Photographing the Pied-billed Grebe: light illuminates - shadows define

Pied-billed Grebe Reflection (Podilymbus podiceps, Grèbe à bec bigarré) Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USA ©Christopher Dodds  www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 500mm F4 IS, 2X II Tele-converter, Gitzo tripod and Wimberley Head II from VW Westfalia (thanks  Ethan). ISO 250, F16 1/320s Manual Mode. Full Frame. Click HERE to purchase a print or license image for publication.

Light Illuminates - Shadows Define

Though many try to take the credit for saying it, it was Howard Pyle who said, "Light illuminates texture and color - shadows define form" - though he was referring to painting, the same holds true for photography. Light is an incredibly important part of photography. Out in the field, or in the studio; it's quality, quantity and direction are all very important components in your final image. Many nature photographers advocate pointing your shadow directly at your subject, resulting in a direct, flat, frontal light source (the sun). While that is a good starting point, I strive to get my light source (the sun in this case) off to one side. As you can see in this image of a Pied-billed Grebe, the sun is off to my far right. The resulting image is full of light and shadow, creating a dramatic, detail rich image; every wet feather on the back of its neck is accentuated by both light and shadow. This method works incredibly well for white birds like Snowy Owls, that have a hollow feather structure.

The Bigger Pictures:

As promised when I started this Nature Photography Blog, I have been messing around with image sizes and page format. I do hope you like the new, bigger pictures and will try to get all of the older posts updatesd soon. Leave a comment to let me know how you like the new format.

Pied-billed Grebe facts:

Nicknamed dabchick, devil-diver, hell-diver and water witch, the Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, feeds on fish (carp catfish & eels), insects (dragonflies, ants & beetles) and amphibians (frogs & tadpoles).
The most widespread of the North American Grebes, it is often found on remote ponds and marshes of Canada, parts of the United States and temperate South America. Preferring to escape danger by diving, this Grebe rarely flies.
Instead of having webbed feet like ducks, Pied-billed Grebes have lobes extending out the sides of it's toes to provide extra surface area for paddling.

Comments welcome & appreciated.

Photo Competition: Buyer Beware!

Coyote Autumn pup  (Canis latrans) Quebec, Canada (C) ©Christopher Dodds  www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMark III, 500mm F4 IS, Gitzo Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 500, 1/160s F4 Manual Mode. Full Frame. Click HERE to purchase a print or license image for publication.

So, you work for a magazine and your publisher is trying to squeeze a profit out of your magazine during these difficult economic times. Earning kudos from the boss may be easier than you would think: Just announce a photo competition where all entrants assign all publication rights (editorial, commercial & educational) AND they send a $20.00 bill with each submission. Just 1,000 entrants produces an image bank of at least that many images AND $20,000.00 for the magazine. The grand prize: get you picture published in the magazine. The most shocking part is how hard it was to find the fine print and I'm sure most people who sent off a cheque never read it. Oh, I almost forgot: the magazine does not have to pay publication rights to photographers anymore. Just something to think about next time you think about entering a competition…

Entries become the property of (insert magazine name here), a division of (insert company name here) Inc., which reserves the right, without further consideration, to use all photos and text in any publication, media, and related prodcts or promotions. The company cannot confirm receipt or return entries. By submitting your materials, you agree that your contact information may be given to the contest sponsor, which may use the information for marketing purposes. You further agree that your photo, text, name, and city and state may be posted on (insert company name here)-owned websites and, on sponsor websites, as well. If you are younger than 13 years of age, you will need to provide signed permission from a parent or guardian allowing you to enter the contest. - REAL FINE PRINT FROM A REAL PHOTO COMPETITION 

The Coyote , Canis latrans, runs with it's tail down, unlike domestic dogs with their tail up or wolves with their tail straight. Known as the best runner among the canids, the Coyote cruises at 25-30 mph (40-50km/h), with a top speed of 40 mph (65 km/h). Always an opportunist, Coyotes eat small mammals like mice, squirrels and rabbits, as well as birds, frogs, toads snakes, insects and fruit.

Comments welcome & appreciated.

Photographing the Common Raccoon with wide-open & fast lenses.

Common Raccoon  (Procyon Iotor, raton laveur) Quebec, Canada ©Christopher Dodds  www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 70-200mm @ 195mm. ISO 400, F2.8 1/1000s Manual Mode.

Pro Tip: I'm amazed at the number of photographers out in the field today, and even more amazed at the inventory of professional camera gear they cart around with them. Many pay the hefty price, and carry the extra weight of fast lenses, rarely using them at their intended extremes. Try using your F2.8 lenses at F2.8, then try them at F16; while it is true that they are not quite as sharp at F2.8 than, say F4.5, or F5.6, I would bet money that you can't tell the difference with a full frame Canon 1DsIII and all of the pixels it has to offer. Try using your depth of field (or lack of one) to hide or accentuate different features, or areas, of your subject. A shallow depth of field is especially useful when photographing captive animals: I can't tell you how sick I am of looking at "snapshot" style captive images from "serious" photographers - mostly the result of too much depth of field with cluttered backgrounds.

