Mule Deer Portrait

Here is a portrait of a mule deer made while driving the north loop during last year’s Best of Bosque Workshop. He ran as soon as a carload of photographers showed up, jumped out of their car and slammed the car doors, proving the best strategy is to stay in your vehicle and use it as a blind.

Although I sold one of the cancelled spots for the Dec. 5-9 Best of Bosque workshop, one spot remains after a couple was forced to cancel due to a medical emergency. My terms are 100% non-refundable, but I return all money paid if I can sell the spot, and I would love to return all of their money. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND SIGN UP.

Mule Deer Portrait (Odocoileus hemionus) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 5,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

---

I enjoyed my presentations at the largest camera show in Canada. Here are some images of me presenting in the Sony booth at the Profusion Expo in Toronto last week. I made a presentation in the Sony booth and on the main stage both days, and the shows were packed with eager photographers. Special thanks to Sony Canada and Vistek! This was my 10th year presenting at ProFusion and the 8th year for Sony!

Canadian Photographer Christopher Dodds presenting at ProFusion Expo Nov. 7, 2024. Images courtesy Julio Vazquez (thanks, Julio).

Red-Tailed Hawk Portrait

This portrait of a Red-Tailed Hawk was made during my Best of Bosque Workshop from our vehicle shortly after sunrise. The Red-Tailed Hawk landed in the middle of recently trimmed branches that were piled on the side of the road. We carefully manoeuvred close enough to get a portrait in the golden light with a pleasing background. The image was made after everyone in my group got the image I was after :)

Due to a medical emergency cancellation, one spot is still available for my Dec. 5-9 Best of Bosque workshop.

Red-tailed Hawk Portrait (Buteo jamaicensis, Buse à queue rousse, RTHA) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 1,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

American Kestrel in flight

An American Kestrel from my Best of Bosque Workshop in New Mexico. One spot is still available for my December 5-9 Best of Bosque Workshop due to a medical emergency cancellation.

Why join me? I have the most experience leading workshops in and around Bosque del Apache. I spend at least 10 days scouting the best opportunities before the workshop starts, so you get all my years of experience there and the knowledge gained from recent scouting. This is a five-day workshop, so we are out photographing all five mornings and afternoons (with a mid-day break for lunch). We will visit sites outside the NWR to maximize opportunity and increase our species count. I have 40 years of experience and share all of that with you!

American Kestrel in flight (Falco sparverius, Crécerelle d'Amérique, AMKE) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 8,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Loggerhead Shrike

It was a stroke of luck that the Loggerhead Shrike landed directly before us, especially as I was tracking a Sharp-shinned Hawk circling above. The encounter was brief, but it allowed me to back up and capture the whole bird in the image without clipping anything off, a rare opportunity indeed.

Equipped with strong, slightly hooked beaks, shrikes are songbirds that hunt for a living. They survey their surroundings from exposed perches and then chase down insects, small birds, rodents, and reptiles. Shrikes have been nicknamed butcherbirds since they often hang their prey on thorns or barbed wire fences.

Two species are native to North America: the northern shrike of boreal Canada and Alaska, which wanders south in winters when food is scarce, and the more southerly loggerhead shrike (shown here), a widespread but increasingly scarce bird of fields and fencerows.

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus, Pie-grièche migratrice, LOHS) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bernardo Wildlife Area, Bernardo, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Sandhill Crane Flying in Epic Light & Bosque Workshop Update

A Sandhill Crane in flight during my Best of Bosque Workshop last December. The cottonwood trees were glowing in the epic high desert light!

A medical emergency cancellation has opened up the otherwise sold-out workshop. Join me in New Mexico for five full days of epic photography. Learn more about the December 5-9, 2024, Best of Bosque Workshop HERE.

Sandhill Crane Flying in Epic Light. (Grus canadenis, Grue du Canada, SACR) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 6,400, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Sandhill Crane and Bosque Workshop Openings.

A Sandhill Crane calls to announce its arrival as it lands in front of us during my Best of Bosque workshop last December.

Due to an unfortunate medical emergency, I have two spots open for the previously sold-out Dec. 5-9, 2024 Best of Bosque workshop. Join me for five full days of EPIC imagery and learning.

Sandhill Crane Calling in flight. Landing Loud. (Grus canadenis, Grue du Canada, SACR) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 5,000, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Sandhill Crane in flight. Wing & Head Detail

Here is a close-up of a Sandhill Crane as it lands in front of us during my Best of Bosque workshop last December.

Due to an unfortunate medical emergency, I have two spots open for the previously sold-out Dec. 5-9, 2024 Best of Bosque workshop.

Sandhill Crane in flight. Wing & Head Detail. (Grus canadenis, Grue du Canada, SACR) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 8,000, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

Northern Harrier in flight

A Northern Harrier from my Best of Bosque workshop at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. A regular hunter over the corn and alfalfa fields, Northern Harriers are a pretty reliable raptor during my Best of Bosque workshop every December.

