How to expose for fog: Northern Gannet Landing with Seaweed in Fog

My second group was treated to some heavy fog and wind while at the Gannetry on Bonaventure Island. Fog is often misunderstood by eager photographers; The histogram shifts everything right when properly exposed for the highlights, which results in an image without much contrast. Once captured properly, it is very much up to the photographer to make adjustments post-capture to reflect the intended artistic result: adjusting the black point to taste can result in an image that looked very much like the photographer saw it, or almost completely remove the fog by adjusting the black point.

Adobe Camera Raw histogram of the raw image above. Notice the distinct lack of any black point or shadow. It is imperative to record data all the way to the right of the histogram, with careful attention to not touch the right side which results in loss of details in the highlights.

Northern Gannet Landing with seaweed

This is the very first image from the last day of my recently concluded back-to-back Gannets Galore workshops on Bonaventure Island in Quebec, Canada. The sky was a gift with its pastel pallet shifting with the changing, but diffused light. The Sony Alpha 1 performed flawlessly even when no one else could rely on auto-focus in the heavy fog we had on two mornings; The newest Nikon and Canon cameras were struggling. More in a future post….

Join me next June for my June 5-7, 2023 Gannets Galore and so much more workshops. Learn more HERE.

Atlantic Puffin Sunset Landing

An Atlantic Puffin landing in golden light with wings fully spread was photographed during my Deluxe Puffins Galore workshop in Quebec, Canada.

Join me for the Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop in Quebec, Canada

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Join me for the Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop in Quebec, Canada ~

Join me August 10-13, 2022 for a dream Puffin adventure on a beautiful little island in The Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Our accommodations are in a newly restored lighthouse and the gourmet food is to die for! We will have easy access to the island’s Puffins and Razorbills from before dawn until after sunset. A Photographer’s dream!

Atlantic Puffin and the red boathouse

An Atlantic Puffin in golden light against an out of focus red boathouse makes for something completely different. Image made in camera during my Deluxe Atlantic puffin workshop in Quebec, Canada.

Atlantic puffin in Flight in Golden Light

An Atlantic Puffin battles heavy winds while landing at its nesting site in the very last drops of golden light. Join me for a deluxe adventure of a lifetime on a little island full of Puffins and Razorbills. We will be the only inhabitants on the island and have exclusive use of the lighthouse and newly restored accommodations. Did I mention the gourmet food? Learn more about the Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop HERE.

Razorbill in flight with fish

The striking black-and-white Razorbill nests in cliffside colonies overlooking the ocean, often among murres, fulmars, puffins and kittiwakes. It uses its sharp, hatchet-shaped bill to catch fish underwater, sometimes diving to 100 meters (330 feet).

Incredibly, the oldest known Razorbill was at least 41 years old It was banded as a nestling on Bardsey Island in the United Kingdom in 1968, and was resighted while breeding in 2009.

Atlantic Puffin in Flight with Fish

There are still two spots left for the newly added August 10-13, 2022 Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop. Join me for an incredible experience that all starts when we move into our newly restored lighthouse accommodations. After a delicious gourmet lunch, we walk about 200 meters (yard) and start photographing Puffins galore! In the mix will be Razorbills, Common Murres, Eiders, Savannah Sparrows, Whales, Grey Seals and so much more!

“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!”

— Gordon Norman California | USA

Atlantic Puffin Post Sunset Stretch

An Atlantic Puffin stretches against a magical magenta sky after sunset during my Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop.

Do you like Puffins? Gourmet food? uber cool accommodations? Join me from August 10 to 13, 2022 for an exceptional adventure in a lighthouse on a little island in the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence. This is a truly deluxe adventure with some of the very best Puffin photography in the world. Learn more about my Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop HERE.

“The Puffins Galore Workshop on I’ile aux Perroquets exceeded my expectations. Chris is an exceptional photographer, teacher, and all around good guy. He was quick to point out the best photographic opportunities for the group, taking into account the constantly changing weather, light and tides. He was always available to answer questions and give tips, catering to all levels of experience in the group. The accommodations were excellent and the food was first rate. Our chefs/housekeepers/hostesses, Louise and Johanne, were amazing. The photographic opportunities were endless with an unbelievable number of puffins as well as razorbills, guillemots, gulls, whales and seals. This was my first photography workshop and I am looking forward to my next adventure with Chris.”

