Long-Billed Thrasher, Ramirez Family Ranch, Roma, Texas
©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com
Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 500mm F4 Lens with 1.4X II Tele-converter
ISO 400, F6.3, 1/200s Aperture priority (evaluative +1/3), Flash ETTL II -2+2/3
KUDOS:
Before leaving for Florida, Alabama and Texas, I gave a slide presentation to Bird Protection Quebec. Here's a note I received:
April, 2009
To whom it may concern
At our April monthly meeting we invited Christopher Dodds to gave a presentation on bird photography. There were about 60 people in attendance including numerous of our membership interested in bird photography.
It was evident very quickly that Chris has a complete command of his profession. He is clearly a gifted photographer, with an artistic eye, and considerable knowledge and interest in birds. He used his superb photography, detailed discussion of his photographic technques in obtaining his shots, and his engaging presentation style to gain the attention of all the audience, photographer and non-photographer alike. The crowd that gathered around him to ask questions after his presentation is testament as to how well it was received. I even had two people email me after about how much they liked his presentation, which is an unusual occurance.
I heartily recommend Chris to other organizations looking for a speaker on photography or nature photography.
Jeff Harrison (Vice-President, Bird Protection Quebec)
Thanks for your kind words, Jeff.
On the road again:
Ah, the glamourous life! I'll be hitting the road at two am tomorrow morning to make the twelve hour drive to Point Pelee National Park in Leamington, Ontario. I hope to get there with a few hours to photograph, before my workshop starts with a slideshow at 7PM. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to make posts here, but I'll pop in whenever I have something to share.
MORE KUDOS:
He's a note I received from Gill Arden (and Bob Zarnke) after my Eagles of Homer Workshop back in March (I look forward to seeing Gill and Bob tomorrow, as they are attending my Point Pelee workshop):
After months of anticipation, being delayed by a snow storm in Minneapolis, and the drive from Anchorage I was in a state of excessive excitement as we waited for the feeding of the eagles. Suddenly there were so many flurries of birds, swooping, diving and retreating every which way, that I became overwhelmed. Chris appeared alongside me, calmed me down, reminded me that we were there for 5 more days and suggested I just stand, watch and enjoy. Then return to my camera, not chase everything that moved but to pick a zone and wait for action. Still bewildered I followed his instruction and to my amazement took many keepers.
Although Chris was only one of many photographers he carried on Jean’s legacy of respect for the birds and local people. He quietly suggested alternative parking spots to those who happened on private property, he organized helpers to unload fish and he called in help for an injured otter stranded on the beach.
He had suggestions for our down time and took us on several drives to enjoy the locale, he took us to excellent eating places and suggested great things to buy. Oh yes, he enabled us to raise our photography standards to yet another level. He’s answered many questions since we returned and is always ready to help. We look forward to our next trip with him.
If you want personal attention or just a guide who knows where and when to go, what to look for and the best way to photograph it then Chris is your man!