Northern Harrier in flightt (Circus hudsonius, busard Saint-Martin, NOHA) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

Sandhill Crane Landing in Golden Light

A Sandhill Crane banks as it lands during my Best of Bosque workshop in New Mexico.

The wind was completely wrong when we set up, but it started to shift as the sun started to set and the high desert light started to warm, and we had a pretty epic session.

Sandhill Crane Landing in Golden Light (Grus canadenis, Grue du Canada, SACR) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 4,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Wood Duck emerging from shadow

A beautiful Drake (male) Wood Duck emerges from the shadow of a tree to bask in the golden rays of first light during my Best of Bosque Workshop in New Mexico.

Wood Duck emerging from the shadows (Aix sponsa, Canard branchu, WODU) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 1,250, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

Coyote Bosque del Apache

A lone Coyote photographed during my Best of Bosque Workshop in New Mexico. We have had some pretty amazing encounters with Coyotes over the years. Once I realized that this Coyote was headed down a dirt road our way, we slowly crouched and waited for its close approach; we were lucky that it chose the edge of a clearing to pause for photos.

A couple of spots remain for my Dec. 5-9, 2024, Best of Bosque Workshop. Join me and my small group of six photographers for five full days of photography in and around Bosque del Apache.

Coyote (Canis latrans) from my Best of Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,500, f/8 @ 1/500s Manual exposure. Sony animal eye auto-focus. Full Frame image.

Not so common Common Loon in New Mexico

My group and I were set up low, photographing Redheads, Canvasbacks, and Ring-necked Ducks during my Better than Bosque Workshop, when suddenly, we noticed this Common Loon. It is rare in Albuquerque, New Mexico!

Loons are like airplanes in that they need a runway for takeoff. Loons need 30 meters (+/- 30 yards) up to 400 meters (a quarter-mile) (depending on the wind) to flap their wings and run across the top of the water to gain enough speed for lift-off. The odds of it being able to take off in such a small pond were not very good!

Common Loon (Gavia immer, Plongeon huard, COLO) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Dec. 5, 2014, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. 1,200mm ISO 400, f/8 @ 1/2,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Boreal Owl

I wanted to share this image of a boreal owl made during my Winter Owl Workshops 19 years ago in 2005 that I have just licensed for publication. Notice how I had to work differently with the first generations of professional digital cameras; I used ISO 800, which was exceptionally high and considered noisy back then. This image is reprocessed using the latest Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop techniques, which make a huge difference compared to the cover of the winter 2008 edition of Québec Oiseaux Magazine shown below.

Boreal Owl or Tengmalm's Owl (Aegolius funereus, Nyctale de Tengmalm) from for my Winter Owl Workshops in 2005. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. 100-400mm Zoom @220mm ISO 800, f/5.6 @ 1/100s Manual exposure. Full Frame image.

Cover of the Winter 2008 edition of Québec Oiseaux magazine.

Great Gray Owl Snow Queen

This is a great gray owl image from my winter owl workshop a few years ago. It was snowing so heavily that finding the owl perched quite far from the road was difficult.

Great Gray Owl Snow Queen (Strix nebulosa, Chouette Lapone, GGOW, Dark Wood Owl, Lapland Owl, Striped Owl, Lapp Striped Owl) ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless Camera & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @201mm ISO 2,500, F6.3 @ 1/3,20s Manual Exposure mode. Full frame image. Join me for my winter owl workshops in January & February.

“I just returned home from a trip to Ontario, Canada with Christopher Dodds to look for and photograph Snowy Owls. The weather was cold and snowy, but not necessarily Snowy Owl cold, so I was worried that the Snowy Owls might be thin on the ground. Christopher Dodds deserves kudos and my thanks! He led our photo trek and put me (and the others in the party I joined) in position to see, watch, track and photograph Snowy Owls. I was able to capture wonderful images of Snowy Owls at rest, in flight, on the hunt, on the ground in the fields, in blowing snow! Outstanding photographic results for me, better than I anticipated. From the get go it was obvious that Christopher Dodds knows his Snowy Owls and wildlife photography. He is an excellent photography trek leader, knowledgeable, personable, professional and helpful to me and the others in our group at every turn. I am impressed with Christopher as a photography trek leader, particularly as his focus was on his clients at all times, and the well being of the Owls. He ensured that we did everything possible to not stress or disturb the Owls in their habitat. Of particular note Christopher is not a photography trek leader who spends his time with his own camera, taking his own photographs. He spent all his time with us locating Owls, coaching us, helping us with our equipment and camera settings, and letting us know what to expect and when to expect an Owl to fly, in what direction, and when. What an outstanding experience! Thank you, Christopher. I hope to enjoy another trek with you soon.”

