Bald Eagle Fishing

American Bald Eagle with fresh catch (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 FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens  ISO 2,500, f/2.8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

He is dedicated to doing everything he can to make sure you come home with lots of amazing photographs!

There are a lot of photographers to choose from when deciding to take a workshop.  I had come across Christopher Dodds Photography on Facebook and really like his photographs.  I read about Chris’ workshops.  They all sounded well organized and he has years of experience going to various places.

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

ioSafe Solo Hawk Bearproof SSD mini-review

Coastal Brown Bear Sow and Spring Cub clamming (Ursus arctos) Geographic Harbor, Katmai National Park, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens  with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm ISO 640, f/5.6 @ 1/1,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

ioSafe Solo Hawk bearproof SSD mini-review

I am constantly on the go and do take the utmost care of my cameras, laptop, and other electronics while travelling, but that doesn't guarantee that my valuable images are safe from disaster. My friends over at ioSafe sent over an (almost) indestructible and waterproof external ioSafe Solo Hawk SSD drive, and I thought I would share a mini-review of it for you. I'm calling this one bearproof!

Accidents happen all the time; The ioSafe Solo Hawk is as comfortable in the desert being pelted with blowing sand, as it is on the bed of a truck in heavy freezing rain. . . . . in my case (literally), it will likely stay safe, warm and dry in my laptop case, but it will handle any hell thrown its way in an accidental emergency; If I forget to zip my laptop case closed, accidentally drop it on the floor or in the toilet (or in the ocean while boarding a boat), spill coffee, or accidentally back my truck over it my images will be safe! It is my insurance policy for my images.

The ioSafe Solo Hawk is an external solid-state storage drive that can withstand total submersion in freshwater or saltwater for 72 hours (diesel fuel, oils, hydraulic fluids, aircraft fuels, 12′ depth for 1 hour). It can be dropped from ten feet, works at up to 30,000 feet and is crush-resistant up to 2,500 pounds.

The Solo Hawk SSD, available in 500GB or 1TB capacities, combines this military-class toughness with 550 MBps data transfer rates, the fastest read/write speeds available in the industry today via the waterproof USB C (USB 3 Gen 2) port. My 1TB version tested a write speed of 494.4 MB/s and a read speed of 519.6 MB/s using Black magic designs Disk Speed Test utility. These are the fastest results I have achieved with an external SSD.

MIL-STD-810G Specs:

Crush Protection Technology: Crush resistant up to 2500 lbs.

Full Suspension Drive™ Technology: Full suspension in all six axes of motion. Optimized for data loss protection from drop and shock of 10′ per MIL-STD-810G Method 516.5.

HydroSafe™ Technology: Waterproof yet heat-conducting barrier to protect against data loss in up to 10′ for 3 days in freshwater or saltwater per IP68. Protects data even when USB plug is in. No requirement for a connector cap to retain data protection.

ChemSafe™ Technology: Full immersion in diesel fuel, oils, hydraulic fluids, aircraft fuels, 12′ depth for 1 hour with no data loss per MIL-STD-810G Method 504

EnviroSafe™ Technology: Continuous exposure to UV, blowing sand, blowing dust, rain, salt fog, icing or freezing rain, 24 hours with no data loss per MIL-STD-810G Methods 505.4, 506.4, 509.4 and 510.

AltiSafe™ Technology: High altitude operation. 15K ft. (Alum.) and 30K ft. (SSD and Ti.) rated altitudes per MIL-STD-810G Method 500.4

Theft Resistant Kensington® Lock compatible slot solid metal construction — theft protection

Great Gray Owl WINTER DREAM

Great Grey Owl WINTER DREAM (Strix nebulosa, Chouette Lapone, GGOW) Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens  @220mm ISO 4,000, f/5.6 @ 1/3,200s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

Here's a Great Gray Owl in a snowstorm; perhaps one of my favorite subjects in my favorite weather. Only 1/4 turn to zoom from 200mm to 600mm with the new Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens is fantastic!

