Canon 7D Firmware V2.0 Available NOW

Christopher Dodds August 9, 2012

Horned Puffin PORTRAIT (Fratercula corniculata, Macareux cornu, HOPU) Saint Paul Island, The Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Canon 1D MK IV, 500mm F4 L IS , 2X Teleconverter III, Tripod & Jobu Jr. 3 ISO 800 f/16 @ 1/250s Manual Mode. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Canon EOS 7D Firmware V2.0 Available NOW

Canon has finally made the new firmware V2.0 for the Canon EOS 7D that we told you about HERE back in June available for FREE download. With improved buffer size increase to a whopping 25, this will be like getting a whole new camera upgrade free. For a list of features, simply follow THIS LINK to my blog post where I shared the Canon Press Release. To Download the free update, simply click the link below:

DOWNLOAD CANON EOS 7D FIRMWARE V2.0 HERE

THE X FACTOR Canon EOS 1DX

Christopher Dodds July 2, 2012

Crested Auklet Profile (Aethia cristatella, CRAU) Saint Paul Island, The Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Canon 1D MK IV, 500mm F4 L IS , 2X Teleconverter III & Canon Extension Tube EF 25 II, Tripod & Jobu Jr. 3 ISO 1,600 f/14 @ 1/160s Manual Mode. Fill flash Canon Speedlite 580EX II with Better Beamer @ -3. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Here's another Crested Auklet from my recent Saint Paul Island Photo Safari. I really do love these dark, out-of-focus wet rocks as backgrounds that we got by pointing straight down from the top of the cliff edge.

The X Factor

Canon Canada has loaned me a Canon EOS 1DX from their VIP loaner pool. I've just taken it ouf the box and set it up for birds in flight photography and will be "putting the boots to it" during my Puffins Galore Workshop; Stay tuned for my mini review after my return home. I am quite excited to try out the latest and greatest offering from Canon - Thank you CPS services Canada!

Snow Goose Dark Morph (Blue Goose, Chen Caerulescens, Oie des neiges) & EOS-1D Mark IV: On-Camera Tutorials

Christopher Dodds September 24, 2010

Snow Goose Dark Morph (or Blue Goose) Landing (Chen Caerulescens, Oie des neiges, SNGO) Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 500mm F4 Lens with 1.4X II Teleconverter, tripod and Wimberley Head II. ISO 400, F5.6, 1/1600s in Manual Mode. CLICK HERE TO ORDER A PRINT OR LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV: On-Camera Tutorials

Canon USA has some pretty useful tutorial videos HERE that explore 13 specific features of the EOS-1D Mark IV. These instructional videos are designed to be viewed at your convenience: Watch them online, on the go, or even on your camera's rear LCD screen -- so you can follow along, every step of the way! If you only get out to shoot once in a while, and often forget how to properly use your Mark IV, then I highly recommend loading these videos onto a spare memory card for easy reference while out in the field.

LCDVF Digital Viewfinder / Magnifier Review & Maine Moose; it's not too late

Christopher Dodds September 7, 2010

Bull Moose Giant of the Northwoods (Alces, Elan, Orignal) Baxter State Park, Maine Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 500mm F4 and 2XII tele-converter Gitzo 1325 Tripod and Wimberley Head II. ISO 400, F8 1/160s Manual. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Moose & Fall Colors of Maine September 27 to October 1, 2010; It's not too late

Only two spots left, so it's not too late to join Christopher Dodds in Baxter State Park and surrounding areas (near Millinocket, Maine) for a truly unique workshop. Our primary focus will be the Moose that are renowned for allowing close human approach. Our trip is also timed to coincide with the amazing fall colors that illuminate Baxter State Park every fall. Though not guaranteed (Moose are wild and free, after all), I often have Moose walking so close to us that we can feel their warm breath in the cool, fall, Maine air. We have traveled far to photograph these majestic giants of the Northern forest, so we won't be spending much time indoors at the computer (like many other photography groups); this trip is all about being out there with the Moose - seeing, being and documenting their behavior during the annual Rut. Other subjects may include White-Tailed Deer, Black Bear, fox and various birds. SEE MORE INFORMATION HERE.

See the blog entries from the 2009 Moose & Fall Colors Workshop / Safari:

The White-Tailed Deer of Baxter State Park Trip Report Part I

American Black Bears of Baxter State Park Trip Report Part II

The Many Moose of Baxter State Park Trip Report Part III

Testimonial

"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, NJ

LCDVF Digital SLR Viewfinder / Magnifier Review

The LCDVF is a 2X loupe that is designed as a LCD viewfinder for video-enabled digital SLR’s. Not only for the video enthusiast, the LCDVF is an invaluable aide to achieve more accurate and precise focus for the still photographer. The loupe also acts to block ambient light while shooting outdoors in live-view mode, or reviewing images on the LCD screen for sharpness and the histogram for exposure accuracy. The LCD ViewFinder turns your DSLR LCD screen into a huge electronic viewfinder for precise image evaluation - it’s like viewing a 42" screen from 140cm (4.6 feet).

The part I like most about the LCDVF, is it’s ingenious adhesive ultra-slim metal frame that secures the LCDVF to your camera using four small magnets (located at the camera end of the loupe frame). The LCDVF ships with two magnetic/adhesive frames; only one frame is needed, the extra one is a spare or could be used on a second camera. The magnets are strong enough to securely hold the LCDVF against your camera, but weak enough to break-away if you forget that the lanyard is around your neck and walk away from your expensive camera set-up with a long lens on a tripod; preventing a possible disaster. The company promises these four magnets aren’t strong enough to damage your camera, it’s electronics or the data on your memory card.

There are two models available; the LCDVF for most cameras with a 3” LCD screen, and the LCDVF 3/2 which is custom fit to the Canon 550D, Rebel T2i and the Kiss X4.

The LCDVF has a removable, rotating rubber eye-cup, and was shipped with a foam/microfiber eye cushion that I found useful and comfortable, it includes are a neck strap with quick release buckle and a neoprene pouch (which is well built, but could be about 20% bigger, in my opinion).

I spend an enormous amount of time reviewing images in the field while photographing and teaching outdoor nature photography workshops. The LCDVF has already proven itself to be durable and water resistant and I already can’t imagine shooting without it. The optics are bright and crisp and the LCDVF offers a great view of the whole 3” screen without loosing sight of the corners.

Help support this site and Purches the LCDVF HERE or LCDVF 3/2 HERE

Visit the LCDVF website HERE.

Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus, Goeland argente, HERG)

Christopher Dodds June 25, 2010

American Herring Gull Emerging with fish (Larus smithsonianus, Goeland argente, HERG) Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure Island, Quebec. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS-1D MKIV, 800mm F5.6 L IS. ISO 400, 1/2000s F5.6 Manual. 580EXII Flash manual full power . Tripod & Wimberley Head II. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

A quick post today to further demonstrate the power of side light to make dramatic, action stopping images in harsh light. This is another image from a good collection produced while Bonaventure Island was closed to visitors during a recent Gannets Galore Bonaventure Island Bird Photography workshop. We made the most of the day by visiting a favorite spot for Common Eider Ducks (we had males, females and babies really close). The gulls (Herring and Great Black-backed) would harass and steal fish from the diving Eiders.

Gannets Galore August 13-15, 2010 - still space available - more information HERE

Canon 800mm F5.6 IS L First impressions....

Yowsa, what an amazing piece of glass! This lens was razor sharp, fast and snappy to acquire auto-focus when used with my EOS 1D Mark IV camera body. Special thanks to Canon Canada for the loan and for giving a chance for workshop participants a chance to "get behind the wheel" and give it a try. New coatings, IS system and design all add up to make this a must have lens - anyone wanna chip-in? (grin).

Photoshop CS5 First Impressions and Guide to Photographing the Black Tern (Chlidonias niger, Guifette noire, BLTE)

Christopher Dodds June 5, 2010

Black Tern Hovering Vertical (Chlidonias niger, Guifette noire, BLTE) Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, Vermont, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS-1D MKII, 70-200mm F2.8L IS (version I) @200mm. ISO 400, 1/1000s F5.6. Hand-held (vertical) from kayak. Cropped slightly top & bottom to fit this aspect ratio. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Photoshop CS5 First Impressions

“The past two decades have demonstrated an amazing interplay between customers who want to push the limits of their personal creativity and a passionate team of Adobe engineers who make those visions a reality,” said Kevin Connor, vice president of product management for professional digital imaging at Adobe. “We experienced this firsthand when we posted a ‘sneak peek’ video of the team’s work on the Content Aware Fill feature a few weeks ago. It quickly became the number one viral video online, with close to 2 million views and its ‘magic’ was one of the top trending Twitter topics of discussion. This version of Photoshop has some of the most innovative and extraordinary technologies to ever come from our labs and clearly customers are already clamouring for it.” Redefining the Image-Editing Experience Now a native 64-bit application on both Mac and Windows®, Photoshop CS5 delivers superior tools and creative control so users can perform advanced image manipulations and compositing with ease. Revolutionary image intelligence behind Content-Aware Fill magically removes any image detail or object, examines the surroundings and seamlessly fills in the space left behind. Lighting, tone and noise of the surrounding area match perfectly, looking as if the removed content never existed. New Refine Edge makes nearly-impossible image selections possible. This innovative technology precisely detects and masks the trickiest types of edges, such as hair and foliage, while eliminating background color contamination. For photographers, Photoshop CS5 now offers next-generation high dynamic range (HDR) capabilities. When combining multiple exposures into a single HDR image, Photoshop CS5 preserves the full tonal range of a scene with unprecedented speed and accuracy. The new HDR Pro offers exceptional ghost artifact removal and greater tone mapping and adjustment control. With HDR toning, users can emulate the striking look of an HDR image with any single-exposure image. -Adobe Press Release April 12, 2010

I'm locked away having fun re-visiting and re-processing older files (this one from 2005) in PhotoShop CS5 - it’s a whole new world for some images. Truth be told; I'm always learning about Photoshop and refining my post capture workflow (usually trying to spend less time working on each image), so it's about time I revisited some older files to apply my new workflow and get the most out of the RAW capture.

While I only barely touch the surface of the plethora of tools in PhotoShop, I am somewhat disappointed with the "content aware" thing that drove their marketing campaign as a “magic eraser tool”. Got an image of a breathtaking vista that has an ugly telephone pole and electric wires across it? No problem: Content Aware to the rescue (it works with the Spot Healing Brush and is an option of the Fill tool); it fills a selected area with data from the surrounding area, so that the lighting, texture, and tonality all match the rest of the image. It didn't work as well as the video that Adobe circulated virally on the web; I had to cleanup with the Clone and Patch tools. But, overall, it is an impressive time-saving feature that will surely evolve by the next release of Photoshop.

The Refine Edge selection dialog box has been redesigned to allow more accurate selections, especially of difficult textured edges, such as a bird’s feathers or tree bark. Not to say that creating masks are now child's play, but with the Refine Radius and Erase Refinements brushes, along with Smart Radius analyzing the edges, the task of working on such difficult subjects isn't as arduous and time consuming. In addition, the Color Decontaminant option helps remove excess background that you might have mistakenly included in your mask.

CS5's HDR-Pro offers enhanced options and new algorithms. Curve tool and sliders for adjusting Vibrance, Saturation, Exposure, Detail provide more precise, highly creative control over the dynamics. The auto deghosting works well at removing artifacts caused by slight differences among the merged photos, like a leaf that might have moved between captures. You can choose which of your original images is to be used as the defining reference to resolve visual conflicts, such as a cloud that might have changed shape between frames. One of the problems with HDR is that you have to start with a series of nearly identical photos, taken at various exposures. The new HDR Toning in CS5 allows you to emulate HDR, using a single image. The controls are quite similar to HDR-Pro, and the tool provides a high degree of creative potential.

The real value to the upgrade, in my humble opinion, is the re-worked Camera Raw converter, ACR (now version 6.1). There are some great new, highly anticipated, enhancements that include the new noise reduction algorithms that now includes sliders for both luminance and color noise (this is worth the price of the upgrade alone), sharpening, grain and post-crop vignette tools. Now you can apply profile-based corrections to accommodate geometric distortions, chromatic aberration and lens vignette effects. Manual corrections for geometric distortion & vertical and horizontal perspective transforms are also available. A handful of lens profiles are included for automatic correction and more can be created by the community with the Adobe Lens Profile Creator. (http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lensprofile_creator/)

Where to photograph the Black Tern

Black Tern is considered "species at risk" in Vermont, and "species of concern" in Ontario. There's a healthy population at Point Pelee in Ontario and Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Vermont. There is also some great opportunities at L'ile Bizard in Quebec. The most accessible (without boat) are at L'ile Bizard in Quebec and then Point Pelee National Park in Ontario. Species status in Vermont has forced the authorities to increase the size of the protected nesting zone at Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Vermont, but you can still shoot them from the road (there's a culvert big enough for a canoe to pass through near the fishing hole / boat ramp that they like to hang around) - it is hit, or miss, though, but there are plenty of low Osprey nests to entertain you if you aren't lucky with the Terns.