Common Raccoon  (Procyon Iotor, raton laveur) Quebec, Canada ©Christopher Dodds  www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMark III, 500mm F4 IS. ISO 800, 1/160s F4 Manual Mode.

The black mask across their eyes and ringed tails are the keys to identifying the "backyard bandit" of Southern Canada and much of the United States. Raccoons, Procyon Iotor, are amazing climbers and swimmers that den in hollow trees and spend the night foraging for food. When these masked marauders move into the suburbs, they become experts at opening garbage cans (waste bins).
Not true hibernators, Raccoons do sleep through much of the winter. By February, the mating urge sends the males on a quest regardless of the weather. Nine weeks later most females have three to six kits.

Comments welcome & appreciated.

Photographing the Boreal Owl & Ultimate Owl Camera Kit

Boreal Owl  or Tengmalm's Owl (Aegolius funereus, Nyctale de Tengmalm) Owl Woods, Amherst Island, Ontario, Canada Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds  www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 50D, 100-400mm @ 285mm. ISO 400, F5.6 1/80s Manual. Purchase a print or license image for publication HERE.

The thick frost and -5°C temperature during my morning walk through the orchard with T-Bone this morning had me looking foreword to having my snow tires installed and the coming winter owl season.
Last year, I found that having a Canon 50D (with it's 1.6X crop factor) and my Canon 100-400mm zoom lens in a Lowepro Cirrus TLZ 25 Holster Style Case For Digital SLR & Telephoto Zoom Lens (Black) shoulder pouch was the ultimate owl kit to have with me at all times while scouting for roosting Saw-whet owls, Boreal owls, Long-eared owls and short-eared owls. I used to hike through the woods with my pro camera bodies and multiple lenses (including the 500mm F4 IS with matching Tele-converters) packed in my Lowepro Super Trekker. Both Boreal and Saw-whet owls are nocturnal and will probably stay on the same perch for most of the daylight hours, so if I decide I would like images with my 1DsIII and tripod mounted 500mm lens, I have plenty of time to go back to the car and get them. Long-eared and short-eared owls typically flush quite easily, so being ready with my ultimate hand-held rig is key to photographing them. This winter I will use Canon's new 7D with my 100-400mm zoom lens while hiking through the woods and I can't wait!
How do you get an image of a nocturnal owl with it's eyes wide open? - just wait as long as it takes for a birding group (often 10-20 people) to hike right up to you and the owl; there is often a thin layer of ice covering the snow or frozen swampland in the woods that makes quite a racket when that may people approach.

Known in North America as the Boreal Owl, Aegolius funereus, it is also known as Tengmalm's Owl, named after the Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm.

SOLD: FOR SALE: CANON 1D MARK II

I have a used Canon 1D Mark II (not the 1D Mark IIN) for sale. This has been a much loved and used camera body that has many marks, scratches and little dings. It has been used professionally and it shows. 100% in working order and includes the original box , charger and contents. Also includes an extra battery. CAD$1,000.00 or best offer. Email me if interested: chris@chrisdoddsphoto.com

Comments welcome & appreciated.

White-tailed Deer of Baxter State Park. Trip Report Part I

Eastern White-tailed Deer Fawn Portrait (Odocoileus virginianus, Cerf de Virginie) Sandy Stream Pond (Roaring Brook Campground), Baxter State Park, Maine, USA ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 500mm F4, 2X II Tele-converter Gitzo 1325 Tripod and Wimberley Head II. ISO 400, F8 1/500s Manual mode.

This years trip to Baxter State Park in Maine was, without doubt, my most productive. We had a great time photographing two Black Bear Cubs, an Eastern White-tailed Deer doe and her twin fawns, Common Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, amazing fall foliage and did I mention the 13 Moose? I thought I would make my first post about the Eastern White-tailed Deer that live in the park, but until this visit I had never seen there. Shortly after setting-up for Moose one afternoon, we watched as a doe brought her twin fawns out to the water's edge across the lake from us. She slowly made her way around the lake until they were about forty feet from us.

White-tailed Deer Doe & twin fawns at Sandy Stream Pond (Odocoileus virginianus, Cerf de Virginie) Sandy Stream Pond (Roaring Brook Campground), Baxter State Park, Maine, USA ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 24-70mm F2.8 @ 70mm, ISO 400, F14 1/200s Manual mode.