— Joe Norton, USA January 23-27, 2023 owl workshop

Snowy Owl Out of the Woods

This snowy owl was photographed during my Winter Snowy Owl Workshop. A warm front caused a light fog, lowering the contrast and softening the background. This Snowy Owl seemed to love perching on the edge of the forest, unlike most, who prefer the wide open spaces of farm fields during the winter, much like at their nesting grounds on the tundra much further North in the summer.

Snowy Owl Out of the Woods (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) from my Snowy Owl Workshop in Ontario, Canada. Sony a1 mirrorless camera body Sony & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @600mm F/6.3 ISO 3,200 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image.

Snowy Owl ICE TALON

Light freezing rain caused a thin layer of ice over the freshly fallen snow. I love how the talons grip the ice as this young female Snowy Owl takes flight.

Owl toes and talons

Owls have four toes on each foot. Two toes point forward, one toe points backward, and each foot's ‘reversible’ outer toe can point forward or backward, as the owl wishes. Sometimes, three of the owl’s toes point forward, and sometimes only two. With two toes pointing forward and two back, known as a zygodactyl, the owl can perch securely on a branch. When the owl clutches its prey, its toes spread so the owl can get a firm grip. It is known as anisodactyl when it has three toes facing forward and one backward.

A long, sharp claw called a talon is at the end of each toe. The owl uses its talons to snatch, squeeze, and kill prey animals. It also uses talons to defend itself against predators, such as hawks, other owls, badgers, and raccoons.

Many owls have feathered legs and feet for warmth. Snowy Owls, for example, who live in the cold Arctic, have heavily feathered legs and feet. Elf Owls live in warm, southern climates and have lightly feathered legs.

Snowy Owl ICE TALON (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) from my Snowy Owl Workshop in Ontario, Canada. Sony a9 II Camera body, Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens, Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @ 840mm F/5.6 ISO 1,600 1/3,200s.

Snowy Owl High Key Abstract

Love it, or hate it? This Snowy Owl image breaks all the rules. It is from my annual Winter Snowy Owl Workshops a few years ago. I usually don’t post anything this different, but since I just reprocessed this one before printing it 40” X 60” for a large order heading to The Netherlands, I decided to share.

Please feel free to comment with your thoughts: Do you love or hate it, and why?

Snowy Owl High Key Abstract (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) from my Snowy Owl Workshop in Ontario, Canada. Sony a1 mirrorless camera body Sony & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @401mm F/6.3 ISO 2,000 @ 1/5,000s.

Great Gray Owl

A favourite Great Gray Owl image from one of my Winter Owl Workshops in 2013 that I just reprocessed before making a 40” X 50” print for a client in The Netherlands.

There are still two spots left for my January 27-31 Winter Owl Workshop.

Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa, Chouette Lapone, GGOW, Dark Wood Owl, Lapland Owl, Striped Owl, Lapp Striped Owl, Great Grey Owl) ©Christopher Dodds from my winter owl workshops in 2023 @344mm ISO 5,000, F5,6 @ 1/5,000s Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my winter owl workshops in January.

Great Gray Owl Phantom of the North

I photographed this Great Gray Owl (Great Grey Owl in some parts of the world) using my Sony a1 mirrorless camera with the FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS zoom lens @348mm in a winter snowstorm during my winter owl workshop.

Owls have such a mysterious grace about them. One of my favourite facts about the Great Gray Owl is that it is an optical illusion. It is one of the largest owls in the world (by length), and, at the same time, it's not that big at all. Great Gray Owls have relatively small bodies but are covered in so many dense layers of long feathers that they appear to be much bulkier than they are.

Great Gray Owl Phantom of the North (Strix nebulosa, Chouette Lapone, GGOW, Dark Wood Owl, Lapland Owl, Striped Owl, Lapp Striped Owl) ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless Camera & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @348mm ISO 6,400, F6.3 @ 1/5,000s Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my winter owl workshops in January.

Snow Owl Landing in Predawn Light

This Snowy Owl was photographed before sunrise during my Winter Snowy Owl workshop a couple of years ago on a bitterly cold morning. I love the natural gradient the ice fog added to the background, and I took the liberty of removing the top of the telephone post it landed on to make a better image.

Snowy Owl landing in predawn light (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) from my Snowy Owl Workshop in Ontario, Canada. Sony a1 Camera body Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens & Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm F/5.6 ISO 16,000 1/4,000s.

“I have just been fortunate enough to participate in a Winter Owl workshop run by Chris. The experience was outstanding. Chris had thoroughly researched our excursions beforehand and knew exactly where the Owls were wintering - he also spared no effort to maximise our photo opportunities - both in terms of weather conditions, lighting, angles, backdrop etc - but also in terms of helping us each personally during the week with technical tips towards achieving better results.

Logistically the trip was also a pleasure with spacious transport, good accommodations and food, and an enjoyable group camaraderie. Altogether a great trip, and I would thoroughly recommend Chris as a guide for future trips.”

— Jonathan Mercer, UK