Black Tern (Chlidonias niger, Guifette noire, BLTE)

The Black Tern (Chlidonias niger, Guifette noire, BLTE) is a small tern generally found in or near inland water in Europe and North America. As its name suggests, it has predominantly dark plumage. Adult are 25 cm (9.75 in) long, with a wing span 61 cm (24 in), and weigh 62 g (2.2 oz). They have short dark legs and a short, weak-looking black bill, measuring 27-28 mm, nearly as long as the head. The bill is long, slender, and looks slightly decurved. They have a dark grey back, with a white forehead, black head, neck (occasionally suffused with gray in the adult) and belly, black or blackish-brown cap (which unites in color with the ear coverts, forming an almost complete hood), and a light brownish-grey, 'square' tail. The face is white. There is a big dark triangular patch in front of the eye, and a broadish white collar in juveniles. There are grayish-brown smudges on the ides of the white breast, a downwards extension of the plumage of the upperparts. These marks vary in size and are not conspicuous. In non-breeding plumage, most of the black, apart from the cap, is replaced by grey. The plumage of the upperparts is drab, with pale feather-edgings. The rump is brownish-gray. In flight, the build appears slim. The wing-beats are full and dynamic, and flight is often erratic as it dives to the surface for food; similar to other tern species. The Black Tern is very social. It breeds in loose colonies and usually forages, roosts, and migrates in flocks of a few to more than 100 birds, occasionally up to tens of thousands. Point Pelee National Park in Canada boasts a robust population of black terns. It is considered threatened in Vermont, though there is a thriving population at Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge on the astern shore of Lake Champlain near the Canadian border in Franklin County, Vermont.

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris, Troglodyte des marais, MAWR) & Bokehlicious Backgrounds

Christopher Dodds June 1, 2010

Marsh Wren vertical portrait (Cistothorus palustris, Troglodyte des marais, MAWR) Bois de I'Ile Bizard Nature Park, L'ile Bizard, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS-1D MKIV, 500mm F4L IS USM and 2X II Tele-extender. ISO 800, 1/320s F9. Canon 580 EX II Flash in manual mode. Tripod and Wimberley Head II. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Marsh Wren vertical portrait on beige (Cistothorus palustris, Troglodyte des marais, MAWR) Bois de I'Ile Bizard Nature Park, L'ile Bizard, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS-1D MKIV, 500mm F4L IS USM and 2X II Tele-extender. ISO 800, 1/320s F9. Canon 580 EX II Flash in manual mode. Tripod and Wimberley Head II. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

I enjoyed a great afternoon at Bois de I'Ile Bizard Nature Park, L'ile Bizard (Montreal) with clients/friends Tuma Young and Nick Honig from Halifax, NS (both of whom I’ll be seeing them again very soon at my workshop on Bonaventure Island). The star performer yesterday was surly this Marsh Wren that was building it’s nest right along the boardwalk trail.

PRO TIP: Silky Smooth Bokehlicious backgrounds for Birds

Whenever I find a co-operative subject in a place where there could potentially be a distracting, cluttered background (like a marsh full of reeds and bulrushes), I almost always immediately slap a 2X tele-converter onto my 500mm lens. I do this to take advantage of a narrower field of view (less distracting elements included in the frame) and the smaller depth of field that narrows as the focal length increases; creating smooth out-of-focus backgrounds (also known as bokeh).

Canon announces firmware update Version 2.0.7 for the EOS 5D Mark II DSLR.

his firmware update (Version 2.0.7) incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

Fixes a phenomenon in which the aperture exhibits abnormal movement when shooting movies in manual exposure mode and Aperture Priority AE (Av mode) using some Canon lenses (such as macro lenses).
Fixes a phenomenon in which the exposure level shown in the LCD panel differs from what is shown in the viewfinder when shooting still images in manual exposure mode.
Fixes a phenomenon in which the Wireless File Transmitter (WFT-E4 or WFT-E4 II) may not automatically power off when used for FTP transfers.

These phenomena only occur with the Version 2.0.4 and Version 2.0.3 firmware. The Version 2.0.7 firmware being released this time is for cameras with firmware up to Version 2.0.4. If the camera's firmware is already Version 2.0.7, it is not necessary to update the firmware.

To find out the exact download instructions and to download EOS 5D Mark II firmware Version 2.0.7 please click here. Please note that before downloading firmware Version 2.0.7 you should read the entire contents of the page linked to above.

For all current Canon EOS firmware downloads please click here.

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris, Troglodyte des marais, MAWR)

The Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris, Troglodyte des marais, MAWR) is a small North American songbird of the wren family. It is sometimes called Long-billed Marsh Wren to distinguish it from the Sedge Wren, also known as Short-billed Marsh Wren. The Marsh Wren is a secretive bird; even when singing the territorial male remains well hidden, briefly climbing a cattail for a look at an intruder. Males destroy eggs and nestlings of neighboring birds. They will even attack their own eggs if the female is removed from the nest. This behavior reduces competition for food in their area.
Adults have brown upper-parts with a light brown belly and flanks and a white throat and breast. The back is black with white stripes. They have a dark cap with a white line over the eyes and a short thin bill. Bewick's Wren is similar but has unstreaked back. Sedge Wren has less distinct supercilium and streaked crown.
The male's song is a loud gurgle used to declare ownership of territory; western males have a more varied repertoire. Learning continues throughout their adult life; it has been shown they will imitate songs presented to them on a tape recording or by a live tudor.
Their breeding habitat is marshes with tall vegetation such as cattails across North America. In the western United States, some birds are permanent residents. Other birds migrate to marshes and salt marshes in the southern United States and Mexico.
These birds forage actively in vegetation, sometimes flying up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects, also spiders and snails.
The nest is an oval lump attached to marsh vegetation, entered from the side. The clutch is normally 4–6 eggs, though the number can range from 3–10. The male builds many unused nests in his territory; he may puncture the eggs of other birds nesting nearby.
This bird is still common, although its numbers have declined with the loss of suitable wetland habitat. Wholesale draining of marshes will lead to local extinction. Still, this species is widespread enough not to qualify as threatened according to the IUCN.

Great Grey Owls IN LOVE & Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens saves the day

Christopher Dodds April 30, 2010

Great Grey Owls IN LOVE (Strix nebulosa Chouette Lapone) January 2005 Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada ©Christopher Dodds http://www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D Mark II, 100-400mm @ 120mm. ISO 250, F6.3 1/800s Manual Exposure. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

LEARN ABOUT MY WINTER SNOWY OWL WORKSHOPS HERE

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens saves the day!

