical and financially sensible direction here is to invest in glass and buy the 600mm f/4 GM lens that you will have for the rest of your life. Camera bodies are refreshed at a staggering pace and the used value of them seems to be diminishing at a faster and faster pace with each new release. You can get a great deal on a new a9 (the version I), or take advantage of the "depressed" market and get a lightly used one: remember the shutter count is much less relevant for a mirrorless camera body and if you use the electronic shutter to achieve the fastest capture rate of 20 fps, there are no moving parts. The a9II has better ergonomics and connectivity, but I see little reason to spend the extra cash at this time. Holding off on the newly released a1 until we see promotional discounts or used bodies on the market will give you time to save money toward the purchase and save on the initial investment.

Sony a1 high ISO performance and how to minimize noise in any digital capture

After quickly assembling and setting-up the Sony a1, I headed outside to what turned out to be the quietest feeder in town. This Eastern Gray Squirrel didn’t even stay for long. This image was made with the Sony a1 set to APS-C mode and the Sony 600mm f/4 with the 2X teleconverter making a staggering effective focal length of 1,800 mm. I was at just about minimum focusing distance.

This image shows almost no noise at 10,000 ISO, but it is important to observe that the image is mostly midtones through highlights with almost no dark shadows except the eyes, so one could argue that this is a calculated attempt to cover-up any weakness of the new Sony a1. I would argue that this is a full-frame capture, but since the camera was set to APS-C mode and I was set to compressed RAW to achieve the full 30FPS capture rate, the noise performance is quite remarkable. Add to that that I know I have always got more detail, color accuracy, and less noise when converting RAW images with Adobe Camera Raw which has not yet released an update for the new camera just yet (as mentioned in my Sony a1 review HERE, this may simply be user error while trying to get the most from Sony’s Imaging Edge Software).

To minimize noise with any digital camera be sure to understand and use the histogram to make sure your image is exposed correctly: the whites should reside at the right-hand side of the histogram, but should not be touching the edge to avoid over-exposing them and losing details. Since the camera sees and records light like our eyes, it can’t see or record darkness: it is imperative to remember this! Most vocal armchair warrior critics online consistently underexpose and use one of many available techniques to brighten their images after capture: every one of them will introduce noise into the image (particularly in the darkest areas or the shadows).

Since noise is magnified by cropping an image, it is best practice to avoid cropping much from the original capture. Again, this is something I have seen consistently from those vocal interweb armchair critics.

Snowy Owl Dorsal View

Q: Hi Chris, I have been told a few times by other photographers that I should throw away any picture that does not include both eyes. Do you follow this rule?

-James Bauer

A: Hi James, Absolutely not! While it is rare for me to keep an image where you can’t see at least one eye, it does happen. The dorsal view of the Snowy Owl here is a good example of when that works. Browse through the images in this blog and you will see many images with just one eye visible to the viewer.

As for what to throw away, once you have deleted any images that are out of focus, or obvious immediate failures, it is up to you what to keep. We all have different tastes and storage is cheap these days. Keep the images that you like - smile!

Crested Auklet Calling

The Bering Sea in winter, framed as it is by Alaska and Siberia, is frigid, stormy, and dark. But remarkably, some birds seem right at home there. The Crested Auklet is one such bird. And they have some unique qualities. Crested Auklets bark like Chihuahuas. Also, these seabirds exude an odor of tangerines from a chemical they produce that they thought repels ticks, but may, in fact, be a form of communication (read more HERE). They nest in immense colonies on Bering Sea islands, and remain nearby through winter, in flocks of many thousands. The auklets present a superb natural spectacle - sight, sound, and smell!

2020 Alaska Seabird Die-offs

2020 marks the sixth consecutive year of seabird die-offs in Alaska. Alaska's northern oceans have been experiencing record-breaking, above-average sea surface temperatures. Seabirds eat zooplankton and cold-water fish that are both reliant on cold water. If the cold-water fishes have relocated because the ocean is too warm, or less zooplankton are reproducing in the warmer water, then the seabirds have a more difficult time finding enough food. Coldwater fish are fattier and provide more calories and nutrients for the birds, so even if they can find warm-water fish to eat, they may still have trouble meeting their calorie needs.

The seabirds affected in 2020 are:

• Crested Auklets

• Horned Puffins

• Common Murrs

• Short-tailed Shearwaters

• Northern Fulmars

• Black-legged Kittiwakes

Most of the dead birds appear to have died of starvation. Murres, for example, have a high metabolic rate and consume 10-30% of their total body weight every day. Changes to their food supply can impact their basic functions such as flying, feather molt and weatherproofing, and thermal regulation. Seabird die-offs also impact the entire population because of the reduction in breeding adults and the low productivity rate (success of eggs becoming chicks and becoming adults). Some species have experienced reproductive failure because the females are not in good enough body condition to produce eggs.

Join me on Saint Paul Island, AK for the trip of a lifetime. Learn more HERE.

August 4th is International Owl Awareness Day

Here’s a Great Grey Owl to celebrate International Owl Awareness Day!

Happy New Year

American Bald Eagle SNOWDRIFT (Hailiaeetus leucocephalus, Pygarge a tete blanche, BAEA) from my BALD EAGLE WORKSHOP in Kachemak Bay (near Homer), Alaska ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE100-400mm F4.5-5.6 G Master OSS Lens @ 400mm Full Frame image. ISO2,500, f/5.6 @ 1/4,000s Manual mode.