KUDOS

I wanted to thank you for a wonderful winter owling workshop last week.  It was great to be in the field with you and I learned a great deal about the birds, environment and my camera.  Thanks so much for being such a great naturalist, photographer and trip leader.  I will go on another trip with you in the future.

Lynda Goff (Professor Emeritus Ecology & Evolutionary Biology UC Santa Cruz) Santa Cruz, California, USA

Thanks, Lynda! To learn more about my workshops CLICK HERE.

Wood Duck FIREWOOD

Wood Duck FIREWOOD (Aix sponsa, Canard branchu, WODU) 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 400, f/8 @ 1/1,600s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

Here's a Wood Duck with brilliant fall foliage reflecting in the water. Mother Nature put on a spectacular foliage show and the weather was spectacular. Just before the light hit the foliage and the show began, the only other photographer there packed-up and left because there was only one Drake Wood Duck. I'm glad I stayed :)

KUDOS

I found Chris via the strong images on his web site.
 
Having now taken two of his photo workshops, I have seen a significant improvement in my images due to improved capture and post processing techniques.  Having taken many other wildlife photo workshops, Chris stands out for his top notch instruction. His workshops provide many excellent photo opportunities.
 
If you are serious about your photography and want to get better, Chris can help you in many ways.  He is willing and able to explain what he is doing and why he is doing it.  He emphasizes not only the vision but also the execution in the field and the post processing.  
 
It was fun shooting with and learning from Chris.  I give a hearty recommendation to anyone considering a photo workshop with Chris, a recommendation I plan to follow.

Carl Zanoni Connecticut, USA

Thanks, Carl! To learn more about my workshops CLICK HERE.

Snowy Owl in a blizzard

Snowy Owl in a blizzard (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) from my Winter Snowy Owl Photo Tour in Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens  with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm ISO 5,000, f/2.8 @ 1/2,500s. Manual exposure. 

Here's a Snowy Owl from my Snowy Winter Owl workshop on the coldest day last winter. It was -34C and the wind was howling at about 70km/h. The fine, dry snow that had fallen overnight was being picked-up by the strong wind and was sand-blasting the cold right into us. It was dark, and I saw an opportunity to make the owl stand-out by shooting wide open at f/2.8 which rendered the trees in background out of focus. I like the yellow eyes against the otherwise monochromatic image ;)

There are just a couple of spots left for my Snowy Winter Owl Photo Tour. Learn more HERE.

Coastal Brown Bear Spring Cubs Sparring & Kudos

Coastal Brown Bear Spring Cubs Sparring (Ursus arctos) Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens  with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm ISO 640, f/5.6 @ 1/1,250s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Here's a couple of spring cubs sparring at first light on a lightly foggy morning from my recent Coastal Brown Bear boat trip in Katmai National Park, Alaska. We had so much fun with these cubs at close range over the course of the trip - smile.

KUDOS

It is definitely not an overstatement when I say that I had one of the most incredible times of my life this past June while on Chris’ Alaska Coastal Brown Bear Boat Trip. This experience was much more than just a workshop: From start to finish, it was an extremely well-organized adventure into a pristine wilderness area that produced many unforgettable memories and images for each member of our group.

After meeting Chris and the rest of the team in Homer, the weather cooperated, so soon the floatplane was loaded with our gear and supplies, and then we all climbed on board to begin our journey. For the next hour and twenty minutes, we flew over breath-taking scenery to the boat that would act as our home base for the next 6 days. Chris had worked hard at finding a vessel that was of ample size and had what it would take to better meet our needs and be much more comfortable for us than the other available boats – and I can attest to the fact that he was successful.

The crew was extremely warm, friendly, and eager to assist us in any way that they could, both while onboard the ship, as well as during our times on the smaller boat that was used to transport us to and from our daily drop-off and pick-up locations. The food was plentiful and simply out of this world meal after meal. It was amazing to see what could be done by one very creative and talented cook in the middle of a wilderness area. It didn’t take long for all of us to feel at home and develop a real sense of friendship and enjoyment of each other’s company, which only grew as the days of our adventure together went by. Although we had to obviously keep our voices down while in the field, there was more and more joking, laughter, chatter and other signs of camaraderie in the dining area and while travelling in the shuttle boat as we got to know each other better and better. It was one terrific group, which just added to the fun of experiencing a new place! Chris couldn’t have done a better job of putting the team together.