There’s no shortage of critics when it comes to Canon’s EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens; just google it and see how many people complain about the image quality and an apparent lack of consistently sharp results from one copy to another. I’m not about to try to convince you it is as sharp as my primary telephoto 500mm F4 IS USM lens, because it isn’t! It is a sharp lens, and a very versatile one to carry over your shoulder on a second camera body.The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens has, perhaps, the most useful focal length range that includes the longest focal length found in a Canon zoom lens - 400mm. This long focal length and focal length range combine with very good image and build quality to make the 100-400 one of the most popular serious wildlife and sports lenses Canon sells

While photographing Great Grey Owls in Quebec and Ontario during the great irruption that occurred during the winter of 2004-2005, I always had my second camera body mounted on my trusty EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM lens, and many of the images I made with it have since been published around the globe and have been amongst my most successful print sales. Simply put: this is perhaps the most special moment I've witnessed in nature (and there have been many), and without the versatility of this zoom lens, it would have been missed. There are very few people on this earth that have witnessed this behaviour, and even fewer that have photographed it. You see, I was walking around with my 500mm and a 2X tele-extender, so the resulting images would have been very, very different.

In my mind, there simply is no other lens out there that offers so much versatility for your money. Canon has been busy replacing many of their lenses with new, improved optics, coatings and adding the latest image stabilizer systems; I do hope that they have a version II in the plans soon, all good things can be better, but the sequence of events recorded above (and the 51 other images in it) would not have been possible without it.

The Great Grey Owl

The Great Grey Owl or Lapland Owl (Strix nebulosa, Chouette lapone) is a very large owl, distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. In some areas it is also called the Great Gray Ghost, Phantom of the north, Cinerous Owl, Spectral Owl, Lapland Owl, Spruce Owl, Bearded Owl and Sooty Owl.
Courtship involves feeding and mutual preening between mates and begins in midwinter. The male typically approaches the female, holding food in its beak, which is passed with both birds closing their eyes. The male selects possible nest sites and attracts its mate with calls. Several sites are inspected before she chooses the nest site. The Great Gray Owl nests primarily in stick nests made by hawks, ravens, or crows, in the hollowed out top of large-diameter snags, or on the top of clumps of mistletoe, and in Europe sometimes on the forest floor. Northern Goshawks are very common providers of nest sites for Great Gray Owls. They also readily take to artificial platforms or nests placed in suitable habitat. Nests are usually in a forest, but with a large clearing or meadow located within 1.3km (0.8 miles). Unlike most other Owls, nests are usually tidied up and refurbished before use. Nest linings include conifer needles, deer hair, moss, and shredded bark. 2 to 5 (average 3) eggs are laid, each separated by 1 to 2 days. Incubation commences with the first egg laid and lasts 28 to 29 days. The female does all incubation and the male provides all food to the female and young. The female tears food into small pieces and feeds the young. Young leave the nest at 3 to 4 weeks and can climb well. Fledging occurs after about 8 weeks and young remain near the nest for several months, with the female caring for them.
Great Gray Owls are single-brooded but will readily lay replacement clutches if the first clutch or brood is lost. Males and females aggressively defend nests and have been known to drive off predators as large as black bears. Among other threats, ravens and Great Horned Owls prey on eggs and nestlings.
Great Gray Owls are semi-nomadic, with irregular site or mate fidelity between years. They tend to settle and nest in areas with high food resources and this may lead them to occupy the same nest for several years or move off to new areas. Nesting territories are defended from other Great Gray Owls, but foraging areas are widely overlapping. This leads to higher than expected densities, for a large bird of prey. In areas of good habitat this may be as high as 1 pair/58 hectares (5 pairs/square mile).
These birds wait, listen, and watch for prey, then swoop down; they also may fly low through open areas in search of prey. Their large facial disks, also known as "ruffs", focus sound, and the asymmetrical placement of their ears assists them in locating prey, because of the lack of light during the late and early hours in which they hunt. On the nesting grounds, they mainly hunt at night and near dawn and dusk; at other times, they are active mostly during the night. They have excellent hearing, and may locate (and then capture) prey moving beneath 60 cm (2 feet) of snow in a series of tunnels solely with that sense. These owls can crash through snow that could support the weight of a 180-pound person.[citation needed] Unlike the more versatile eagle and horned owls, Great Grey Owls rely almost fully upon small rodents, with voles being their most important food source. Locally, alternative prey animals (usually comprising less than 20% of prey intake) include hares, moles, shrews, weasels, thrushes, grouse, Gray Jays, small hawks and ducks. Great Grey Owl juveniles may themselves fall prey to bears, fishers, and large hawks, especially Northern Goshawks; while adults may fall prey to Bubo owls and lynxes.
Every few years, great grey owls move—usually en masse—from their boreal breeding grounds, typically in search of food. The last great irruption (as these movements are called) happened in 2004-2005. It was so large that it caught the attention of photographers, bird lovers, environmentalists, and the mainstream media from around the world.

Update on 2016-01-04 13:51 by Christopher Dodds

Please note Canon released an updated version of the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5/5.6 L IS II. My mini-review can be found HERE

The Northern Parula & Canon Professional Services (CPS) Revamped

Christopher Dodds April 21, 2010

Northern Parula Male , Parula americana (Paruline à collier) Point Pelee National Park of Canada (Southwestern Ontario, Canada). Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS-1D MKIII, 500mm F4L IS USM and 2X II Tele-extender. ISO 400, 1/500s F9 Manual mode. Canon 580 EX II Flash in manual mode. Tripod and Wimberley Head II. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Just going through some images from last year's Point Pelee bird photography workshop while preparing for this years. Photographing migrant Warblers is probably the most challenging type of bird photography; there is no food, bird calls or water drips to attract your subject. There's no choosing nice perches, and choosing great backgrounds is a result of your ability to move faster than your speedy subject. Migrant bird photography at a place like Pelee can be quite rewarding, though, many of the tree-top dwellers forage for fuel at near eye-level while migrating. The total number of bird species recorded at Point Pelee is 372, of which at least 340 of these species have been recorded during the spring migration period. The stream of birds in the spring is not a steady flow from the south. The birds usually arrive in intermittent waves, a pattern unique to eastern North America. In some years these are well marked but, in others the fluctuations in numbers and variety is so meagre that a wave in difficult to detect. A "wave" occurs as a result of a warm weather front advancing from the south or southeast meeting a cold weather front from the north or northwest. Two situations will cause the birds to descend. One is when the two fronts meet at ground level. The other is when a warm front in which migrating birds are flying overrides a cold front. The rising warm air becomes cooler with the increasing altitude until it is finally too cold for the birds and they descend.

