Snowy Owl Workshop Testimonial from Wink Gaines

This is a beautiful female Snowy Owl on the hunt from February 12, 2025, during week 6 of 8 Winter Owl Workshops. It started as a miserable day with snow and freezing rain, the perfect recipe for Snowy Owl hunting after the storm. We had some great opportunities, as this female hunted directly in front of my group several times. Be sure to see the fabulous image that Wink Gaines made below!

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Ontario, Canada, during my recent Winter Owl Workshops. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 II Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 5,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

Testimonial and image from Wink Gaines:

“ I couldn’t have asked for a better experience while participating in one of Chris Dodds’ Snowy Owl workshop in February 2025. Chris is a photographer’s photographer! His meticulous field preparation and expert understanding of owl behavior and natural habitats are unmatched. While in the field, Chris is always on hand, offering tailored advice on camera settings, lens choices, and technical matters —no matter what gear you’re using. His approachable nature and years of guiding photographers to hidden, exceptional wildlife hotspots make his workshops stand out, ensuring an unforgettable experience that goes above and beyond what most photographers have encountered.”
— Wink Gaines | North Carolina | USA | www.winkgainesphoto.com

Snowy Owl photograph courtesy and copyright Wink Gaines www.WinkGainesPhoto.com

Snowy Owl Workshop Update

Last week was another great week of Snowy Owl photography during week 5 of 7 Winter Snowy Owl Workshops. It was an awesome group and everyone’s patience in the cold was rewarded by many hunting missions by this beautiful Snowy Owl.

Join me in Canada 🇨🇦 for an Ethical and Responsible Snowy Owl Photography Workshop. We will not feed, bait, lure, call or disturb the owls we photograph. Some spots are still available for my February 24-28, 2025 Winter Snowy Owl Workshops & 2026 trips are filling quickly!

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Ontario, Canada, during my recent Winter Owl Workshops. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 II Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @400mm ISO 1,000, f/8 @ 1/6,400s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Snowy Owl Flying Pink Sky

We have been having a blast during my Snowy Owl Workshops this winter. This image was made at first light as the Snowy Owl took flight. I carefully removed the top of the telephone pole and a wire from the lower portion of the image.

Join me in Canada 🇨🇦 for an Ethical and Responsible Snowy Owl Photography Workshop. We will not feed, bait, lure, call or disturb the owls we photograph. Some spots are still available for my February 17-20 & February 24-28, 2025 Winter Snowy Owl Workshops. Click the link below to learn more or sign up.

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Ontario, Canada, during my recent Winter Owl Workshops. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 16,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Rough-legged Hawk in flight ventral view

This is another image from our terrific encounter with this Rough-legged Hawk as it circled us a few times last Wednesday during my recent Winter Snowy Owl Workshop. See yesterday’s post: Rough-Legged Hawk in flight dorsal view.

Rough-legged Hawk in flight ventral view (Buteo lagopus, Buse pattue, RLHA). Created during my recent Winter Owl Workshop in Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 1,600, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

Rough-Legged Hawk in flight dorsal view

This is one of many images made during a close encounter with this Rough-legged Hawk during my Winter Snowy Owl workshop recently. The bird circled us several times, giving everyone fantastic views; stay tuned for more.

The rough-legged hawk gets its name from the feathers that run down its legs to its talons, keeping it warm in frigid temperatures. After breeding in the Arctic tundra, rough-legged hawks travel south to open fields and grasslands.

See: Rough-legged Hawk in flight ventral view

Rough-legged Hawk in flight dorsal view (Buteo lagopus, Buse pattue, RLHA). Created during my recent Winter Owl Workshop in Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 1,600, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

Snow Bunting in flight

This high-key image of a backlit Snow Bunting in flight was made during my Winter Snowy Owl Workshop this week. It is an excellent example of why I keep my shutter speed high enough to freeze action, even when the owl we were set up at wasn’t moving: I am always ready for extraordinary and unexpected action. A couple of spots are still available for my February 17-21, 2025 Winter Snowy Owl Workshop.

Snow Bunting In Flight (Plectrophenax nivalis, Plectrophane des neiges, SNBU) from my recent Snowy Owl Workshop in Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 3,200, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

Snowy Owl In Flight Glance

I was photographing this Snowy Owl out the window of my car while scouting for my Winter Owl Workshops last week when a snowplow scared it off the fence post it was perched on. Although I followed it as it took flight, I hadn’t pressed the trigger because it wasn’t looking at me. I would have missed this, as it glanced back for a fraction of a second, but the pre-capture function in my camera saved me.

Snowy Owl In Flight Glance (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm ISO 3,200, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

Sandhill Crane flying in golden light

A Sandhill Crane landing at dusk against the golden backdrop of blurred Cottonwood trees during my recent Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico.

This year, we were fortunate to enjoy golden light and ideal wind direction for most of my Better than Bosque workshop. The Cottonwoods displayed their autumn foliage, creating stunning backgrounds when the light became perfect - smile.

Sandhill Crane flying in golden light (Grus canadenis, Grue du Canada, SACR) from my recently concluded Better than Bosque workshop. Bernardo Wildlife Area (Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex), Bernardo, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 8,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Wood Duck in flight

Another Wood Duck from my recent Better than Bosque workshop in New Mexico. There was no shortage of Wood Ducks this year, and the wind and light were favourable for photographing them in flight. It is hard not to point your lens at them when they fly past!

Wood Duck in flight (Aix sponsa, Canard branchu, WODU) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm ISO 1,250, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

Hooded (Hoodie) Merganser in flight

A Hooded Merganser in flight over the duck ponds from my recent Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico.