— Mark Adkins Rochester| MN

Atlantic Puffin Portrait in the Mist

Thoughts on depth of field….

I recently had a conversation with another photographer who suggested that the ONLY way to make a portrait like this (headshot of a Puffin) was to stop down to f/22. As you can see from this image, f/8 rendered the face and bill sharp, while the rest of the image/bird is out of focus. The result here is the essential parts that are sharp, the face, eye and bill, pop as the result of the rest of the image being soft :) That said, I most certainly do stop down to f/22 to increase the depth of field while trying to get a portrait like this with the Puffin looking directly at me.

Join me August 10-13, 2022 for a Dream Lighthouse Island Deluxe Puffin Adventure. This is the very best of Puffin photography with beautifully restored lighthouse accommodations and gourmet food. We will be the island’s only occupants besides the hundreds of Atlantic Puffins that we can get close to. Learn More:

https://www.chrisdoddsphoto.com/deluxe-puffins-galore-workshop-photo-tour

“The four days and three nights on the I'ile aux Perroquets (Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop) will go down in my mind as one of those life experiences that will stay with me forever. That isle is a very special place. You did an incredible job. I was thinking about you on the trip back. What does it take to be a top-notch photographer as well as a gentlemanly guide, teacher, chaperone, and friend? You have a unique set of skills that somehow pull off the attributes necessary. Each and every one of us that left that island felt as though we had made a personal connection with you. That is no easy task. Must be a Canadian thing! Keep doing what you're doing. A very sincere "thank you" to you. This trip exceeded all expectations.”

— Paul Treseler Massachusetts | USA

Thanks, Paul. Pauls has been back every year since, and has signed up for two back-to-back workshops this year :)

Learn More about the Deluxe Puffins Galore Dream Lighthouse Adventure HERE

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Learn More about the Deluxe Puffins Galore Dream Lighthouse Adventure HERE 〰️

Atlantic Puffin with fish STORMY SKIES

Here is an image from a dark and overcast day during my Deluxe Puffins Galore Photo Tour in 2019. Knowing how much I dislike completely white skies, I shot this loose with the intention of replacing the sky with a more visually appealing one :) After I finished the colour version, I immediately thought that I would like to see a black & white version; Leave a comment with your preference, and why you prefer one over the other.

Black & White Atlantic Puffin with fish STORMY SKIES (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. 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 ISO 2,000, f/4 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full Frame. White sky replaced with Photoshop. Converted to Black & White with Nik Silver Efex Pro.

Atlantic Puffin with fish STORMY SKIES (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. 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 ISO 2,000, f/4 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full Frame. White sky replaced with Photoshop.

KUDOS

I have done Chris’ Puffins Galore workshop twice. The Puffins workshop is absolutely top-notch. Chris is an excellent host, along with his wife Julie, and is one of the premiere bird photographers in the world. You will learn tons and go home with a portfolio of Puffin (and razor bill) portraits and flight with fish. Also, the accommodations and food are excellent on the island. Do it, if there is room. - Frank Sheets

Join the Deluxe Atlantic Puffin Workshop Adventure

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Join the Deluxe Atlantic Puffin Workshop Adventure 〰️

I have been in search of the ultimate destination for an Atlantic Puffin workshop/safari for a very long time. The mandate was simple; find a location that is within reach, safe and easy to get to without a dangerous boat landing on slippery rocks and a place where we can get close to these comical little seabirds without hauling our gear up, and over, huge distances or having to hang over towering cliffs; a place where anyone can comfortably reach, regardless of age or physical ability; a place with reliable, safe and easy boat landings. I have photographed Atlantic Puffins in Iceland, England, Scotland, Wales, Maine, Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Quebec; All of these "known" places have their drawbacks., and I simply can't imagine subjecting my clients to the abuse. Mission accomplished; I have found Puffin Paradise. This is the very best place in the world to photograph Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills fishing, with fish in their bills, in-flight and in golden light.