White-tailed Deer facts

Our only animals with antlers, North America's deer include three giants; Moose, caribou , and wapiti, or elk. The most widespread and abundant members of the family, however, are the alert, elegant bucks, graceful does, and dappled fawns of the white-tailed and mule deer.
Especially common throughout the East, the delicate white-tailed, or Virginia, deer prefers woodland edges but can also be found in many suburban areas. Up to 3 1/2 feet tall and weighing as much as 250 pounds, it is a fast, elusive creature that, when frightened, flashes the white underside of its tail like a banner. White-tailed deer can run at speed up to 36 mph (58 km/h), it can make vertical leaps of 8.5 feet (2.6m) and horizontal leaps of 30 feet (9m). The stockier, long-eared mule deer lives in the west on forested mountain slopes and deserts. The black-tailed deer of the North-West is a subspecies of the mule deer.
Both white-tails and mule deer browse by day and on moonlit nights on the buds and twigs of trees, feeding on tender grass, berries, and acorns when they are available. During hard winters they barely subsist on the meager food that is available, and starvation is common.
Male deer, or "bucks", are easily recognizable in the summer and fall by their prominent set of antlers, which bear a number of tines, or sharp points. In the fall, the antlered males battle other bucks  for mates. About seven months later, first-time mothers generally give birth to a single fawn, while older does commonly bear twins. The young have spotted coats that provide much needed camouflage when they crouch motionless on the forest floor or in tall grass. And they are scentless, which further protects them from predators.

Kudos

from multiple workshop participant Eleanor Kee Wellman (thanks, Eleanor):

Since I first met Chris he has been telling me I should go with him and photograph the Northern Gannets on Bonaventure Island.  He knows I love to capture behavior and there, you are surrounded by the many behaviors of the gannets as they go about their daily lives.
Chris is super organized and extremely well prepared!  He knows what lenses and flash combinations are needed to maximize your opportunities.  He genuinely wants his participants to go home with the best and most varied images possible. His early morning zodiac trips aren’t available through anyone else.
Lots of people, me included, dislike bad weather but Chris relishes it!  The more dramatic the better for photography!  Gannets in rain, fog, drizzle and sun, too.  Eagles at Homer in the rain!  Snowy Owls in white snowy haze!  Hey, there’s going to be a big snowstorm!  Why don’t you leave now and meet us for some great photo ops!  He is ever enthusiastic and helpful.
He inspires everyone to do their best and he knows the greatest places to eat, too!
Thanks, Chris!!!!!
Eleanor Kee Wellman - Balla, Ontario (www.eleanorkeewellman.com)

Cerulean Dreams

Cerulean Warbler Vertical, Dendroica Cerulea, Paruline Azurée Kingston, Ontario Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 500mm F4 Lens with 2X II Tele-converter, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 800, F8, 1/125s Aperture priority (evaluative +2/3), Canon 580EXII Flash ETTL II -3. PURCHASE A PRINT OR LICENSE AN IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE

Cerulean Warbler horizontal, Dendroica Cerulea, Paruline Azurée Kingston, Ontario. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 500mm F4 Lens with 2X II Tele-converter, tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 800, F8, 1/320s Aperture priority (evaluative +2/3), Canon 580EXII Flash ETTL II -3 PURCHASE A PRINT OR LICENSE AN IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Environment Canada forecast heavy rain all day yesterday, with little chance of bright overcast conditions that would have been conducive to great warbler photography all day long. I decided to venture to the Kingston area of Ontario to give it a try anyway. Worst that could happen is a good birding day without images; sure beats being in the office.
My parents are visiting from Calgary, so I got them up early, loaded into the car and delivered to their friends home in Kingston before most are out of bed (did I mention it was a three hour drive?). From Kingston, I made my way to the Chaffey’s Lock area and spent a few hours in just about perfect photographic conditions. While there weren’t many birds, there certainly were great quality birds. The rain that did fall was light and misty, while it was mostly just dark and overcast. Considered a photographic nemesis bird by many, I had a blast photographing this gorgeous male Cerulean Warbler. I've photographed Cerulean Warblers many times there before, but Queen's University conducts research and most are banded - it was a dream come true to get a nearly perfect male without bands in Ontario. While using the Canon 1DsIII, I strive to keep the ISO under 400; however, there are times when I simply have to use a higher ISO. Properly exposing the image in the camera is the single best way to minimize noise.

The Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea, Paruline Azurée) gets its name from the vivid blue coloration of the male warbler's back and cheeks that makes this a difficult bird to find in the tree tops, where it lives and nests. Cerulean Warblers are forest-interior birds that require large, relatively undisturbed tracts of mature, semi-open deciduous forest. In Ontario, they are restricted to such habitats in the Carolinian Forest zone and the southern part of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Forest zone. These birds begin their long migration to wintering grounds in northeastern South America in late summer. A species of special concern both Provincially and Nationally here in Canada, and in the United States, it is considered a species at risk by many. Recent studies suggest its population is only 30% of what it was only 20 short years ago; dropping faster than any other North American Warbler. On the North American breeding grounds, the chief threat to this warbler is habitat loss resulting from forest fragmentation and degradation. On the South American wintering grounds, forested tracts in mountainous regions are preferred, and these areas are considered to be under a high degree of threat from logging. Nest parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) may become an increasing problem as cowbird populations increase in degraded forest habitats. The Cerulean Warbler is protected in a Schedule under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act.

MORE KUDOS:

Point Pelee photography workshop participant, Michael Lyncheski (from Gladstone, NJ) emailed me this testimonial (thanks, Michael):

“I was impressed on how much Chris cared about making sure everyone was learning, engaged, and getting the most out of the trip. I look forward to my next workshop with Chris!”