All about Watermarks: Visible and Invisible

Great Grey Owl SPRING SHOWERS  (Strix nebulosa, Chouette Lapone, GGOW) Île Bizard, Montreal, Quebec ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D Mark II, 100-400mm F4-5.6 L IS USM @ 360mm Hand Held ISO 1400, f/6.3 @ 1/800s Manual mode. Click HERE to order a print or license image for publication.

Here's an old favourite from 2005. I have re-processed the image using my current workflow after negotiating a generous licensing fee after the image was found by a legitimate buyer in a blog that had "re-posted" my image. This kind of thing happens almost every day to my images and I maintain a vigilant watch for them and quickly follow-up with invoices that are usually paid in full quite quickly.

I'm bringing this to your attention after reading several rants from a couple of "famous" photographers who regularly try to make you believe that you should be posting your images on-line without any watermarks; be they visible or not. This despite my not remembering many artists who didn't sign their work.

Here's my thoughts; those of a professional who does still post to the web, my blog, Facebook, Google Plus and 500px. It's fun and it's good for business.

All of my images are posted with a huge visible watermark and they all contain a digital watermark in the event that someone decides to remove the visible watermark before they share them without my permission. The visible watermark is there to build my brand and inform the viewer that it is my work; the invisible watermark to protect myself from image theft and the possibility of the work being rendered an orphan work.

An orphan work is a copyrighted work for which the copyright owner cannot be contacted. That's what happens after someone strips your image of the visible watermark …. or, if you never put one on the image in the first place.

Why is this all important? Once you post an image without a watermark, or, if someone re-posts your image without your watermark, then a legitimate buyer doesn't know who to buy the rights from. It could be the editor of a very prestigious magazine, or an advertising agency representing a very prestigious brand; there are still people out there right now who pay large sums of money to licence an image.

How to prevent this from happening to you? Simple, place a visible watermark somewhere on your image with your name or website address AND be sure to Watermark your image with an invisible, digital watermark by running it through the Digimarc for images filter  in Photoshop.

A digital watermark embedded in your image carries a unique ID and can link to contact information or a website for viewers interested in learning more about you or purchasing your artwork. The watermark stays with your image regardless of the path it travels across the Internet. No matter where your digital image ends up, others will be able to determine your copyright ownership and find you. If anyone finds your image on-line and wants to contact you, they need only read the Digimarc invisible watermark to either find your co-ordinates via the Digimarc site, or be directly connected to your website.

As an added bonus, Digimarc for images also offers premium services which searches for, and index all of the images it finds on-line with a Digimarc invisible watermark; it's a search engine for protected images - now you can see who has been stealing your work and pursue them.

Find out more about Digimarc for Images and Save 30% off your subscription to Digimarc for images by using the coupon code "naturephotography" at www.digimarc.com/digimarc-for-images

Better Bird Photography Portraits

Parakeet Auklet Portrait (Fratercula cirrhata, Macareux huppé, TUPU) 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. Full Frame. ISO 400 f/14 @ 1/200s Manual Mode. Fill flash Canon Speedlite 580EX II with Better Beamer @ -1&2/3. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Better Bird Photography Portraits

Bird photographers are often guilty of spending all of their time photographing the action and drama of birds in flight, and often skip the investment of the time required to create great portraits. I sell far more static portraits than action, or "birds-in-flight" images. Don't get me wrong; Birds-in-flight are my favorite challenge, just remember to diversify your images by going for portraits as well. It can be quite rewarding to see and study the intricate details revealed in a good portrait - check-out the unique (and cool) bill of this Parakeet Auklet. Here's a few tips to help you out next time you are out and about with your camera.

• Try to get closer your subject without disturbing it. This one sounds easy, but wild birds are wild, take your time and avoid walking or crawling directly at your subject. Take your time and make regular stops to let your subject accept you.
  
• Use a long lens and extender to help you get close without disturbance, and to take advantage of the long focal length to help blur the background and isolate the subject. I often add an extension tube to get even closer.
  
• Try to choose an interesting background. Finding an interesting background will help you stand-out among the many. In this Parakeet Auklet portrait, I carefully chose the out of focus lichens as my background to set it apart from the typical blue sky of a clear day, or the white, or high-key, background of a cloudy day.
• Invest in the composition. Carefully compose your portrait so that it is visually pleasing. Try to avoid a boring compositions with centred subjects. Compose a full frame image in the camera - to get the most pixels on your subject and as a challenge to get better and make better image in the camera.
• Wait for the pose and head angle. All to often, I see portraits that resemble snap shots. This is often the result of poor head angle or a bad pose. I try to get the subject and it's head parallel to my sensor for most head shot type portraits, but do sometimes strive for the head-on look; the latter often in overcast conditions to avoid harsh shadows.
• Choose your light. On clear days, choose the golden hours of sunrise or sunset to get the soft warm tones without harsh shadows. Be sure to point your shadow directly at the bird when the sun rises and gets harsher, and be sure the near side of the face is illuminated and there is a catch-light in the eye. Bright, cloudy and overcast conditions are great for digital portraits; there's no shadows to worry about, and we can photograph all day long. Avoid flash when the light is golden, but do try to add a kiss of fill flash when its overcast.
• Be sure the image is sharp and properly exposed. Sounds easy enough, but try to remind yourself to use good long lens technique, a good tripod head and a sturdy tripod.
  