Happy New Year!

This image of a Bald Eagle from my Bald Eagle workshop in Homer, Alaska might be my favorite image from 2018. Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year ahead to all! 

Common Murre FROZEN

Common Murre FROZEN (Uria aalge, guillemot marmette, COMU) From a Zodiac Hurricane 733 during my Gannets Galore Workshop on Bonaventure Island at Parc National de l'île Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Camera & Sony FE100-400 F4.5-5.6 G Master OSS with 1.4X Tele-extender @ 560mm. Full frame image. ISO 6400, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure mode.

Black and White Portrait of a Northern Gannet

Northern Gannet B&W PORTRAIT (Morus bassanus, Fou de Bassan, NOGA) From my Gannets Galore Workshop on Bonaventure Island at Parc National de l'île Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Camera & Sony FE100-400 F4.5-5.6 G Master OSS @ 400mm and minimum focusing distance. Full frame image. ISO 800, f/5.6 @ 1/4,000s Manual exposure mode.

Northern Gannet The Return

Northern Gannet THE RETURN (Morus Bassanus, Fou de Bassan, NOGA) Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure Island, Quebec Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DX Mark II, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM @263mm. ISO 1250, f/8 1/5,000s Manual. Full Frame. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Here's a simple image from the first day of my Gannets Galore trip to Bonaventure Island. The Gannets continue to do well and the colony continues to grow, offering truly spectacular sights and images; The photographic opportunities are endless. The 1DX Mark II and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM proved to be a killer combination; easy to manage all day with amazing AF and high ISO performance. Do join me for the ultimate Bonaventure Island experience next June 5-7, 2017. Find more details HERE.

Freeze action for birds in flight photography

American Bald Eagle ICE FISHING from my recent Bald Eagle Photographic Expedition (Hailiaeetus leucocephalus, Pygarge a tete blanche, BAEA) Kachemak Bay (near Homer), Alaska ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DX, EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 IS II USM @200mm ISO 500, f/5.6 @ 1/4,000s Manual mode. Click HERE to order a print or license image for publication.

Here's a fun one from my recent Bald Eagle Workshop. I have some secret, and out of the way, spots where I head as fast as possible once it snows; the dark, flat water really makes the snowflakes pop. It's not a bad place to be when there is no snow and the light is nice too ;)

Freeze Frame

The image is made with Canon's new 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 IS II USM lens and my 1DX. Talk about a sweet and versatile lens! I keep finding myself going on about just how sharp and quick the lens is, that I forget to remind you all that techinique and practice both play a major roll in the final product. In keeping with my mantra; I used a shutter speed of  1/4,000 of a second to be sure to freeze every detail of the Eagle's wings, and any motion I may have made with the lens while following the Eagle's flight path. Like a windmill blade, slow movement of my lens results in a really fast movement at the distance where you are focused. Always ensure you have enough shutter speed to freeze movement and extract every ounce of detail from your images. A good start is 1/3,200 of a second and 1/4,000 or 1/5,000 is even better!

Kudos

I recently returned from Chris’s Eagle Workshop in Homer Alaska. Over the years, I have traveled extensively and can say without hesitating that this was the best trip I’ve ever been on. Chris is a very cordial but no nonsense guy. Everything about the trip was organized to the max. I’ve been photographing wildlife for 35 years and thought I had a pretty good idea about how to do it so I wasn’t expecting to learn a whole lot that was new. Wrong! Over the years, other “professionals” had encouraged me to shoot in aperture priority or auto ISO. When Chris told us he was going to teach us to set our camera exposures manually, I thought that sounded like a lot of unnecessary effort. That notion turned out to be false. If you attend this workshop and don’t already shoot in manual mode, your life will be changed. The exposures of the photos I took are spot on and better than any I have ever achieved.
In addition to the new material I learned, the “eagle shooting” was beyond anything one could ever imagine. It was both action packed and challenging. Our group was only five people and Chris bent over backward to make sure that each of us got the best photos of our lives. Even though I had substantial problems with my equipment, I now have more killer eagle photos than I could have ever hoped for. If you want an informative and fun packed trip, I encourage you to sign up for this or any of Chris’s workshops. I have signed up again for next year’s Eagle Workshop, in spite of my truck load of eagle photos, which I believe tells the whole story.

Ron Brown Colorado USA

Creating Intimate bird portraits

Crested Auklet Portrait (Aethia cristatella, CRAU) Saint Paul Island, The Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Canon 1DX, 600mm F4 L IS II , 2X Teleconverter III & 25mm Extension Tube, Jobu Designs Algonquin Tripod & Jobu Jr. 3 ISO 2,500 f/16 @ 1/500s Manual Mode.  PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Here's an intimate portrait (of what has to be my favorite bird) from my recent Saint Paul Island Workshop; the Crested Auklet. Getting close and isolating the subject against the dark cliffs requires lots of patience, but the real secret is simply approaching the cliff edge slowly so they don't flush before you even know they are there. Always remember to use a small enough aperture to maximize the depth of field, which is extemely narrow at the lens/extender/extension tube minimum focusing distance. Choose your shutter speed to freeze the birds sudden movements and any feathers blown around by the wind if there are any.

Using a sturdy tripod with a good tripod head and micro-calibrating your camera are, of course, the foundation to crisp and sharp images.