Less is More: Finding Freedom with only the Sony a9 III and 400-800mm in Florida

I am live and buzzing in the Florida sunshine, ready for the start of my Ospreys Galore Workshop tomorrow! I just landed yesterday, and this morning, I was out before the sun rose and the dew fully lifted. And let me tell you, the light? Absolutely glorious. The wind? Just a whisper, and in the perfect direction. And the subjects? Spectacular roseate spoonbills. Pink perfection against the early morning glow.

Roseate Spoonbill landing in spectacular first light (Platalea ajaja, Spatule rosée, Espátula rosada, ROSP). Image made April 4, 2025, while scouting for my Ospreys of Florida Workshop. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS Lens @400mm ISO 4,000, f/6.3 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image

I made a rather deliberate choice for this trip: JUST the revolutionary Sony a9 III and the brand-spankin'-new Sony FE 400–800 mm F6.3–8 G OSS. Just one incredible camera body and one incredible zoom lens. And after this morning’s session, any lingering doubt I might have had has completely vanished.

Getting here was a breeze, literally. Travelling with a single, lightweight, small camera bag (an 18-litre bag with room to spare) felt unbelievably liberating. No more juggling multiple cases, no more strategic repacking in airport security. It was a refreshing reminder that less truly can be more, even before you click the shutter.

But this morning… this morning was the real confirmation. Those spoonbills, with their vibrant plumage and elegant movements, were simply breathtaking. And having the reach and versatility of that 400-800mm lens allowed me to capture them in ways I could only have dreamed of with a more restrictive setup. Whether I was framing a tight portrait of their unique bill or capturing a closer scene of them landing directly toward me, the camera and lens delivered. And the a9 III’s speed and responsiveness? It’s like the camera anticipates the action.

There’s a certain joy in simplifying your tools. You become more attuned to your surroundings and more focused on the moment. You’re not fumbling through a bag of lenses, second-guessing your choices. You’re present, you’re ready, and you’re making the most of the gear you have.

Seeing those spoonbills in that perfect light, knowing I had the right tool for the job, was pure magic. This single-lens approach isn’t a limitation; it’s a focused freedom. And after such a spectacular start, I’m even more excited to see what the rest of my Florida adventure holds. Stay tuned!

Common Raven Firesky Shilouette

Ah, Raven! That feathered fiend, that sly sky-pirate of pranks! Forget your garden-variety trickster; Raven doesn't just pull a fast one; they orchestrate elaborate, gravity-defying, giggle-inducing spectacles! Picture this: a perfectly normal Tuesday, then poof! Suddenly, the sun's wearing a monocle, fish are singing opera, and your shoes are inexplicably filled with feathers. With a wink and a cackle, Raven dances through the chaos, a master of metamorphosis, turning the world into their personal, delightfully absurd playground. They're not just mischievous; they're a whirlwind of whimsical transformations, leaving everyone wondering if reality itself has joined the April Fool's festivities.

Common Raven Firesky Silhouette (Corvus corax, Grand corbeau, CORA). Quebec, Canada, while testing the new Sony 400-800mm zoom lens. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS Lens @800mm ISO 3,200, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

Happy Holidays

Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa, Chouette Lapone, GGOW) ©Christopher Dodds from my Winter Snowy Owls Workshop in Ontario from January 2005. Join me for my winter owl workshops this January/February. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Snowy Owl Workshop Update - They are back!

I have been predicting a good winter for Snowy Owls, and although it is too early to know for sure, it looks more and more like it will be. I had my first Snowy Owl on the drive back to Montreal from Toronto after my Sony Presentations at ProFusion Expo! It was perched beside the highway at a truck scale, making it an easy choice to stop and grab my 100-400 for a portrait - and it never flew away - smile.

Since the February 3-7 trip sold out in record time, I have added another workshop from Feb. 10-14, 2024. Click the image to learn more or sign up.

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Quebec, Canada. Sony a1 mirrorless camera body Sony & Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @400mm F/5.6 ISO 5,000 @ 1/5,000s.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July to all of my American friends and family. This image was made during my annual Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska every March. The predawn colours in the sky were a fantastic pallet of pastels - and the Eagles were singing their morning chorus. What could be better?

Bald Eagle Call of the Wild (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) near Homer, Alaska. 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 6,400, f/8 @ 1/3,200s. Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my Eagles Galore workshop in March. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Yellow Warbler Baby eating a Mayfly

An image from 20 years ago that I just reprocessed for publication. A baby Yellow Warbler photographed just seconds after a Mayfly was delivered by its father for breakfast. Flashback 20 years, and you will find me with my first professional digital camera, the Nikon 1DX, paired with a Nikon 300mm f/2.8 doubler with a flash and a Better Beamer flash extender to add a little catchlight and fill the shadows. There have been so many advances in the digital photography world …….

Yellow warbler baby eating a Mayfly (Setophaga petechia, Pauline jaune, YEWA) From long ago on June 18, 2004. ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Nikon 1DX & Nikon 300mm f/2.8 Lens with Nikon 2X Teleconverter @600mm. ISO 400, f/7.6 @ 1/2,50s Manual exposure with fill flash and Better Beamer flash extender.

Razorbill in flight with fish takeout

It’s not only Puffins: A Razorbill bringing home some fish for its baby during my Deluxe Atlantic Puffins and so much more Workshop.

Black Guillemots Cuddling

A pair of Black Guillemots on seaweed at low tide from my Deluxe Puffins Galore and so much more workshops in Quebec. The Atlantic Puffins always steal the show, but there are some other great opportunities for other species during the workshop.