Second Annual Photo Geek Christmas Party

More prizes have arrived from these great sponsors! Jobu Designs (makers of my favorite Gimbal Head - the Jobu Jr. 3), FirstPass Image downloader & Editor, Think-Tank Photo, Cotton Carrier and DigiMarc for Images have all jumped on-board and offered tons of prizes to show their suppoort for my Second Annual Photo Geek Christmas Party. I expect other sponsors to make offerings and encourage contributions - email me if you would like to donate and promote your product chris(at)chrisdoddsphoto(dot)com

Join me, Canadian nature photographer Christopher Dodds, on November 30, 2011 at 7:30 PM at the Hudson Village Theatre (28 Wharf Road, Hudson, QC   J0P 1H0) for an hour and a half long slideshow presentation to benefit this great cause which is so close to my heart. The show is designed to be entertaining and informative to all; nature lovers and photographers alike. Stories of adventure, natural history facts and information are all on the menu and this show is designed to offer helpful tips & techniques sure to improve your photography efforts with everything from a camera phone, point & shoot camera or professional SLR camera system. Over one hundred of my images will be projected, many unseen.  Everyone is welcome!
Hurry! Only 148 seats. Tickets are only $15.00 each and are available for advance purchase only - every penny is collected by, and goes to Le Nichoir. Please call or email Le Nichoir (communication@lenichoir.org 450-458-2809) to secure your tickets, or make a donation if you can't make it (be sure to tell them it's on behalf of Chris' Photo Geek Christmas Party) Major credit cards and cheques accepted. Finger food and hors d'oeuvres are included and there will be a cash bar (please drink responsibly).
There will be ample time to mingle, meet my friends and contacts and share some of your images with others, so feel free to bring prints, iPads or laptops with your favourite images to share. I hope to see you there and PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!

Read more about it HERE

Color management & i1 Photo Pro mini-review

Atlantic Puffin Portrait (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) île aux Perroquets, Réserve de parc national du Canada de l'Archipel-de-Mingan, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DMKIV, 800mm f/5.6 L IS, Canon Extension Tube EF 12 II & Canon Extension Tube EF 25 II Tripod & Jobu Jr. 3. Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia 300-600. ISO 800, f/5.6 @1/500s Manual mode. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Color Management & i1 Photo Pro Mini-review

Achieving consistent color from camera to monitor to print and projector is easier than ever with X-Rite's new and improved X-Rite i1Photo Pro . I have owned a GretagMacbeth Eye One Photo since I switched to digital with the purchase of my Nikon D1X (2001). It seems like a lifetime ago now. I realized that I wanted my prints to mach my screen, and my projected images to match my prints. So much has changed since then; I switched to Canon when they released the EOS 1D Mark II and GretagMacbeth was bought by X-Rite.

I was thrilled to learn recently that X-Rite had released the all-new X-Rite i1Photo Pro and was offering upgrade kits to existing users. I quickly got an upgrade for review and am delighted. The heart of the system; the spectrophotometer remains best in class, so it's easy to see why you need only upgrade the software, a few accessories and the bonus is finally having a proper case to keep everything together and safe.

With X-Rite i1Photo Pro you can quickly and easily create custom profiles for cameras, monitors, digital projectors and RGB printers, ensuring color accuracy from capture to output. With the new i1Profiler software, which combines the best features of its predecessors i1Match, ProfileMaker and MonacoPROFILER software, users can choose between a 'basic', wizard-driven interface, or an 'advanced' user-driven interface to create high quality, precise, custom color profiles.

With an all-new user interface, i1Profiler offers an unprecedented level of flexibility to address the needs of a photographer's workflow. i1Profiler seamlessly combines the ease of use of the wizard driven interface found in the basic mode, and the flexibility of the menu driven user interface found in the advanced mode. Whether a novice, expert or somewhere in between, i1Profiler easily adapts to any skill level and workflow needs, while maintaining the ability to produce outstanding profile quality results.

All-in-all, I don't think there is a better color management solution on the market for a photographer wanting to deliver consistent color results over various output mediums and devices.

Be sure to support this site and order yours here: X-Rite i1Photo Pro Professional Color Management for Photographers

Histogram, Details and Viveza 2.0

Northern Gannets PREENING (Morus Bassanus, Fou de Bassan, NOGA) Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure Island, Quebec. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 500mm F4 L IS,  Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 250, F20 @1/320s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION

Chris, I am a huge fan of your work and consider it the very best bird photography out there; bar none! I have been a photographer for 30 years, and wonder if you would share how you achieve such amazing details in the whitest feathers; the details that seem impossible for me to capture. I am always blown-away when I visit your works, and I delight in every moment on your site. Many thanks and keep up the great work - Art W.

Art, thank you for your kind words. I will try to keep my answer simple.

The key to getting the most out of your digital camera is exposing the image correctly, as you probably know. I expose “to the right”, but make a huge effort not to have any data touching the right side of the histogram.

With only a little experience, a quick glance at the histogram can tell you if the exposure is correct, and give you and idea of the general appearance of the image; are the highlights blown? Is there enough shadow detail? – It’s all in the histogram.

 The histogram is a tool available on most digital cameras. It is a graph, which maps the luminosity (or brightness) values of your image, from black at left to white at right. The number of pixels at any given value are represented by the height of that value’s column. Once accustomed to reviewing the histogram, analyzing the data contained in it becomes second nature. It is the only way to know if you have exposed your image properly.

I’ll save you the boring science and details, but the idea of exposing to the right is a theory that capitalizes on the fact that the right side of the histogram contains more data than the left; there is more data in the whites, than in the blacks – much more. By overexposing the image slightly, and adjusting its brightness (or exposure) while converting the RAW image after capture, there is more data or details in the image. Conversely, if you were to underexpose an image and try to brighten the image after capture, then you would introduce noise, rather than detail, which was not captured in your RAW file. You have to be very careful not to push the whites up against the right of the histogram, or you risk loosing detail.

A good workflow post capture is another critical key to maximizing any detail contained in the RAW image. I typically use Photoshop to adjust contrast, boost saturation and add a little sharpness. My master .tiff is not created until I use Nik Software's Viveza 2. Viveza 2 is powerful engine that (among other things) adds targeted tonal contrast to any whites via the structure slider – be careful, it’s easy to overdo the adjustment.

 

Image of Histogram of the PROPERLY EXPOSED image above on the camera's LCD screen - The data is to the right of the histogram, but does not show any sign of over-exposure; there is no data touching the right edge of the graph. 

 

Histogram of the same image when opened in Adobe Camera Raw for conversion without any adjustments.