If these nocturnal (night-time) migrants find themselves over Lake Erie near sunrise they must continue onwards or drown. After flying perhaps hundreds of kilometres in one night, it is this extra 30 to 40 kilometres across the lake that really demands their last strength. This explains why exhausted birds are sometimes found at the tip of the Point. A similar situation, but on a larger scale, occurs when migrants cross the 800 to 1000 kilometres of the Gulf of Mexico. If the weather is good they continue inland in one continuous flight without stopping, but with a north wind and rain they descend on the coast in great numbers, often in an exhausted state.

Do consider joining me at Point Pelee National Park this May 8-12, 2010 as I still have two spots available due to last minute cancellation. More information can be found HERE.

Canon Professional Service Revamped in Canada

Canon Canada has announced their revamped paid CPS program. Choose between Gold and platinum paid levels HERE. It seems to me that we are getting more for less, when compared the the Canon USA CPS program HERE while the Canon EUROPE CPS program is currently still offered FREE HERE.

There's a rumor circulating in Canada that the current discount on professional camera bodies and L Series lenses that Canadian CPS members currently enjoy will no longer be offered; this because there is no mention of it on the new CPS web site. Well my sources at Canon Canada tell me that CPS benefits never really did include a discount, it was offered to CPS members by the Canon Canada marketing people to offset the currency exchange rate that sent many pros across the border into the USA to shop. The good new is that the discount is still offered, and that there is no forseen end to it.

Nikon professional services, or NPS, in the USA is offered FREE HERE, in Canada, it's FREE HERE and in Europe (Nikon Professional User) it's FREE HERE

Photographing the Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) of Iceland

Christopher Dodds April 14, 2010

Northern Fulmar Portrait , Fulmarus glacialis (Fulmar boréal) Látrabjarg, Iceland ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved Canon EOS-1DsMKII, 300mm F2.8IS. ISO 400, 1/320s F5.6 Manual mode. Canon 550 EX Flash in manual mode. Tripod and Wimberley Head. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT OR LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Northern Fulmar Dorsal View , Fulmarus glacialis (Fulmar boréal) Látrabjarg, Iceland ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved Canon EOS-1DsMKII, 300mm F2.8IS. ISO 250, 1/1000s F4.5 Manual mode. Canon 550 EX Flash in manual mode. Hand-held. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT OR LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Northern Fulmar on nest , Fulmarus glacialis (Fulmar boréal) Látrabjarg, Iceland ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved Canon EOS-1DsMKII, 500mm F4IS. ISO 400, 1/800s F8 Manual mode. Canon 550 EX Flash in manual mode. Tripod and Wimberley Head. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT OR LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Northern Fulmar on cliff edge in rain , Fulmarus glacialis (Fulmar boréal) Látrabjarg, Iceland ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved Canon EOS-1DsMKII, 300mm F2.8IS. ISO 250, 1/800s F2.8 Manual mode. Canon 550 EX Flash in manual mode. Tripod and Wimberley Head. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT OR LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Cool Northern Fulmar Facts:

The Northern Fulmar is one of the longest-lived birds. Data from one study indicate a mean adult life span of about 32 years. In Scotland, several Northern Fulmars banded as adults in 1951 were still breeding in 1990, at ages likely greater than 50 years.
The Northern Fulmar begins breeding at an exceptionally old age. Most do not breed until they are at least 8 to 10 years old; one study found an individual that started breeding at age 20.
The Northern Fulmar is well known among commercial fishermen for its avid scavenging of offal thrown from whaling and fishing boats.
The population of Northern Fulmars in the northeast Atlantic has dramatically increased over the past 250 years. Once only one colony was found in northern Iceland, and none off the Faeroes or the British Isles. Now hundreds of colonies exist across all the coasts of these islands. It is unclear whether this change has resulted from natural oceanographic changes, from increased food availability from fishing vessels, or from some other factor.
The Northern Fulmar can dive to a depth of at least 3 meters (10 feet).

LensFlare Live & NatureScapes Radio LIVE:

On Tuesday, April 6th, 2010, I was honoured to be the first invited guest on the new NatureScapes Radio Live. Hosted by LensFlare 35's very own Dave Warner, with Greg Downing and E.J. Peiker of NatureScapes.net. Be sure to give it a listen HERE:

Coyotes, Canon EOS 1D Mark IV First Impressions and NatureScapes Radio Live

Christopher Dodds April 2, 2010

Coyote Alpha Male Portrait (Canis latrans) Quebec, Canada (C) ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 500mm F4 IS, Canon 2X II Tele-converter, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 400, 1/320s F8 Manual Mode. Full Frame. Click HERE to purchase a print or license an image for publication.

Coyote Adult female Portrait (Canis latrans) Quebec, Canada (C) ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 500mm F4 IS, Canon 2X II Tele-converter, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 400, 1/400s F8 Manual Mode. Full Frame. Click HERE to purchase a print or license an image for publication.

Coyote Alpha Male Skulking (Canis latrans) Quebec, Canada (C) ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 500mm F4 IS, Canon 1.4X II Tele-converter, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 400, 1/640s F5.6 Manual Mode. Full Frame. Click HERE to purchase a print or license an image for publication.

Coyote

It's amazing to see just how much this Alpha Male Eastern Coyote resembles a wolf; Coyotes have been known to occasionally mate with wolves. The offspring, known as a coywolf, are generally intermediate in size to both parents, being larger than a pure coyote, but smaller than a pure wolf. A study showed that of 100 coyotes collected in Maine, 22 had half or more wolf ancestry, and one was 89 percent wolf. A theory has been proposed that the large eastern coyotes in Canada are actually hybrids of the smaller western coyotes and wolves that met and mated decades ago as the coyotes moved toward New England from their earlier western ranges. The Red Wolf is thought by certain scientists to be in fact a wolf/coyote hybrid rather than a unique species. Strong evidence for hybridization was found through genetic testing, which showed that red wolves have only 5% of their alleles unique from either gray wolves or coyotes. Genetic distance calculations have indicated that red wolves are intermediate between coyotes and gray wolves, and that they bear great similarity to wolf/coyote hybrids in southern Quebec and Minnesota. Analyses of mitochondrial DNA showed that existing red wolf populations are predominantly coyote in origin.