Savannah Sparrow on Fireweed

A Savannah Sparrow posed on some Fireweed during my Deluxe Puffins Galore and so much more workshop in Quebec. Savannah Sparrows nest on the island and are easy to photograph as they forage and return to their nests with food for their babies.

Prothonotary warbler with a spider

We had a great time photographing the Prothonotary warblers during my Songbirds of Pelee workshop; this one brought its dinner to show off at the minimum focusing distance of my lens.

Prothonotary warblers eat adult insects and larvae (primarily aquatic insects), ants, caterpillars, mayflies, beetles, and other insects, as well as snails and other small mollusks, spiders, and some seeds.

Summer Tanager

Here is a Summer Tanager from my Songbirds of Pelee workshop in 2005 that I recently rediscovered while looking for the Ruby-crowned Kinglet image posted HERE.

For all intents and propose, it is simply a “bird on a stick,” but I love the monochromatic setting that accentuated the bird's colours. I significantly desaturated the red channel to prevent it from looking fluorescent, as the older digital cameras had a really hard time with the reds.

I had skipped over this one because there was too much noise (for me). I am blown away by the new AI-powered noise removal in the recently updated Adobe Camera Raw. The unfortunate side of this discovery is the time I will have to invest in reprocessing my older images.

There is still limited space for my free Sony Photo Walks at the end of May. The walks will be in English on Saturday, May 27, and in French on Sunday, May 28. There is a $15 charge to prevent no-shows with limited seating, but you will get a $15 Gosselin Photo gift card at the event. Click on the image below to register:

Free Photo Walks in Montréal Sponsored by Sony and Gosselin Photo

Proud to announce that I will be hosting free photo walks with Sony of Canada and Gosselin Photo at Parc-nature du Bois-de-L'Île-Bizard in Montréal, Québec, on May 27 in English and May 28 in French. Sony will have some cameras and lenses for you to try, and both Gosselin Photo and Sony will have staff helping out. There is limited space, so book your spot soon! Follow the links below to learn more.

Fière d'annoncer que j'organiserai des marches photo gratuites avec Sony du Canada et Gosselin Photo au Parc-nature du Bois-de-L'Île-Bizard à Montréal, Québec, le 27 mai en anglais et le 28 mai en français. Sony aura des appareils photo et des objectifs à essayer, et Gosselin Photo et Sony auront du personnel pour vous aider. Le nombre de places est limité, alors réservez vite votre place ! Suivez les liens ci-dessous pour en savoir plus.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet revisited

I am working on something special with Sony of Canada and Gosselin Photo at Parc-nature du Bois-de-L'Île-Bizard in Montréal, Québec, on May 27 in English and May 28 in French. Follow the links below to learn more.

While working on the event, I came across this image of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet made at Parc-nature du Bois-de-L'Île-Bizard in Montreal on OCTOBER 8, 2004, with a Canon 1D MK II, 500mm f/4 & 1.4X extender.

I reprocessed the image using the latest Adobe Camera Raw and the new noise reduction with AI. Talk about giving new life to an old favourite image! I am thrilled with the results!

The image was made at 1/50s at ISO 200 because those early digital cameras couldn’t produce quality images at higher ISO. I remember how many photos were thrown away because the subject had moved. So happy today with the ultra-high ISO performance of my Sony Alpha 1s which allows me to shoot at 20,000 ISO comfortably!

This image won the bird photography category and best overall picture in the only photo competition that I have ever entered :)

Bald Eagle and sun Silhouette

Here’s another silhouette from my recent Eagles Galore workshop in Alaska. After one of the most memorable afternoons with the Eagles (high winds from directly behind us during a four-hour outing), we were all desperately trying to keep our fingers warm as the temperature dropped; there were Eagles all over the beach begging for silhouettes - smile.

Bald Eagle with fish birdscape

We had spectacular light for both of my Eagles Galore workshops in Alaska. This was from a very windy day which meant that the eagles would grab a fish and fly directly into the heavy gusts, which propelled them skyward while quickly gaining altitude - often banking to reveal their fresh catch against the mountains while illuminated by the golden light.

Bald Eagle Fishing Silhouette

Creating pleasing silhouettes is much easier than you might think. Look back through this blog, and you will find that my exposure settings for silhouettes are almost always the same. I always point my camera to the brightest part of the sky and set the ISO to 400, aperture to f/5.6 and shutter speed to 1/5,000 of a second; this will always produce a sharp and noise-free image.

In post-capture processing, I slide the black point and shadow slider to ensure my subject is black. I usually slide the colour temperature to the right - remember this is a creative process and adjust to taste!

Bad Eagle Hunting

Another Bald Eagle on the hunt photographed during my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska with the Sony FE 100-400mm G Master zoom lens @ 263mm.

Bald Eagle Snowy Portrait

A Bald Eagle photographed during my Eagles Galore Workshop with the Sony FE 100 to 400mm G Master lens @ 330mm while it was lightly snowing.

Bald Eagle Portrait on black

Here is another portrait of a Bald Eagle made with the Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6 G Master lens at 400mm. The dark background makes for a much more dramatic image :)

Bald Eagle Portrait/Stare

Q: Hi Chris, I am interested in your Bald Eagle workshop in Alaska. My longest lens is the Sony 100-400, and I am worried that I won’t get close enough to the action/Eagles - especially for portraits.

A: Hey Marc, As this image demonstrates, we will get close to the Eagles. This portrait was made with the same Sony 100-400mm lens that you own - smile.