Northern Gannet Over-the-Top

A Northern Gannet cartwheels while calling at the top of its dive in the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence, Quebec, Canada. We have had some epic time photographing from the early morning Zodiac excursions during my Gannets Galore Workshops in Percé, Quebec, Canada.

Harlequin Duck

A Harlequin Duck stretches its wings on the rocks of Bonaventure Island. Image made hand-held from the early morning Zodiac boat trip around the island.

KUDOS

Many thanks to Chris for a wonderful and exciting photography experience. Your professionalism, talent, patience and knowledge helped to make the Gannets Galore photo trip an experience of a lifetime. The hundreds of thousands of Northern Gannets on Bonaventure Island were unbelievable. I took thousands of photographs of Northern Gannets in their everyday activities. They were elegant, comical, clumsy, arguing, fishing, sleeping, working, copulating, preening and fencing. It was nonstop and exhilarating. Now, I get to my favourite part - the Zodiac tour around Bonaventure Island. It’s 5:00 am and we start the 4-hour trip to see dozens of species of birds and seals as well as a couple of Minke whales. The 4 hours seemed to pass like minutes. The Harlequin ducks and Black Guillemots were among my favourites and a real treat to observe and photograph.

- Gordie Kadonoff Hampstead | Quebec | Canada

Red Fox on the cliffs of Bonaventure Island

Aside from the 100,000’s seabirds on the cliffs of Bonaventure Island, there are always special treats available from the Zodiac for the adventurous photographers. Here is a Red Fox emerging from a hole in the rocks along the cliffs of Bonaventure Island. Photographed from our Zodiac during my Bonaventure Island Gannets Galore workshop.

"An excellent professor of the art"

"Now in September, with the images of our Northern Gannet workshop processed and filed, I want to thank you for your outstanding planning and execution of our adventure/trek/shoot on Bonaventure Island this summer. It was a pleasure to be your customer/client.
 Your execution provided an experience to make it one of the two best that I have been a part of in my many years of summer shoots. Given the uncertainties of rain, tides, winds, and clouds, you exploited so well every opportunity that came our way. On these trips the purpose is to get good looks at the birds. The some 3,100 exposures that I came home with were solid evidence that I got the looks at this magnificent gannet I was hoping for ---I netted many quality images. Good stuff now in the files. 
Our housing was just what we want: accessible, comfortable, clean and a good buy. The schedule was chock full, we did not have avoidable down minutes, and we squeezed all of the looks available to us out of the time and conditions available. The access to an ATV to tote our gear from the dock to the colony, for a guy of my age, was a real plus and that comes about only with your obvious advance work and solid relationships with the park folks.
 The trip on the water to the far side of the island was a highlight for me and shows best your foresight and planning to get us in not otherwise available, shooting positions. That was unique time, extraordinary. 
But most of all, Chris, your ever-present availability to be immediately responsive to our technical photographic and logistical questions makes this trip so exceptional. So many of the shoot producers put themselves above and before the client-photographer and are spending more time getting their own shots or just not being around when you need their advice. You stay available to provide professional guidance to the guys and gals paying for the experience. I observed that no question is too mundane; you patiently helped the rookies, just as you did the most advanced. Personally, I improved my techniques and banked a good range of knowledge, thanks to you. 
 

My summary: You are an excellent professor of the art, a solid expedition planner, a constant steward of the details, and a good guy with whom to spend days on a trek. 
I'm very interested in getting some Spring/nesting shots of that Atlantic Puffin. If you put together such a trip, please let me know. 
I look forward to another shoot with the unique Dodds' touch. 
Continued success to you, with all best wishes,

Andy Hays Chicago, Illinois, USA"

Learn more about the Gannets Galore Workshop Adventure with Christopher Dodds CLICK HERE

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Learn more about the Gannets Galore Workshop Adventure with Christopher Dodds CLICK HERE 〰️

Northern Gannet Singing in the rain

Last Chance to join the Ultimate Northern Gannet Adventure CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE or SIGN-UP!!