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV First Impressions

I've now spent a considerable amount of time in the drivers seat of my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and am loving every moment. From the new, and snappy, autofocus system to the superb image quality in low light at high ISO, this camera ROCKS! Be sure to download, read and digest the following from C PN Canon Professional Networks 1D Mark IV page:

Christopher Dodds on NatureScapes Radio Live April 6, 2010 @ 9PM EST!

Each month NatureScapes.net will be broadcasting a LIVE Pod Cast called "NatureScapes Radio LIVE!"   NatureScapes Radio LIVE! will air live the first Tuesday of each month at 9PM EST.
Hosted by Dave Warner of LensFlare Live each show will feature friends E.J. Peiker and Greg Downing of NatureScapes.net as well as other guest photographers TBA (Christopher Dodds on April 6th, 2010). Listen LIVE or participate in the conversation while they talk about everything nature and wildlife photography from the latest and greatest gear to techniques and important issues affecting us all.

I was thrilled to be invited as Greg and E.J.'s first featured guest and look forward to answering all of your questions live at 9PM EST on April 6th, 2010. Click HERE for more information. 

Leafcutter Ants

Christopher Dodds March 20, 2010

Leafcutter Ant Carrying Leaf. Soberanía National Park, Panama. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, Sigma 150mm F2.8 Macro, Wimberley F2 Macro Flash Bracket, Canon 580 EX II Flash with LumiQuest Softbox III Hand-held. ISO 250, F16 @ 1/200s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Leafcutter Ant Mediae Carrying Leaf and Minor. Soberanía National Park, Panama. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, Sigma 150mm F2.8 Macro, Wimberley F2 Macro Flash Bracket, Canon 580 EX II Flash with LumiQuest Softbox III Hand-held. ISO 250, F16 @ 1/200s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Leafcutter Ant Major Carrying Leaf Litter. Soberanía National Park, Panama. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, Sigma 150mm F2.8 Macro, Wimberley F2 Macro Flash Bracket, Canon 580 EX II Flash with LumiQuest Softbox III Hand-held. ISO 250, F16 @ 1/200s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

While certainly a challenging photographic subject, I managed a few decent images of these Leafcutter Ants (Leaf-cutter, Leaf-cutting). Their speed and the lack of depth-of field from my full-frame sensor camera made it quite a difficult task. I did manage to find an exposed tree root that a colony had made a trail over, and used it as a seat to save my back. All went well until I decided to get a low, intimate view and lay down on the ground - That is when I got attacked by a couple of dozen Major, or soldier, ants…….something I don't want to do again.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Firmware Update 2.0.4

Canon has released firmware v2.0.4 for its 5D Mark II DSLR that corrects the bug found in the previous version. With v2.0.3, sound recording would not work if a manual record volume was used in the C1/C2/C3 custom settings modes. The revised firmware update addresses the issue and is now available for download from Canon's website HERE

How to age the Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)

Christopher Dodds March 2, 2010

Northern Gannet second year Dorsal View, Morus Bassanus, Fou de Bassan Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure Island, Quebec Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 5D MKII, 300mm F2.8 IS Hand-held. ISO 250, F4 1/2500s Manual. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Northern Gannet third year Dorsal View, Morus Bassanus, Fou de Bassan Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure Island, Quebec Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 5D MKII, 300mm F2.8 IS Hand-held. ISO 250, F3.5 1/2500s Manual. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Northern Gannet fourth year Dorsal View, Morus Bassanus, Fou de Bassan Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure Island, Quebec Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 5D MKII, 300mm F2.8 IS Hand-held. ISO 250, F4 1/2500s Manual. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Northern Gannet fifth year Mature Adult Dorsal View, Morus Bassanus, Fou de Bassan Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure Island, Quebec Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 5D MKII, 300mm F2.8 IS Hand-held. ISO 250, F4.5 1/2500s Manual. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

After spending more than 350 days ,over the years, up at the Northern Gannet colony on Bonaventure Island, I have quite a collection of images. Last year, I found a new spot to photograph vertical dorsal views of these striking seabirds. Spending time with your subject is the best way to study and learn about their every behavior. Always remember to try to cover every aspect of behavior and every age possible. Remember that you can turn your camera to vertical for a fresh perspective.

There are still a couple of spots left for the June 18-20, 2010 Gannets Galore Photo Safari Workshop

Viola Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition

If you haven't done so already, there's still time to enter this prestigious competition. Entries can be submitted HERE until 9AM, Monday, March 8th, 2010. Be sure to read the new rules, most notably the need to submit images from a DSLR with a minimum 10 Mega pixel resolution. Why the new rules? ... Who knows? You are allowed to lightly crop your image, so perhaps the rule would have been better stated as a minimum file size, instead of making every image from the single most popular wildlife photography camera in recent history, the Canon EOS 1D Mark II (and the EOS 1D Mark IIN), ineligible.

Even when this was called the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the year, I though (and still do) that this competition should be called the wildlife IMAGE of the year competition. I really do feel that such a prestigious title should be awarded to the photographer with the best portfolio of wildlife images. One lucky shot shouldn't earn the title of Nature Photographer of the year in my humble opinion.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Firmware Update 2.0.3

Canon has announced that the long awaited, video-related firmware for its EOS 5D Mark II will be available from mid-March. Firmware version 2.0.3 enables full 1080p HD video recording at 24, 25 and 29.97fps to match the PAL and NTSC broadcast standards. It also adds a new histogram display while shooting movies and allows users to manually control sound recording levels. Audio sampling frequency has also been increased to match broadcast material standards.
Press Release:
Canon adds 24 and 25fps HD Movie recording  to the EOS 5D Mark II with Firmware 2.0.3
London, 2nd March 2010 – Canon today pre-announces the release of a firmware update for the multiple award-winning EOS 5D Mark II. Originally announced in late 2009, the update adds 24* and 25 frames per second (fps) recording to the camera’s EOS MOVIE video function, and will be available as a free download from the middle of March.  Developed following feedback from photographers and cinematographers, Firmware 2.0.3 further enhances the EOS 5D Mark II’s excellent video performance. The addition of new frame rates expands the camera’s video potential, providing film makers with the ability to shoot 1080p Full HD footage at 24fps (actual 23.976fps) – the optimum frame rate for cinematic video. 25fps support at both 1920x1080 and 640x480 resolutions will allow users to film at the frame rate required for the PAL broadcast standard, while the new firmware will also change the 30fps option to the NTSC video standard of 29.97fps.   A new histogram display for shooting movies in manual exposure, shutter-priority (Tv) and aperture-priority (Av) have been added, and exposure modes will also be available in movie mode. Improved audio functionality will allow users to set sound record levels manually using a sound-level meter displayed on the LCD screen. The audio sampling frequency has also been increased from 44.1KHz to 48KHz, providing the optimum audio signal typically required for professional or broadcast material.  With its full frame CMOS sensor and compatibility with Canon’s wide range of premium lenses, the EOS 5D Mark II is already recognised for its outstanding HD video performance. Launched in September 2008, the camera immediately created a wide range of new possibilities for photographers and videographers, and the addition of new frame rates and manual audio levels extends those possibilities even further – allowing movie makers to shoot stunning movies to suit practically any creative purpose.
Extreme sports photographer Richard Walch was one of the first to be given the chance to use the newly updated EOS 5D Mark II to shoot the snowboarding movie “I Love My Friends”. Commenting on the EOS 5D Mark II’s video performance, Richard said: “The addition of the new frame rates opens up a whole new range of possibilities. If you’re a cinematographer, independent film maker or just enthusiastic about making your own movies, get out there and give it a try”.   “I Love My Friends” shot by Richard Walch on the EOS 5D Mark II with the new firmware includes a look behind the scenes video is available to view at http://www.canon-europe.com/eos5dmarkII.   The firmware will be available to download from mid-March from the Canon website http://www.canon.com/eos-d/