F is for Fabulous

Northern Gannets SPOONING (fencing = pair bonding), Morus Bassanus, Fou de Bassan Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure Island, Quebec. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds Canon EOS 1DMKIV, 500mm F4 L IS, Tripod & Wimberley Head II.  ISO 400, F18 1/200s Manual. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

F is for FABULOUS!

I’ve been asked countless times if there is a formula to creating a great image. I’ve spent countless hours scrutinizing my favorite images to try to describe to myself why I connect with them so deeply and make such an emotional response to them. I’m far from finished, but here’s my first attempt at describing a system that may help you; it’s how I create images – in a subconscious way. It’s what makes images a success to me, and to the viewer. Keep in mind that this is a working copy, and I might elaborate more in a longer post in the future.

You have to start by understanding my three Fs of FABULOUS: Fill, Form and Feeling. Every image out there contains at least one of these three ingredients; a photojournalist’s images contain more FILL and FEELING, a fine art or abstract photographer tends to feature the FORM and greeting card photographers often capture FEELING.

Here’s the key: Your most successful images will generally contain a careful balance of all three; Fill, FORM and FEELING.  The Northern Gannet image above is a very careful balance of Fill (it’s about the Northern Gannets), Form (the composition, pose and lines) and Feeling (most images with two subjects evoke some sort of emotion or feeling).

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, 2011, 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. 

A few of my favorite things from 2010

Common Murre or Common Guillemot Flying (Uria aalge, guillemot marmette, COMU) Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé (Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park) Bonaventure Island, Quebec. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS-1D MKIV, 800mm F5.6 L IS. ISO 800, 1/2500s F5.6 Manual. Hand held from Zodiac Hurricane 733. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

My Favorite Image

Alright, I couldn't choose just one favourite, so you get two for one. The Common Murre image above was captured during my June Gannets Galore Bird Photography Workshop / Safari and the Atlantic Puffin portrait below was from my July Puffins Galore Bird Photography Workshop / Safari.

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) Vertical Portrait île aux Perroquets, Réserve de parc national du Canada de l'Archipel-de-Mingan, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DMKIV, 500mm F4 L IS with 2X Teleconverter II, Canon 25mm Extension Tube, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. 580EXII Flash manual mode. Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia 300-600. ISO 800, F16 @1/60s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Your Favorite image

Coastal Brown Bear and Gray Wolf Unlikely FISHIN' BUDDIES (Ursus arctos or Grizzly Bear and Canis lupus) Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, AK. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DMKIV, 500mm F4 L IS, 2X II Tele-converter, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 800, F8 @1/125s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

You couldn't choose just one favourite, so you also get two for one as well. The Coastal Brown Bear and Gray Wolf image above was captured during my July Coastal Brown Bears Galore Photography Workshop / Safari and the Herring Gull image below was from my June Gannets Galore Bird Photography Workshop / Safari. I based these coices on the number of views, comments, likes, etc. from Facebook or on-line forums where they were posted.

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  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.

My favorite New Camera Bag

Think-Tank Photo Shape Shifter Camera Backpack. I took this photo with my Canon S-95 with built-in flash and natural light.

It's the one eternal quest for any photographer; finding the perfect camera bag. I have a serious problem; I'm a closet camera bag junkie. I have a room full of camera bags and never quite found the ultimate "urban" camera bag for this nature photographer when I'm not out in the field with my 500 or 800mm lens. I'm talking about those times that I want to grab a bag and have it fit what I need while out on a walk in Old Montreal, visiting family, or just out for a drive for landscapes. I've been meaning to write a serious review of the new Shape Shifter by Think-Tank Photo since I received my review copy a few weeks ago. Suffice it to say that this truly is the ultimate urban camera bag. Built to the usual quality standards that the folks at Think-Tank Photo are known for, the Shape Shifter is a camera backpack like no other. There are five neoprene pouches fixed to the inside back panel capable of holding my Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 70-200 F2.8 IS II, 16-35 F2.8 II, 24-70 F2.8. The inside of the front cover can also hold a couple of speed-lights and various light modifiers. There are tons of pockets and a top-load sleeve that can accommodate up to a 17" laptop computer. The beauty of the bag is it's ability to compress to a much lower profile when you decide to venture out with only a couple of items in it. Purchase the Shape Shifter from Think-Tank Photo HERE and receive a free camera bag or accessory while engouraging this site.

My Favorite Conversation

It was a blast visiting with Scott and he is a gifted interviewer with quite a personality. We discussed my recent discovery of Nik Software and how I am introducing it into my post capture work-flow. There's a few good tips and a description of my Gannets Galore photo tour / workshop / safari. Be sure to grab a cup of coffee and give it a listen to hear some stories, tips and techniques. Thank you Scott.

LISTEN TO A LIVE STREAM NOW or DOWNLOAD IN iTunes

My Favorite New Software

 

I can't talk about my radio interview with Scott Sheppard without mentioning my favorite new software suite and Nik Software. Of the suite, Viveza 2.0 stands out as an absolute favorite for it's ease of use and compatibility. This choice isn't only about the software, it's about the company. Nik Software has changed the way the product supports the user; they offer free daily webinars to help you learn to use their products. How many times have you installed a new piece of software, only to discover that you were on your own to learn how to use it? Now all you have to do is tune into a webinar and watch how it's done; and it's FREE! Certainly worth checking-out at NiK Software (Use the coupon code "cdodds" to save 15% at the Nik store).

My Favorite new Point & Shoot Camera with Accessories

Canon PowerShot S-95 with Richard Franiec’s  S-95 Grip and Lensmate S95 Quick-Change Adapter Kit 37mm

My Favorite New Lens

Without a doubt, the Canon 800mm F5.6 IS has to be my favourite new work lens, but my Lensbaby Composer with their 0.42X Super Wide Angle conversion lens, Macro Lens Kit, and 0.6X Wide Angle & 1.6X Telephoto accessory kit has to be my favourite new fun lens. Watch for a full review soon.