Before our flight out of Homer, Chris shared with us that he was delighted that he had been able to get us an exceptionally experienced bear guide and naturalist for our trip, and it quickly became apparent that Chris knew what he was talking about. Chris himself also has experience as a guide and is very familiar with bears and the areas that we would be exploring. So… when a bear was spotted, it was very interesting to watch and listen to the two of them work together to “get inside of the bear’s mind” and attempt to predict what it was going to eventually do. Time after time, within a few minutes, the bear that we had chosen to photograph did exactly what Chris and the guide had told us what it was likely to do. Therefore, since we had already moved into position and had our camera gear all set up for action, we were ready to greet the bear as it casually approached us in an ideal location to photograph it. This ability to anticipate the bear’s next move was especially helpful when it was a sow with cubs. As a result, we got to photograph them when they came out of the tall grasses that had pretty much concealed them because of their small size – enabling us to get unobscured images of them eating, nursing, playing, standing, and exhibiting all of the other entertaining things young bears do! Chris and our guide coached us in techniques as to how our group could earn the bears’ trust and, as a result, the bears were completely comfortable with us and went about their routines just as if we weren’t there. Amazing job gentlemen!

- Mike Fuller NY | USA

Regal Horned Lizard

Regal Horned Lizard and Harvester Ant  (Phrynosoma solare) in the desert Box Canyon, Arizona, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens  @600mm ISO 800, f/8 @ 1/640s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

Here's another from my bat photography workshop in Arizona. We had a great time exploring and searching for wildlife during our morning excursions. I spotted this Regal Horned Lizard on the dirt road while driving towards Box Canyon.

Regal Horned Lizards eat mainly Harvester Ants; as many as 2,500 in a single meal!

Do consider joining me in Arizona next September for my annual High-speed bat photography workshop. CLICK HERE to learn more.

High-speed Bat Photography

Long-eared Myotis Drinking from a pond  in the desert Amado, Arizona, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens  @600mm ISO 800, f/16 @ 20s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

I'm just back from my bat photography workshop in Arizona. The monsoon season had an early start which dispersed the local bat population to the many available water sources, but we still had fun and got some remarkable images.

In it's simplest form, we set-up our cameras on tripods at the edge of a pond and focused on the plane of the infra-red beam which triggered the flash when it was broken. The ultra-short duration of the flash illuminated our subjects and froze them in flight. The cameras were set to make continuous 20-second exposures at f/16 ISO 800. At the end of the night, there were a ton of black frames with no bats, but when a bat flew through and broke the beam, the flash fired and we were rewarded with some pretty remarkable images.

Do consider joining me in Arizona next September for my annual High-speed bat photography workshop. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Semipalmated Plover Foraging in the Seaweed

Semipalmated Plover foraging in seaweed (Charadrius semipalmatus, Pluvier semipalmé, SEPL) 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 4,000, f/8 @ 1/1,600s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

Here's a Semipalmated Plover foraging in the seaweed covered rocks at low tide in the rain from my recent PUFFINS GALORE DELUXE WORKSHOP. The sharpness of the new Sony 600mm f/4 and 2X teleconverter is unmatched.

KUDOS

Hey Chris,

Once again, great trip and I wanted to thank both you and Julie for being such wonderful hosts. The island is a unique place to spend time with the Puffins and, now, my collection of Puffin shots is making it somewhat overwhelming to choose my favorites. I guess that's the objective.

Frank Sheets

White-rumped Sandpiper

White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis, Bécasseau à croupion blanc, WRSA) 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 2,500, f/8 @ 1/1,600s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

A White-rumped Sandpiper photographed foraging in the seaweed with my Sony a9, Sony 600mm f/4 and 2X Teleconverter from my recent PUFFINS GALORE DELUXE WORKSHOP.

KUDOS:

My wife and I have taken two trips with Chris Dodds, Eagles in Homer, Alaska (EAGLES GALORE), and Puffins in Quebec (PUFFINS GALORE DELUXE EDITION), and both trips have produced a portfolio of epic photos.