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Last Chance to join the Ultimate Northern Gannet Adventure CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE or SIGN-UP!! 〰️

Northern Gannets SINGING IN THE RAIN (Morus Bassanus, Fou de Bassan) from my Gannets Galore Workshop on Bonaventure Island, Quebec in 2013 ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. 70-300mm @188mm ISO 400, F9 1/400s Manual exposure with balanced flash.

A Northern Gannet calls in the rain and I used a flash set in manual mode as balanced light to add the glitter :)

There is still a couple of spots available for my June 10-13, 2022 Gannets trip due to unvaccinated participants who decided to postpone another year.

Join me for the ultimate immersive bird photography workshop! We start each day onboard a 28-foot Zodiac Hurricane under the bird-filled cliffs of Bonaventure Island. We’ll be photographing diving Gannets, Common Murres, Razorbills, Harlequin Ducks, and Black Guillemots while getting close to Grey Seals and Whales. After our daily Zodiac adventure, it’s off to the colony with the park staff transporting our gear on their Kawasaki Mule, making our walk an easy and pleasant one!

Join the ADVENTURE to Bonaventure Island for Gannets Galore LEARN MORE CLICK HERE

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Join the ADVENTURE to Bonaventure Island for Gannets Galore LEARN MORE CLICK HERE 〰️

Northern Gannets SPOONING

Here is an image from 2013 that I have looked at so many times! It is extraordinary how affectionate Gannets can be!

There is still a couple of spots available for my June Gannets trips due to unvaccinated participants who decided to postpone another year.

Join me for the ultimate immersive bird photography workshop! We start each day onboard a 28-foot Zodiac Hurricane under the bird-filled cliffs of Bonaventure Island. We’ll be photographing diving Gannets, Common Murres, Razorbills, Harlequin Ducks, and Black Guillemots while getting close to Grey Seals and Whales. After our daily Zodiac adventure, it’s off to the colony with the park staff transporting our gear on their Kawasaki Mule, making our walk an easy and pleasant one!

Northern Gannet Calling

Keywords are important

Here is an image of a Northern Gannet from my workshop on Bonaventure Island. I named the image “Northern Gannet Calling” despite the fact that it was yawning to make the image more visible to photo buyers who are more likely to search for “calling” than “yawning” - smile.

Make portraits more intimate

I always strive to get down to my subject’s eye level or lower to make a more intimate portrait. Waiting for the perfect pose, catchlight and behaviour from a low vantage point always makes for a more successful image.

Northern Gannet Eye Detail

When it’s bright, work tight!

Bright hot days at a seabird colony or on safari in Africa can be brutal with harsh light making harsh shadows. I always think about “zooming in” and working tight - preferably in the shade. This image was made in the shade of the “Belvedere” (balcony) immersed in the colony and surrounded by Gannets on their nests. I found a small patch of shade and got close with my flash with the diffuser attached.

Gannets Galore on Bonaventure Island Last minute cancellations

Join me for an incredible adventure on Bonaventure Island from June 8 to 10, 2022. The days start early with a 4-hour Zodiac boat trip to photograph diving Gannets and other seabirds (Razorbills, Murres, Harlequins), Whales and Seals. After the Zodiac fun, it is off to the colony with the park staff transporting your gear up to the colony for the rest of the day. One of my favourite trips!

Northern Gannets Eye Detail as used in now defunct Dutch nature photography magazine E & V back in 2010

Special thanks to Danny Ellinger of the Netherlands for choosing my images of Gannets for their magazine feature way back in 2010 - It is a shame the magazine did not stay in business.

Gannets Galore on Bonaventure Island Last minute openings

June 8-10, 2022 Gannets Galore and so much more

I have just had a couple of spots open up on my June 8-10, 2022 Gannets Galore (and so much more) workshop in Percé, Quebec, Canada.