Slim and swift on the wing, mergansers are unique among ducks in that they have slender, saw-toothed bills to grab fish and other prey in underwater dives. The most petite and elegant of the three merganser species is the Hooded Merganser, which has a fan-shaped white crest bordered with black (tucked back in this flight image). Unlike the other mergansers, “hoodies” rarely gather in flocks and usually winter on small ponds.

Hooded Merganser In Flight (Lophodytes cucullatus, Harle couronné, HOME) from my Better than Bosque workshop . Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,500, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Northern Shoveler in flight in golden light

A hen (hen = female) Northern Shoveler prepares to land over golden corn fields while bathed in golden morning light during my Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico earlier this month.

As the sun rose, the wind raged in the wrong direction as we drove the North loop in Bosque del Apache NWR. We came upon a mixed flock of ducks and decided to stop and see if any were banking around and posing at a light angle that worked. A few obliged the determined photographer.

Northern Shoveler (hen = female) in flight in golden light (Spatula clypeata, Canard souchet, NSHO) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Western Meadowlark in flight head on

On our first afternoon at Bernardo Wildlife Area during my Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico, there were impressive numbers of Western Meadowlarks flying back and forth along the road over the corn fields. Most were high, with the occasional bird flying past at eye level. I watched this individual head straight at me and was thrilled with my results - but I must admit two things:

  1. The auto-focus of the Sony a9 Mark III is mind-blowing. You still have to “drive” the camera, but it won’t fail you when things line up!

  2. Shooting at 120fps meant having the best possible wing positions and not settling for a mistimed image.

Western Meadowlark in flight head-on(Sturnella neglecta, Sturnelle de l'Ouest, WEME) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bernardo Wildlife Area, Bernardo, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,500, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. 95% full-frame image.

Belted Kingfisher in flight against amber autumn foliage

This is another Belted Kingfisher (female) image from my recently concluded Better than Bosque Workshop. There were great opportunities over the duck pond as they flew back & forth from a garbage can to a signpost.

Belted Kingfisher Flying (Megaceryle alcyon, Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique, BEKI) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha Alpha 9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 16,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

Northern Harrier in flight

There were plenty of Northern Harriers during my Better than Bosque Workshop this year. This image was made on the first day of the workshop while we were stopped and “focused” on hundreds of ducks landing in the ditch along the road.

Northern Harrier in flight (Circus hudsonius, busard Saint-Martin, NOHA) from the first day of my Better than Bosque workshop (Dec. 5, 2024) Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 6,400, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

Belted Kingfisher in flight against autumn colors

This female Belted Kingfisher put on quite a show during my recently concluded Better than Bosque Workshop. (Females are blue-gray with a chestnut belly band and flanks.) This image is courtesy of the Sony a9 III pre-capture feature. I was tracking her as she flew away from me, and she suddenly banked and landed on a sign over a garbage can.

Belted Kingfisher Flying Head On (Megaceryle alcyon, Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique, BEKI) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha Alpha 9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 16,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

Hooded Merganser Top-side flight

It seemed like this Hooded Merganser came out of nowhere and flip-flopped to lose altitude quickly right before me. I was lucky to get a few frames, and I especially love this one with the autumn colours in the background courtesy of the cottonwood tree.

Hooded Merganser Top-side Flight (Lophodytes cucullatus, Harle couronné, HOME) from my Better than Bosque workshop . Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,500, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Western Meadowlark in flight

There have been impressive numbers of Western Meadowlarks in and around the corn fields where we photograph the Cranes, Geese and Raptors during my Better than Bosque Workshop. This is a full-frame image made as this bird changed direction while I followed it through my lens. 120fps makes getting the wing position right, but I had to keep the erratic flyer in the viewfinder - smile!

Western Meadowlark in flight (Sturnella neglecta, Sturnelle de l'Ouest, WEME) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bernardo Wildlife Area, Bernardo, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 1,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Cooper's Hawk with prey

Only moments after photographing the White-crowned Sparrow Flying (Dorsal view) from my Nov. 28, 2024 post HERE, I was surprised by this Cooper’s Hawk as it swooped down and grabbed the Sparrow as it flew away from me. Luckily, my instinct was to point the lens at the bird and follow it. I got off a few frames as it banked around and flew towards me.

Cooper’s Hawk with prey in flight (Accipiter cooperii, Épervier de Cooper, COHA) from November 28, 2024, while scouting for my Better than Bosque workshop. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 3,200, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

White-crowned Sparrow flying (dorsal view)

I am still in Albuquerque scouting for my Better than Bosque Workshop. This morning started with another go at the Belted Kingfisher in terrible light and a beautiful Drake Bufflehead that stayed too far away for a nice image. While scanning for raptors, I spotted an enormous flock of White-crowned Sparrows and decided to walk to the other side of the field to get the right light angle. This is an immature White-crowned Sparrow that I managed to get on; call me lucky (or get yourself a Sony a9 III - smile).

White-crowned Sparrow Flying (Dorsal view). (Zonotrichia leucophrys, Bruant à couronne blanche, WCSP) From this morning (Nov. 28, 2024) while scouting for my Better than Bosque workshop. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha Alpha 9 II Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

Belted Kingfisher (male) in flight

This male Belted Kingfisher interrupted our Wood Duck shoot during my Best of Bosque Workshop last December, chasing another male Kingfisher around the ponds for a few minutes. It was a ton of fun tracking this tiny speedster as it flew as fast and erratically as it did.

Due to an unfortunate medical emergency, one spot is still available for my Dec. 5-9, 2024, Best of Bosque Workshop.

Belted Kingfisher male in flight (Megaceryle alcyon, Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique, BEKI) during my Better than Bosque workshop. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 10,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.