My Favorite New Book

The Sibley Guide to Trees is a refreshing new field guide to the trees of North American Trees written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley. I had given-up hope of finding a well illustrated field guide to the trees of North America, so I was thrilled when I accidentally stumbled upon this gem of a book.

My Favorite New Gadget

That's an easy one; The Cotton Carrier has got to be it! READ MY REVIEW HERE.

Canadian Nature Photographer Christopher Dodds(that's me - smile) stylin' with a  a Cotton Carrier over his Canada Goose Parka. Image copyright and courtesy Julie Morrison - thanks, Julie.

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

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

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.

Lens Align Pro; the real secret to sharp images & Winter Owl Workshops / Safaris Announced.

Great Grey Owl Blizzard in White (Strix nebulosa, Chouette Lapone, GGOW) Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D Mark II, 100-400mm @ 105mm. ISO 800, F8 1/640s Manual Exposure. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE AN IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Private Winter Owl Safari / Workshops Announced

Join Canadian Wildlife photographer Christopher Dodds for the ultimate private, or semi-private, winter owl photography trip. Our target subjects include (but are not limited to) The Snowy Owl, Boreal Owl, Great Grey Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Barred Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl and the Saw-Whet Owl. Our base of operations will be near Montreal Pierre-Elliot Trudeau Airoprt (YUL) and Ottawa International Airport (YOW). Our travels could include Southern Ontario and Quebec.

Book a single day or a whole week to maximize your experience, capture multiple species in different settings and in different weather conditions (always hoping for snow). I can customize your itinerary to include the  owls of Ontario and Quebec that you most want to photograph. Avoid the headache and impact of large group tours; wintering owls are often found on private property and land owners (many of them I know personally) are much more receptive to allowing just two, or three, photographers on their property, than a large workshop group. Gain access to the places I've been photographing these Northern beauties for years.

MORE INFORMATION HERE

Testimonial

I fell in love with Northern Gannets when I saw them fishing off the north coast of Florida many years ago during migration.  What beautiful birds!
 Researching where to see them best included Bonaventure Island in Quebec, Canada.  When I saw Chris Dodds' photos I was smitten.  The workshop experience was far better.  Chris is a terrific person, and a great teacher.  Eastern Quebec is charming and Chris knows all the folks and all the ropes to get the photographer to the best sites for shooting both on the island and on the waters surrounding the island.  The birds and their behavior are unquestionably amazing to observe and record.  Chris shared his strategies and shooting techniques freely.  He is laid back and we who attended his photo-op had the very best time. I was pleased to have learned more about flight photography with this experience.  If you have the opportunity and are interested in bird(flight) photography, this is a best experience.

Paul Herd Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Lens Align Pro; the real secret to sharp images

My life is full of moments; some lasting longer than others. I work tirelessly at honing my craft to capture the essence of those moments; some static and some explosive, some lasting hours, others only a fraction of a second. There is no real secret to learning how to capture action; it is an acquired skill, one that can be learned, one that requires practice. Weather your subject is a static bird sitting on a pretty perch, or a Great Grey Owl flying silently through a gorgeous blanket of softly falling snow; all the practice in the world, great technique and the very best tripod and head can’t help you make sharp images if your camera’s autofocus system is not adjusted, or tuned,  properly. I recently received a LensAlign Pro from Michael Tapes and was blown away when I discovered that all of my lenses needed adjustment.

There are many ways of calibrating your camera’s autofocus system available on-line; some as simple as a test chart you can print and glue to a stiff piece of card-stock, others involve moire patterns on your computer's screen. Most methods are far from scientific, and you could’t duplicate the same results twice; due mostly to the lack of a good target that is aligned parallel to the camera’s sensor, and another that can accurately allow you to see exactly where the focal plain lies and measure it’s distance from the intended target.

The LensAlign Pro is a brilliant device and the only affordable tool capable of calibrating your cameras autofocus system to the level needed to consistently and repeatably create sharp images. By first aligning the LensAlign Pro to your camera, and it’s sensor,  then micro-adjusting for each lens and teleconverter in your kit, Lens Align Pro will improve your picture-taking skills and bring them to the next level of really sharp images.

PRO TIP: Be sure to remember that Canon recommends micro-adjustment calibration in the same light that you will be shooting in; that’s easy for a studio photographer, but a bit more complicated for wildlife photographers. I went through the process several times, each in different light, and noticed quite a difference between bright overcast and bright sunny conditions. I made a small business card sized printout with the different calibration settings given the light conditions and  keep it in my compact flash card wallet; there was only a few differences, so it doesn't take much effort to re-configure for different light conditions.

Cameras that can be user calibrated include:
Canon 1D Mark IV, 1Ds Mark III, 1D MArk III, 5D Mark II, 7D and 50D
Nikon D3, D3X, D3S, D300, D300s, D700
Sony A900 and A850
Olympus E-30 and E-620
Pentax K20D and K7D

Atlantic Puffin Paradise found (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU)

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) Vertical Portrait île aux Perroquets, Réserve de parc national du Canada de l'Archipel-de-Mingan, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DMKIV, 500mm F4 L IS with 2X Teleconverter II, Canon 25mm Extension Tube, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. 580EXII Flash manual mode. Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia 300-600. ISO 800, F16 @1/60s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Puffin Photography Workshop/Safari announced July 5-7, 2011

I'm just back from another trip; this time, I went out in search of the ultimate destination for Atlantic Puffins. 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. I have photographed Atlantic Puffins in Iceland, Maine, Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Quebec; All of these "known" places have their drawbacks. Mission accomplished; I have found Puffin Paradise. Special thanks to the Loiselle Familly of Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan for their gracious hospitality during my time there.