American Bald Eagles Tumbling - Breaking the rules - Save 25% off Point Pelee Annual Pass

Christopher Dodds February 26, 2010

Bald Eagle Tumble Abstract (Haliaeetus leucocephalus Pygarge à tête blanche) Kachemak Bay, Homer Alaska, USA. ©Christopher Dodds http://www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D Mark III, 500mm F4 IS, 1.4X II Tele-converter, Gitzo tripod and Wimberley Head II. ISO 400, F5.6 1/1600s Manual Exposure. Full Frame. Cropped from left and right to 4x5 Aspect Ratio for visual impact. BUY A PRINT OR LICENCE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Bald Eagle Tumble Abstract (Haliaeetus leucocephalus Pygarge à tête blanche) Kachemak Bay, Homer Alaska, USA. ©Christopher Dodds http://www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D Mark III, 500mm F4 IS, 1.4X II Tele-converter, Gitzo tripod and Wimberley Head II. ISO 400, F5.6 1/1600s Manual Exposure. Full Frame. Here is the original, un-cropped image. BUY A PRINT OR LICENCE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Breaking the rules...

I strive to always challenge myself to break the standard rules of art, composition and photography; especially when mother nature works against me. In the case of the image above, I was simply making the most of a bad situation; the wind was blowing against the afternoon sunlight and all of the other photographers had opted to take the afternoon off to rest or edit their images. I watched and saw that I might have a chance at something artsy, or abstract, to salvage the afternoon. As I typically challenge myself to compose my images in-camera and shoot full-frame, without cropping, I thought I would include the original, un-cropped version for you to see how cropping, or changing the images aspect ratio, changes the visual impact of the image. While it's generally a good idea to include your subject's face, or eyes(preferably with good eye contact); once in a very great while you can create something nice without including either.

The broken rules:

Always photograph birds-in-flight with the wind and sun at your back.
Always include your subject's face
Always ensure at least one eye is critically sharp & in-focus
Always ensure strong eye contact between viewer and subject
always follow the rules

Kudos

"I wanted to thank you for a wonderful owling trip 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 Santa Cruz, CA (Professor Emeritus Ecology & Evolutionary Biology UC Santa Cruz)

Save 25% on your Season pass to Point Pelee National Park of Canada

Buy or renew your annual pass to Point Pelee National Park of Canada and save 25%. From February 1, until March 31, 2010, take advantage of this great offer to start your preparations for this year's spring migration. Simply call (519) 322-2365, extension 200 from Monday to Friday from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm. I always recommend the Family (or group) pass, as this let's you enter through the automated gate and skip the sometimes lengthy line-ups each morning.

The Fundamentals of Photography: Understanding the Light Meter

Christopher Dodds January 18, 2010

Siberian (Amur) Tiger Portrait Panthera tigris altaica (Tigre de L'Amour ou Tigre de Sibérie). CAPTIVE ANIMAL. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 500mm F4 IS, 2X II Tele-converter Gitzo 1325 Tripod with Wimberley Head II. ISO 800, F8 @ 1/160s Manual mode. Ambient exposure using hand-held Sekonic L-358 Light Meter. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

The in-Camera Light Meter:

Pretty much all digital cameras sold today include a built-in REFLECTIVE light meter. The volume of light measured by a reflective light meter varies relative to the color (or reflectance) of the subject, the background (and the subjects distance from it) and the chosen metering mode (or pattern); A Snowy Owl in a bright, snowy field reflects more light than a black bear on a dark, wet rock. Think of it this way: pure white reflects nearly all of the light that strikes it, and pure black reflects virtually none of the light that strikes it.
Left to it’s own devises, a digital camera in one of it’s automatic modes (Program, Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority) will use it’s built-in computer processor and programmed algorithms to determine the appropriate exposure settings such as shutter speed, f-stop (or aperture) and ISO to render the scene at what it thinks should be 18% grey, or a mid-tone (exactly mid way between the blackest black and the whitest white). The problem is a simple one; most cameras assume that everything they photograph reflects 18% of the light that falls onto them. Not everything we see or photograph is a mid-tone; with this method, we need to compensate to achieve the correct exposure for anything that is not a mid-tone; The Snowy Owl in a Snowy field we talked about earlier would be about two stops under-exposed, so we need to add about two stops of light to the metered reading to achieve the correct exposure. The black bear on the dark, wet rock will be about two stops overexposed, so we have to remove about two stops of light from the metered reading to achieve the correct exposure. A picture of the green grass on your front lawn is a middle tone and requires no compensation to achieve the correct exposure.
The problem gets much bigger when your subject starts to move from one colored background to another, or, moves closer or further away; can you imagine dialing in the correct exposure compensation, on the fly, as a white bird flies from a blue sky background to a dark cliff face background as it gets bigger in the frame while flying toward you? (smile) ... I didn’t think so.