The first trip to photograph Eagles was well-organized: transportation was outlined, a meeting place was established, and we received  suggestions as to equipment, clothing, weather, and what to expect well in advance. Chris had arranged our lodging, and upon arrival, we have a short briefing on what to expect during the course of the workshop. Transportation to the site was supplied, and to say the location and the subject was excellent is an understatement.
At times, we had forty-plus eagles overhead. Chris provided suggestions as to camera settings and provided whatever guidance was required during the shoot. Chris is very helpful and a fountain of knowledge of photography, but he doesn’t push it on you. And his head was never in the viewfinder of our cameras; he photographed, but never gave the feeling that he was on a shoot and his clients were just along for the ride.

The second trip was to Quebec to photograph Puffins. Again, the workshop was well-organized as outlined above: transportation to the site was suggested along with places to spend the previous night as we were to meet in a remote area with meager places to spend the night and dine. Boat transportation to the site was provided, and at times the puffins seemed to swarm. Chris gave us pointers on shooting small, fast-flying birds as well as the equipment necessary for closeup portrait of shy little subjects.

My wife and I have travelled all over the world, and Chris stands out among the many professional photographers we have been with. He is low key, has a good sense of humour (humour, in Canada) has a great knowledge of photography which he will share with any photographer in his groups, regardless of their experience level. We will certainly travel with Chris again.

Carl (and Cheryl) Shneider

Semipalmated Plover with shrimp

Semipalmated Plover with a Shrimp (Charadrius semipalmatus, Pluvier semipalmé, SEPL) 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 4,000, f/8 @ 1/1,600s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

Here's a Semipalmated Plover with a shrip at the absolute minimum focusing distance from my recent PUFFINS GALORE DELUXE WORKSHOP. We had a great time with shorebirds on the seaweed covered rocks at low tide.

Herring Gull and Sea Urchin

Herring Gull with a Sea Urchin (Larus argentatus, Goéland argenté, HEGU) 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 @ 1/3,200s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

Here's a Herring Gull about to drop a Sea Urchin from my recent PUFFINS GALORE DELUXE WORKSHOP. There was an abundance of Sea Urchins and the Herring Gulls were taking full advantage.

While researching the 950 species of Sea Urchin to correctly identify the species I had photographed, I discovered an interesting Oceans and Fisheries Canada document about the Green Sea Urchin Fishery in Canada. You can find it HERE https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/245512.pdf

Atlantic Puffin Portrait in the fog

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.

Here's another Atlantic Puffin portrait from my recent 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.

Atlantic Puffin Portrait

Atlantic Puffin PORTRAIT (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.

KUDOS:

Chris: Just a quick note to express my appreciation for the fine workshop (PUFFINS GALORE DELUXE WORKSHOP) hosting provided by you and Julie, along with Louise and Marie-Josée and the charming Auberge facilities.  We were fortunate to have such good weather and abundant puffin activity, and your guidance and tips were very helpful, even for a long-time Sony mirrorless shooter.  I found the other clients quite interesting and enjoyed sharing the experience with all of them.  Despite some travel challenges to and from the Mingan Archipelago, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and look forward to the prospect of joining you in another workshop in the future.
 
Again, thank you for your excellent leadership and engaging fellowship on Iles aux Parroquets – now to plough through the 30,000+ images I brought back to find the “exceptional” few!
 
Best regards,

Gordon Norman

Atlantic Puffin a la Sony 600mm f/4 and 1.4X

Atlantic Puffin Landing in golden light (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 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm ISO 2,000, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

KUDOS

"Puffins Galore" is a very apt name for this photography workshop with Christopher Dodds on L'Ile Aux Perroquets in the St. Lawrence Seaway. Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots, and many shorebirds use this little island in the Mingan Archipelago as their nesting home during the breeding season and the place is alive with activity with many opportunities for images of birds in flight and birds around their burrows. Chris Dodds is acquainted with every aspect of puffin behaviour and is very generous with time and advice; he helped me improve my skills capturing images of fast-moving birds. Everyone in the group came away with images that they were thrilled with. The guest house on the island is a converted lighthouse keeper's residence and provides a very comfortable experience. The meals alone would be worth the trip. Puffins Galore and much, much more.