If you are interested in joining me for a Puffin photography workshop July 5-7, 2011, then be sure to send an email to chris@chrisdoddsphoto.com. This trip will be limited to six participants (two spots booked already) and will surely be the trip of a lifetime for anyone seeking to get close and personal (safely) to Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills. We will spend a few hours photographing fishing Puffins each morning from a boat, before landing on an island where we spend the rest of the day until sunset for three full days. I have secured special access, so we will be the only people on the island during the first, and last, few hours each day. Price is CAD$2,495.00 including four nights single occupancy accommodation, three days private boat tour with highly experienced captain, three days park access fees and three days expert instruction. Other subjects might include Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Great Cormorants, Savannah Sparrow (there are many) Common Eider and Grey Seal. More details after my return from teaching the August Gannets Galore workshop in about 10 days. Meals, beverages, transportation to Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Quebec and souvenirs are not included.

Testimonial

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 life time. 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 5:00am and we start the 4 hour trip to see dozens of species of birds and seals as well as 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

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU)

The Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) is a seabird species in the auk family. Also know as “common puffin”, “clown of the ocean”, “clown of the sea” and “sea parrot”, these squat little pelagic birds look comically awkward on land and rather heavy in the air, but once in their element, the water, they become able predators. “Flying” through the sea on stubby wings, they dive-bomb shoals of herring, sand eels, sardines, and other small fish and sometimes squid. These pursuit divers collect their victims one at a time, but can hold as many as 20 small fish crosswise in their brightly coloured beaks at the same time. The Atlantic Puffin is 26–29 centimetres (10–11 in) in length (bill 3-4 cm), with a 47–63 centimetres (19–25 in) wingspan. The male is generally slightly larger than the female, but they are coloured alike. A puffin can fly 48 to 55 mph (77 to 88 km/hr). The puffin beats its wings rapidly to achieve this speed reaching up to 400 beats a minute.

This species breeds on the coasts of northern Europe, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and eastern North America (Canada and New England), from well within the Arctic Circle to northern France and Maine. It is the only Puffin species found in the Atlantic Ocean. The winter months are spent at sea far from land - in Europe as far south as the Mediterranean, and in North America to North Carolina.  Puffins often nest in well populated colonies usually on remote, rugged islands free from egg and chick eating land predators. They deposit a single egg deep within a burrow excavated in soft earth, or in a feather, or grass, lined lair in a rocky cleft. After fattening-up their hatchlings on fish, the parents return to the sea. The young Puffins, still unable to fly, eventually scramble to the shore by night and plunge into the water.

Coastal Brown Bear (Ursus arctos or grizzly) wrestling. HYDROPHOBIA; the Ultimate Rain Cover & Trip Report Part III

Coastal Brown Bear males (boars) Wrestling in rain (Ursus arctos) Kukak Bay, Katmai National Park, AK Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DMKIV, 500mm F4 L IS with 2X Teleconverter II, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia 300-600. ISO 1250, F8 @1/800s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Bear Fight

Though struggles between two juvenile bears might seem mortal, it is in fact just playful combat, designed to hone the animals skills. In later life, however, in teritorial disputes between two males, real fights can result in serious injury to the combatants, or even have a fatal outcome. Brown bears also fight to establish hierarchy and rights to prime fishing spots.

Trip Report

We had a blast watching, and photographing, four males (boar) fighting and wrestling with each other for what seemed like hours during the second afternoon of the Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai workshop/Safari. We carefully added out 2X tele-extenders to our 500mm Lenses for maximum reach, to fill the frame and to keep a safe distance between us and the battling giants. It rained much of the day, and we all put our Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia rain covers to good use.

Do consider joining me next year, for the ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai Nature Photography Workshop / Photo Safari from July 24 to 30, 2011. MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION FORM HERE.

Think-Tank Photo HYDROPHOBIA Ultimate Camera Rain Cover

I promised a review of the Think Tank Photo Hydrophobia when I got back from Bonaventure Island in June; Turns out, there's no better way to get hot, sunny and dry weather, than bringing along the very best rain gear to protect your valuable camera gear. We had day, after day, of glorious and hot, sunny weather; In fact, I only recall breaking out the rain covers once. There are now tons of reviews out there that include all of the technical specifications and videos of people spraying garden hoses onto expensive cameras sporting these covers. What I wanted to do here is give you a short, sweet, real world review of these covers when used in the very toughest conditions.

Coastal Brown Bear males (boars) Fighting in rain (Ursus arctos) Kukak Bay, Katmai National Park, AK Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DMKIV, 500mm F4 L IS with 2X Teleconverter II, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia 300-600. ISO 1250, F8 @1/800s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Think-Tank Photo HYDROPHOBIA 300-600

Rain protection for everything between the 300 F2.8 and the 600 F4 (this even works perfectly with the Canon 800 F5.6, as I discovered). It's designed to be pre-mounted around the lens hood for easy deployment, has a pocket to store the eyepiece (Eyepieces sold separately) and includes an extension for use with the longer glass. Simply put; it's the very best option I've found out there - and I’ve tried dozens. I would love a lower profile pocket at the lens hood end, so my line of sight is not disrupted while photographing birds in flight with the rain cover in the "stored" position and having more material between ends (one piece) would mean I could actually remove the cover in it's stowed position with the lens hood for packing; something I found impossible with my 500mm F4 IS Canon lens, when installed with enough room for my 2X Tele-converter and the Canon off-camera shoe cord slid into the hot shoe. Other improvements that I quickly wished for were more clear window around the eyepiece and a flap over the eyepiece to protect it from filling with raindrops when I wasn't shooting - both of which have been incorporated into the design of the newer Hydrophobia 70-200 & Hydrophobia 70-200 Flash. I do hope there is a re-design of this model, with an option for a removable rain cover for a flash with the Better Beamer Flash Extender attached. I was able to use this cover with the Wimberley tripod head (Version I or II), and I figured out how to use my flash bracket, flash and Better Beamer, but I feel there is more than enough nature photographers out there to warrant a special "nature" edition. In the mean time, this is, without doubt, the very best option on the market now.

Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia 70-200

Essentially the 70-200 Flash, without the clear flash pocket - do yourself a favor and spend the extra $6.00 to get the Flash version (below)

Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia 70-200 Flash

Oh, la-la, this is the newest addition to the Hyrophobia line, and Think-Tank Photo's rapid product evolution really shines here. The clear window has been re-designed with more clear space, there's a cover over the eyepiece that flips up and out of the way when shooting, a removable front lens cover, an ingenious built-in camera strap that keeps your camera securely attached to the cover, and horizontal when slung under your shoulder - fantastic for the long days a nature photographer carries a second, shorter lens / camera. This one is evolutionary perfection and I can't think of a single thing to make it better. The clear flash pouch stows out of the way when not used, and there's even room for flash modifiers.

PRO TIPS:

Real world shooting in the rain required me to frequently remove my hands from the cover, and I found that  my hands got wet and I transferred water inside the cover; this caused the clear windows to fog up. I simply wrapped a small towel around the barrel, where the lens meets the camera body, to dry my hands and absorb any excess moisture, preventing the condensation from forming.
Don’t just use it in the rain. I found the covers to be really useful to prevent saltwater from splashing my gear while photographing from a boat, they kept my gear free of sand while getting low on a beach and I even used them as sun protection for my hands during lengthy shoots in strong sunlight.
Maintenance: For a long life, be sure to rinse after use and hang to dry; I found it practical to leave my Hydrophobia covers hanging in my car to ensure they dried thoroughly before packing into the nylon mesh pouch for storage.

BE SURE TO ORDER YOUR THINK-TANK PHOTO HYDROPHOBIA BY CLICKING THIS LINK AND RECEIVE A FREE BAG WITH EVERY ORDER OVER $50.00

Coastal Brown Bear males (boars) BEAR HUG in rain (Ursus arctos) Kukak Bay, Katmai National Park, AK Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DMKIV, 500mm F4 L IS with 2X Teleconverter II, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. Think-Tank Photo Hydrophobia 300-600. ISO 1250, F8 @1/800s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Coastal Brown Bears Trip Report Part I

Coastal Brown Bear Female (Sow) Fishing in Last Light (Ursus arctos) Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, AK ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DMKIV, 500mm F4 L IS with 1.4 Teleconverter II, Tripod & Wimberley Head II. ISO 1600, F5.6 @1/1250s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

I'm just in the door from one of the very best photographic trips of my lifetime. I left home on July 8th and arrived at Kodiak airport later that day without event. I had planned a few extra days before the workshop started to allow for the fog that delayed me last year, and forced me to sleep in ANC airport. Steve Metildi and Darren Charles Holloway arrived early for the workshop and we had an absolute blast photographing Red Fox, Golden-Crowned Sparrow, Orange-Crowned Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Bald Eagle, Wilson's Warbler and more around Kodiak Island. On July 12, Rolan Ruoss of Sea Hawk Air flew us out to Kukak Bay for our rendezvous with Chuck Keim on the Coastal Explorer for what became the trip of a lifetime for all.

We had been on the look-out for this female (sow) that had been reported to have two spring cubs, but were saddened to learn that she had lost them. Cubs remain with their mother from two to four years, during which time they learn survival techniques, such as which foods have the highest nutritional values and where to obtain them; how to hunt, fish, and defend themselves; and where to den. The cubs learn by following and imitating their mother's actions during the period they are with her. Brown bears practice infanticide. An adult male bear may kill the cubs of another bear either to make the female sexually receptive or simply for consumption. A close look at her right paw reveals an open wound, just above her claws, that most probably occured while she desperatly tried to defend her cubs.

I returned to a staggering amount of emails, and brought back a ton of images to edit, so stay tuned for more in the coming days.

Testimonials

My thanks Chris for introducing me to the tremendous experience (both visual and olfactory) offered by not only the Gannet colony on Bonaventure Island but also by the Gaspe peninsula.  Your low key approach and readily available technical knowledge really helped me to focus on what it was I wanted to do and maximize my chance of getting the pictures that I wanted.  Standing in a zodiac on the rolling ocean watching you photograph flying seabirds using a hand held 800mm lens pushed me to believe I could actually do the same using a 420mm lens......and the resulting photos show that it can be done!  My 6 and 3 year old children cannot thank you enough for the endless slide shows I now make them endure.- Ron Kellner | Toronto, Ontario

Pat and I had a great time on your recent Gannets Galore photo tour.  We have been on many photo tours and yours was one of the best.  We have never seen so many excellent photo opportunities.  Even the 5 AM Zodiac trip around the island offered great opportunities.  The small size of the group, 6 photographers, added to our enjoyment since you were able to spend considerable time with each of us.  Your tips on using manual camera settings were excellent.  I now use manual settings for virtually every photograph, flight or static. Thanks again for a truly outstanding photographic experience. Stokes Fishburne Chapel Hill | North Carolina

Bonaventure Island Trip Report: Common Murre or Common Guillemot (Uria aalge, guillemot marmette, COMU)

Common Murre or Common Guillemot Flying (Uria aalge, guillemot marmette, COMU) Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé (Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park) Bonaventure Island, Quebec. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS-1D MKIV, 800mm F5.6 L IS. ISO 800, 1/2500s F5.6 Manual. Hand held from Zodiac Hurricane 733. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Common Murre or Common Guillemot Banking (Uria aalge, guillemot marmette, COMU) Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé (Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park) Bonaventure Island, Quebec. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS-1D MKIV, 800mm F5.6 L IS. ISO 800, 1/2500s F5.6 Manual. Hand held from Zodiac Hurricane 733. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Bonaventure Island Gannets Galore Nature Photography Photo Safari Workshop

One of the highlights of the Gannets Galore Photo Safari is the daily (weather permitting) Zodiac trips to, and around, Bonaventure Island. This year, we had two back-to-back perfect mornings with mirror-like water and virtually no swell; a perfect recipe for photography from a Zodiac Hurricane 733. There were many Common Murres, Razorbills, Black Guillemots, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and even some Puffins floating on the water around the Zodiac, but the crown jewels for the nature photographers on board are always the birds in flight shots of these birds that fly at 80km per hour. I was just thrilled to have a CPS Loaner Canon Mark IV and 800mm F5.6 IS L on loan from Canon Canada for the workshops; most everyone, who wanted, got to try this impressive bird photography rig. I must confess to have fallen in love with the lens after creating these razor sharp images on the second morning of the first (of three) workshops.