Hand-held Light Meter:

The single best teaching aid that I know of is a hand-held light meter; students wanting to learn exposure theory tend to improve the exposure accuracy of their captures almost instantly when handed a hand-held light meter.
In it’s simplest form, a light meter measures light; We’ve discussed how your camera uses it’s meter to measure the light that is reflected from your subject, now let’s talk about how to measure the ambient light that falls onto your subject by using a hand-held light meter. If we can measure the AMBIENT light that falls onto the subject, we can successfully expose for the light (not the subject), and capture colors and tones as our eyes see them; white looks white, black looks black and middle tones still look like middle tones; just the same as our eyes see them. As long as you are in the same light as your subject, and the volume of light does not change between measurement and capture, you can take a reading and lock and load the chosen ISO, F-stop and shutter speed. Just like the sunny F/16 rule in my last post, you should still use your camera’s histogram to tweak the exact exposure to taste, and you should expose to the right and maximize that right most fifth of the histogram, as it contains 50% of the data in a digital capture. I typically add light to extract maximum detail from very dark subjects and remove light from very bright subjects, all the while ensuring I’m not clipping unrecoverable highlight detail.
On a clear day, from two hours after sunrise, until two hours before sunset, the light remains constant (provided it doesn't get cloudy, of course). If your subject flies from the blue sky to a dark cliff face, there is no need to make adjustments to your chosen exposure settings; the subject will be correctly exposed in manual mode.

A major difference between the old film days and digital is that instead of exposing for shadow detail on film, we now expose for the highlight. To ensure a correct exposure for the highlights, simply turn the meter’s dome toward the light source. To take a reading for the underside of a bird flying over your head, turn the dome toward the ground and to establish the correct reading for a subject in the shade, point the dome toward the light source and use your hand to shade the dome. It won’t take long to learn all about light, it’s volume and the correct exposure relative to it.

There are many light meters to choose from, but I find the best value to be the Sekonic L-358 Flash Master Light Meter

Cerulean Dreams

Christopher Dodds May 29, 2009

Cerulean Warbler Vertical, Dendroica Cerulea, Paruline Azurée Kingston, Ontario Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 500mm F4 Lens with 2X II Tele-converter, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 800, F8, 1/125s Aperture priority (evaluative +2/3), Canon 580EXII Flash ETTL II -3. PURCHASE A PRINT OR LICENSE AN IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE

Cerulean Warbler horizontal, Dendroica Cerulea, Paruline Azurée Kingston, Ontario. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 500mm F4 Lens with 2X II Tele-converter, tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 800, F8, 1/320s Aperture priority (evaluative +2/3), Canon 580EXII Flash ETTL II -3 PURCHASE A PRINT OR LICENSE AN IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Environment Canada forecast heavy rain all day yesterday, with little chance of bright overcast conditions that would have been conducive to great warbler photography all day long. I decided to venture to the Kingston area of Ontario to give it a try anyway. Worst that could happen is a good birding day without images; sure beats being in the office.
My parents are visiting from Calgary, so I got them up early, loaded into the car and delivered to their friends home in Kingston before most are out of bed (did I mention it was a three hour drive?). From Kingston, I made my way to the Chaffey’s Lock area and spent a few hours in just about perfect photographic conditions. While there weren’t many birds, there certainly were great quality birds. The rain that did fall was light and misty, while it was mostly just dark and overcast. Considered a photographic nemesis bird by many, I had a blast photographing this gorgeous male Cerulean Warbler. I've photographed Cerulean Warblers many times there before, but Queen's University conducts research and most are banded - it was a dream come true to get a nearly perfect male without bands in Ontario. While using the Canon 1DsIII, I strive to keep the ISO under 400; however, there are times when I simply have to use a higher ISO. Properly exposing the image in the camera is the single best way to minimize noise.

The Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea, Paruline Azurée) gets its name from the vivid blue coloration of the male warbler's back and cheeks that makes this a difficult bird to find in the tree tops, where it lives and nests. Cerulean Warblers are forest-interior birds that require large, relatively undisturbed tracts of mature, semi-open deciduous forest. In Ontario, they are restricted to such habitats in the Carolinian Forest zone and the southern part of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Forest zone. These birds begin their long migration to wintering grounds in northeastern South America in late summer. A species of special concern both Provincially and Nationally here in Canada, and in the United States, it is considered a species at risk by many. Recent studies suggest its population is only 30% of what it was only 20 short years ago; dropping faster than any other North American Warbler. On the North American breeding grounds, the chief threat to this warbler is habitat loss resulting from forest fragmentation and degradation. On the South American wintering grounds, forested tracts in mountainous regions are preferred, and these areas are considered to be under a high degree of threat from logging. Nest parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) may become an increasing problem as cowbird populations increase in degraded forest habitats. The Cerulean Warbler is protected in a Schedule under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act.

MORE KUDOS:

Point Pelee photography workshop participant, Michael Lyncheski (from Gladstone, NJ) emailed me this testimonial (thanks, Michael):

“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!”

Los Madrones Ranch - Texas Hill Country

Christopher Dodds April 22, 2009

Golden-cheeked Warbler (male) Dendroica chrysoparia (Paruline à dos noir) Los Madrones Ranch (Texas Hill Country), Dripping Springs, Texas. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DMKIII, 500mm F4 IS, 2X II Tele-converter, Gitzo 1325 Tripod and Wimberley Head II. ISO 640, F8 1/800s Aperture Priority mode (-1/3 stop).

On Tuesday, April 21 at 03:30 we got an early start and drove the 675 miles to Los Madrones Ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas. After avoiding a collision with a rogue wheel early on, the drive was relatively uneventful. Micheal Murphy greeted us around four o'clock, and showed us around the gorgeous Casita that we will call home until Friday, April 24. We spent the last hours of light photographing Black-Crested Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee and House Finch in prime breeding plumage. We also had some great looks at five great Sparrows (more to follow in another post).

The highlight of the trip so far was when Greg W. Lasley www.greglasley.com (Texas' premier birder) arrived and took us to photograph the endangered Golden-Cheeked Warbler. It was an amazingly productive and satisfying morning.

Special thanks to Greg W. Lasley and to Michael & Julie Murphy @ Los Madrones Ranch. If you are planning a trip to Texas, be sure to look them up www.losmadrones.com (512) 264-1741

The Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia Paruline à dos noir is an endangered species of bird that breeds in Central Texas, from Palo Pinto County southwestward along the eastern and southern edge of the Edwards Plateau to Kinney County. The Golden-cheeked Warbler is the only bird species with a breeding range confined to Texas. Golden-cheeked warblers nest in ashe juniper and live oak trees in ravines and canyons. They use bark and spider webs to build their nests. Females lay three to four eggs. Warblers eat insects and spiders and the adult warbler can reach a length of 4.5 inches. They winter in southern Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The warbler is endangered as many juniper and oak woodlands have been cleared to build houses, roads, and stores or to grow crops or grass for livestock. Other woodlands were flooded when large lakes were constructed.