-Paul Ludden

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla, Bécasseau semipalmé, SESA) 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 2,000, f/8 @ 1/3,200s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

Here is a Semipalmated Sandpiper landing on the seaweed covered rocks at low tide during my Puffins Galore (and so much more) workshop in Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve of Canada. I got down low and installed my 2X onto the new Sony 600mm f/4 which made for an incredible 1,200mm f/8 lens when paired with the Sony a9.

Stay tuned for a mini-review of the new lens soon!

Brown Bear Cub Portrait

Coastal Brown Bear Spring Cub PORTRAIT (Ursus arctos) Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens  with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm ISO 1,000, f/8 @ 1/400s Manual exposure.

Another spring cub from my recent Coastal Brown Bear boat trip in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Getting down low below eye level makes for a much more intimate portrait. Not always easy when the subject is in long grass, so having this cub stand on the edge of it's day bed looking directly at us for a fraction of a second was a gift - smile.

Coastal Brown Bear Spring Cubs

Coastal Brown Bear Spring Cub Triplets (Ursus arctos) Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens  with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm ISO 400, f/5.6 @ 1/2,000s Manual exposure.

We had so many encounters with mothers and cubs during my bear boat trip, but this set of triplets stole the show. These are spring cubs that were born in the den sometime between December and March after a gestation period of 180-270 days; likely while the mother was still hibernating. They were toothless and only weighed about a pound when they were born.

Coastal Brown Bear Spring Cub

 

Coastal Brown Bear Spring Cub Standing (Ursus arctos) Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens  with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm ISO 1,600, f/5.6 @ 1/2,000s Manual exposure.

KUDOS:

Last week I finished editing my photos from the Alaska Bear Boat Trip, and I have lots of photos that I consider good.  After what I have learned in your workshops, I am very conservative to call a photo “good” but can report that I have many more good photos from the trip than I expected to get.

The photo opportunities in Katmai National Park were numerous, the weather was cooperative, and trips to shore resulted in excellent light.  You work hard to make your trips productive, informational, and an opportunity to improve one’s photography, and this trip was no exception.

The other participants were courteous and positive individuals with whom it was fun to share travel and photographic experiences.  As you know I have been on more than a dozen trips with you and often there are other repeat customers/photographers on the trips.  My experience is that the photographers who make multiple trips with you are always individuals with whom it is a pleasure to spend 3-7 days.  Many of these people are as interested in my photography as they are in their own, and frequently it is possible to learn from one another. These folks are friends by the end of the trip, and I look forward to seeing them again in the future.  The crew of the boat is helpful, the cook is experienced, the bear guide is knowledgeable, and the food is elegant.  It was amazing to eat so much good food on the boat considering the limited facilities and space in which to prepare the meals.

This trip is not inexpensive but is the most memorial trip which you offer.  The success of my photography from this trip is a result of the specific organization of this trip but also from the invaluable photographic expertise that I have gotten from your trips in this past.  I have and do recommend your trips to other photographers as a fun way to spend time and improve their photography.  You have helped me become a better photographer and I am happy to call you “friend”.   Best wishes to you and your wife, Julie.

Dennis

Coastal Brown Bear Cubs Jousting

Coastal Brown Bear Cubs JOUSTING (Ursus arctos) Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens  with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm ISO 1,600, f/5.6 @ 1/2,000s Manual exposure.

I'm just home from my Coastal Brown Bear boat photo tour in Alaska. We had amazing weather, epic opportunities with mothers and cubs, and one fantastic group of repeat clients who have all become great friends over the years!

We spent about an hour with these two siblings jousting in the golden last light at about 10:30PM. Shooting at 20FPS when the action was hot and heavy left us with more images than some knew what to do with. To quickly cull the images down to a manageable portfolio, I always look for captivating expressions, at least one eye visible on each bear & preferably a catch-light in both visible eyes.