If you find yourself trying to photograph seabirds from near their cliff-edge nesting sites, it's best to skip the outbound birds and focus on the inbound birds; Razorbills, Murres, etc., typically nest under other species like Northern Gannets on the cliff face and are typically covered in bird poop when leaving the nest - inbound birds are just back from fishing, so they are all nice and clean. Try to lock onto them before they slow to land  on the water or bank for best results.

More Kudos

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for an amazing trip. I especially enjoyed shooting from the zodiac for all kinds of great shots. You lead an outstanding tour, and I would certainly consider future trips with you. I can tell that you could be of great help as I finish off my wish list of species for the new waterbirds book, as you know many of the key spots for specific species and behavior. I also have a lot to learn about the digital process, and you are gifted in this area. Many thanks my friend!

-Middleton Evans | Baltimore | MD

Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus, Goeland argente, HERG)

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).

Gannets Galore Bonaventure Island Workshop Report & Side Light for Nature Photography

Great Black-backed Gull Emerging with fish (Larus marinus, Goeland marin, GBBG) 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.

Gannets Galore Bonaventure Island Workshop Report I:

Julie and I made the 12 hour drive to Percé on June 8th, arriving in town early in the afternoon that day. We scrambled up to the Northern Gannet colony on Bonaventure Island the next day to see that all is well and the colony is continuing to grow as expected. Photographic conditions continue to be the very best that Bonaventure Island has to offer.
Middleton Evans (author of Rapsody in Blue: A Celebration of North American Waterbirds), Gordon Kadonoff, Pat, Stokes & Denise Fishburne, Nick Honig & Tuma Young, Provash Ganguli, Amanda Reed, Ron Kellner, Ellen Goff and Wojciech Bedkowski all were simply a pleasure to spend time with, each having great spirits and all adding to the many great memories of yet another great spring on Bonaventure Island. Photographic opportunities from the morning Zodiac outings continue to get better with every trip. Harlequin Ducks, Common Eider, Atlantic Puffins, Common Murre, Razorbill, Black-legged Kittiwake, Black Guillemots, Great Cormorants, Great Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls and Grey Seals all gave award winning appearances.

Side Light for Nature Photography

During the second workshop, on June 15th, Bonaventure Island was closed due to strong winds from the North that pushed big waves onto the wharf and prevented landings. This was good news as we went out and photographed Black Guillemots, Common Eiders, Herring Gulls and Black-backed Gulls from shore. With the birds doing what birds do, and flying into the wind, I seized the opportunity to make dramatic action shots of the gulls taking flight after snatching fish from the Common Eiders. Pretty amazing to see the female Eiders lunge out of the water and attack the Gulls. I knew the moment the first Gull emerged from the water that I had to use the side light, at 90 degrees off to the right, to add dimension, texture and life to the image and sparkle to the water. I caught myself, more than once, asking my groups to remember that Gulls are beautiful, and worthy photographic subjects, too.

Kudos

"Thanks for a great weekend.  I got some great shots, learned some new things and met some terrific people.  You and Julie were perfect hosts.  I really appreciated your patient, attentive instruction........ "

- Amanda Reed Cape Cod, Massachusetts

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

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.

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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.

Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia, Paruline noir et blanc, BAWW)

Black-and-white Warbler vertical portrait (Mniotilta vary, Paruline noir et blanc, BAWW) Point Pelee National Park of Canada (Southwestern Ontario, 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.

Black-and-white Warbler singing (Mniotilta vary, Paruline noir et blanc, BAWW) Point Pelee National Park of Canada (Southwestern Ontario, 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.

Black-and-white Warbler singing vertical portrait (Mniotilta vary, Paruline noir et blanc, BAWW) Point Pelee National Park of Canada (Southwestern Ontario, 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.

Point Pelee Workshop report ... continued

In keeping with tradition, my annual bird photography workshop at the Southernmost tip of land in Canada, Point Pelee National Park of Canada, kept us all on our feet for hours at a time. We hiked far and wide while carrying our camera gear; Robert Parent (from Quebec) called it "Extreme Bird Photography". I would hate to think just how far we really did walk each day. Everyone in the group remained in good spirits, despite the cold, and sometimes wet, weather. These images of this Black-and-white Warbler were all made within minutes of each other, they are the same bird we found foraging a pile of discarded sticks along Woodland trail early in the workshop. I enjoyed using the relatively noiseless high ISO capabilities of Canon's newset professional camera body, the Canon EOS 1D mark IV. I have always forced myself to never use more than ISO 400 with it's predecessor, so pulling-off consitently sharp images in low light during this trip was much easier than with earlier cameras.

Canon Auto-focus, Instruction book, firmware, and LensAlign

I was sitting on the tram on the way to the tip discussing Canon's latest camera bodies when a well known photographer said that he wasn't happy with the 7D he had purchased for his wife. Quick check of the custom settings showed it still had the old firmware, few of the custom functions had been properly set-up , the camera was even set to sRGB colorspace and there had been no micro-adjustment made. I downloaded the latest firmware that night and installed it the next morning for him; making a few adjustments to his custom settings. "Its much better now" was shouted-out across the parking lot that afternoon.

Perhaps Canon unleashed a beast when they decided to offer such a wide variety of user defined custom functions; few people read the instruction manual and really know how to set them. Before you decide that your camer'a AF isn't working properly, take the time to make sure it is set-up and be sure to micro-calibrate each of your lenses using LensAlign Pro.....please!

Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia, Paruline noir et blanc, BAWW)

The Black-and-white Warbler, Mniotilta vary, Paruline noir et blanc, BAWW, has an unusually long hind toe and claw on each foot. This adaptation allows it to move securely on the surface of tree bark. They are known for their habit of creeping around tree trunks and along larger branches in search of insect food in crevices or under the bark; hence its old name, "Black-and-white Creeper." Unlike the Brown Creeper, which only moves up a tree, the Black-and-white Warbler can climb in any direction. Unusually aggressive for a warbler, the Black-and-white Warbler sometimes attacks and fights Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, Tennessee Warbler, and other species. It is the only member of the genus Mnitila, which means "moss plucking".

Lincoln's Sparrow & Point Pelee Workshop / Safari Report

Lincoln's Sparrow vertical look-back with reflection, Melospiza lincolnii (Bruant de Lincoln) Point Pelee National Park of Canada (Southwestern Ontario, 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, 1/200s 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.

Point Pelee Spring Songbird bird photography workshop / safari report

Just back from leading my annual spring bird photography workshop / safari at Point Pelee National Park near Leamington, Ontario. I was joined by Robert Parent & Sylvie Desjardins of Lac-Beauport (Quebec), Gail Bisson of Sydney (Nova Scotia), Multiple workshop veterans (and friends) Rick & Melody Curtis of Flower Mound (Texas) and Jerry Purdy of Kalamazoo (Michigan); a fine crew. There was lots of speculation about what kind of photography would be possible with the early leaf-out and unusually warm spring. Things did start slowly and, in keeping with tradition Jerry Purdy had to leave early to take care of business; sparking the start to the best spring migration I've ever witnessed at Point Pelee (sorry Jerry). The days are all blurred into one in my memory, but once things got started, the quantity and quality of birds dripping out of trees keep increasing. Unfortunately, the most memorable moments were the afternoon after the workshop had ended, so only Rick and Melody Curtis joined Julie and I for the dozens of Blackburnian Warblers dripping from the trees in Tilden Woods that afternoon. The next morning brought a gorgeous male Kirtland's Warbler that stuck around all day on East beach. Suffice it to say; it was the best I have ever seen it at Point Pelee! My only wish would have been for everyone in the workshop to have witnessed Pelee's best.Lincoln's Sparrow , Melospiza lincolnii (Bruant de Lincoln) Point Pelee National Park of Canada (Southwestern Ontario, 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, 1/200s 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.

Hydrophobia to the rescue

The weather ranged from cold to freezing cold with a fair mix of rain and cloud. Greg Downing (NatureScapes.net) and Bian Erwin (Think-Tank Photo) conspired to send me a rather thoughtful assortment of rain gear for my camera as an early birthday gift (it was my birthday on May 6 when I drove to Pelee); suffice it to say that their timing was impeccable and the Hydrophobia 300-600, Hydrophobia 70-200 & Hydrophobia 70-200 Flash were all put to good use - watch for a full review after more field testing during my Bonaventure Island Gannets Galore workshop series in June. We even endured hail and sleet between a rather monsoonish downpour while photographing at our set-ups at Rondeau Provincial Park. This gear is the ONLY camera rain covers that have ever worked for me; Thank-you Greg & Brian.

Kudos...

"Hey Chris, 

We wanted to thank you for the great time and wonderful experience.  It was just awesome to see so many birds including all the Warblers and Tanagers all in one area.  "I got a feeling" that having the rare opportunity to photograph and hear the Kirkland Warbler singing was an experience that many birders would have been very envious of.  The Yellow Billed Cuckoo was outstanding to see and we were got some marvelous shots even for the Texas Zoomers.  We had the opportunity to take great shots of the Northern Parula, Tennessee, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Cape May, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Pine, Black-and-white and  American Redstart Warblers.  We saw many other birds and Warblers adding to the excitement of the workshop (even the "OMG" Bay-breasted Warbler).

It was a fun workshop and a pleasure to met Julie, Jerry, Robert, Sylvie, and Gail.  Thanks again for all your advice, counsel and exercise (hahaha).  Looking forward to another workshop in the future and anytime you are in Texas give us a shout.  

Sincerely,

Texas Zoomers (aka Rick & Melody Curtis from Flower Mound, Texas)"

Lincoln's Sparrow with crest raised, Melospiza lincolnii (Bruant de Lincoln) Point Pelee National Park of Canada (Southwestern Ontario, 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, 1/200s 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.Lincoln's Sparrow vertical portrait, Melospiza lincolnii (Bruant de Lincoln) Point Pelee National Park of Canada (Southwestern Ontario, 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, 1/100s 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.

Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii (Bruant de Lincoln, LISP)

A species only seen during migration for most Great Lakes Region birder, William Brewster (1936, in Bent 1968) describes the Lincoln's Sparrow as "a keen, intelligent little traveler, evidently, quite alive to the fact that dangers threatened at all times, but too cool-headed and experienced to be subject to the needless and foolish panics which seize upon many of the similar birds." Lincoln's Sparrows are remarkable for staying well hidden, but a careful observer, with patience, can often get quite a good look. These Sparrows often raise their crown feathers when alert or concerned, giving their heads a bit of a peaked appearance. The Lincoln's Sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii, bruant de lincoln, is a medium-sized sparrow. Adults have dark-streaked olive-brown upperparts with a light brown breast with fine streaks, a white belly and a white throat. They have a brown cap with a grey stripe in the middle, olive-brown wings and a narrow tail. Their face is grey with brown cheeks, a brown line through the eye and an eye ring. They are somewhat similar in appearance to the Song Sparrow. Their breeding habitat is wet thickets or shrubby bogs across Canada, Alaska and the northeastern and western United States; this bird is less common in the eastern parts of its range. The nest is a well-concealed shallow open cup on the ground under vegetation. These birds migrate to the southern United States, Mexico and northern Central America; they are passage migrants over much of the United States, except in the west. They forage on the ground in dense vegetation, mainly eating insects and seeds.
They are very secretive. Their song is a musical trill, but this bird is often not seen or heard even where they are common. This bird was named by Audubon after his friend, Thomas Lincoln, of Dennysville, Maine. Lincoln shot the bird on a trip with Audubon to Nova Scotia in 1834, and Audubon named it "Tom's Finch" in his honor.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

 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