It is easy to see why National Geographic Traveler Magazine rates Gaspé number 3 destination in the world: Jay Walljasper writes on page 50 of the November / December 2009 edition of National Geographic Traveler Magazine, Gaspé ranks # 3 in the world - Congratulations Gaspé!

jutting into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the colorful Gaspé Peninsula offers "oceanfront, islands, and inland mountains" within "excellent parks and reserves," along with "authentic Francophone" villages. A big part of the area's appeal is "tourism development largely on a human scale."

Click HERE for more information on the Gannets of Bonaventure Island Photo Safari at The Parc National de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé and my very favourite bird photography location on planet Earth!

Testimonial

"I just returned from attending my first workshop, my first time in “the Gaspé” and my first experience with shooting birds in flight and I thought I’d share a bit about the experience…

The workshop was given by Christopher Dodds who is often referred to as one of the very best nature photographers in Canada. We were going to spend three days shooting Gannets on L’Ile Bonaventure, Québec (about 30 minutes off the Percé harbour and close to the famous Percé Rock). The Island is a protected habitat for Gannets and access to the Island is only allowed when the Parks Canada staff are there from about 9am to 5pm.

It’s a long uphill climb from the wharf to the top where the birds are, and Park staff say most people take about 45 minutes to an hour. Chris and I made it in about 30 minutes the first day (and got it down to about 25 minutes the following days but if he wanted to, I’m sure Chris could do it in 15!). We could hear the Gannets long before we got to the top and the first view of them – literally thousands and thousands of them – was breathtaking. The unofficial current estimate is at over 500,000 Gannets, now making this the largest colony in the world!

I can't speak highly enough about the experience of shooting with Chris Dodds. Chris is absolutely amazing. He's got tremendous experience and a great eye. The whole experience was way better than my expectations. He’s a far better photographer and workshop leader than I expected. Not only does he produce incredible work, he has the technical knowledge and experience to make this a really worthwhile learning experience. And he gives what is truly a “workshop”, in that he gives constant tips and coaching to make sure all participants are learning (no matter what their experience is or how stubborn and set in their ways they might be – like myself). He doesn’t just lead you to a subject (as many other workshops do), but he gives all the technical support and training you could wish for; he makes sure you are learning the photo techniques needed to improve. Chris and I knocked heads quite a bit those first days (he was right – I was wrong) as he stuck with trying to get me to improve and get out of my comfortable rut.

I liked those three days (and the one pre-workshop day) so much that I decided to stay for a second three-day workshop and luckily Chris still had a spot available. Not only that, but I’m certainly going to return to shoot those Gannets again, hopefully with Chris. In fact I’d love to take any workshop Chris was leading.

We were shooting ALL day... from the time we got to the top until we had to leave. There was absolutely no shortage of birds or birds in flight and that's unlike any other avian photography venue in the world from what everyone was saying. Elsewhere you only have a few hours to shoot and then the birds are gone. We were always the first ones on the Island (with the Park staff) and the last ones to leave (again with the staff).

Chris is so well known there (and so highly regarded) that he and his group were certainly given privileges and access that someone on their own wouldn't get. If (I should say when) I do this again, I'm going to do it with Chris on one of his workshops.

And with Chris, everything was organized for us including lunches; access and transportation to the island, accommodations and of course the great training. I wouldn't do it any other way.

Believe me, if you took such a workshop with Chris you wouldn't regret it! And his repeat clients (of which there were many in both the 3-day workshops I attended) had nothing but raves for him.

An absolutely fabulous time!"

Eldor Gemst | Montreal, QC, Canada

Christopher Dodds featured in 30th Anniversary edition of PhotoNEWS Canada free download

As promised, the free complete digital version of the 30th Anniversary edition of PhotoNEWS Canada is available for download. Download your copy via the buttons below. The French version includes the french cover and feature, as well as the complete English version - one of the bonuses of a bilingual magazine - smile.

Pine Warbler

Point Pelee Migration - Last-minute cancellation!

Due to last-minute cancellation, there is only one spot available on my May 7-11, 2022 Songbirds of Point Pelee Workshop.

Kudos

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!

Michael Lyncheski Gladstone, New Jersey, USA