Northern Gannet Branch Manager

A Northern Gannet “The branch manager” bringing a branch back to its nest over the cliffs of Bonaventure Island during my Gannets Galore and so much more workshop in Quebec. While most of the Gannets returning with something to line their nests bring seaweed, grass, and sometimes sticks or feathers, I have occasionally seen them return with fishing nets and garden hoses over the decades of leading workshops at Bonaventure Island.

Northern Gannet in flight with seaweed

A Northern Gannet returns to its nest on Bonaventure Island with seaweed during my Gannets Galore and so much more workshop. This one is from a folder I found from my 2022 workshop. We had a pretty great day with some spectacular skies!

Black-legged Kittiwakes

A pair of Black-legged Kittiwakes joust against the shadowed background under the cliffs of Bonaventure Island during my Gannets Galore and so much more workshop. The daily four-hour Zodiac adventure under the island's cliffs makes for some pretty incredible imagery, even after the light gets harsh, as was the case here.

Northern Gannet in flight with seaweed

A Northern Gannet brings home seaweed to line its mud bowl nest during my Gannets Galore and so much more workshops on Bonaventure Island in Quebec. This dark grey background made standing in the rain all day well worth it - smile! Join me next June for the adventure!

Northern Gannet Artistic Eye Detail

Here’s another Gannet from the first day (June 5, 2023) of my Gannets Galore and so much more workshops on Bonaventure Island. Near the end of our very long day of rain, it started to let up a little, and I decided to lie down in the wet grass and wait for a Gannet to get close. I spent almost 25 minutes with it before starting the hike back to catch the boat. I wanted something that would work on a cover, so I kept the camera in vertical orientation and let the composition …develop - smile.

Click on the image above to see and read about a horizontal image cropped to vertical and published on the cover of the now-defunct Dutch E & V magazine way back in 2010. ©Christopher Dodds

Northern Gannet in flight with seaweed

A Northern Gannet landing with seaweed during my recent GANNETS GALORE WORKSHOP on Bonaventure Island in Quebec. The heavy fog during our first day became patchy, and I made this image while wandering between the main colony and the tower during a brief window of light fog at the end of the first day.

There are many ways of dealing with fog post-capture, including the dehaze tool, curves and levels adjustments, etc. I usually try to preserve the foggy scene but occasionally process a foggy image so the result negates any sign of the fog.

Common Murre (bridled) calling in flight

The opportunities were endless during the early morning boat cruise below the cliffs of BONAVENTURE ISLAND during my recent GANNETS GALORE and so much more workshop.

I love the white spectacles on this bridled common Murre. The key to success while working at 20,000 ISO is to pay particular attention to two things:

1. Ensure you have exposed the image correctly and pushed the whites all the way to the right of the histogram; correcting a poorly exposed image will always result in much more noise than getting it right in the camera.

2. Try to work full-frame; the more you crop an image, the more you magnify any noise that there may be.

Northern Gannet flying with seaweed

The early morning boat excursion under the cliffs of BONAVENTURE ISLAND during my Gannets Galore workshop offered so many different and unique opportunities. This Gannet had just collected the seaweed and flew right past us: I love the contrast between the dark water, shadows and subject here.

Northern Gannet landing with seaweed

A Northern Gannet brings home some seaweed to line its mud-bowl nest during my recently concluded GANNETS GALORE AND SO MUCH MORE Workshop on BONAVENTURE ISLAND.

After spending an incredible four hours on the Zodiac, we loaded our gear on the park’s four-wheeler (a special arrangement only available to my group) and made our way up to the fog-enshrouded Gannettry; it is always an impressive sight. The fog was heavy, but the rain was manageable. This image was made towards the end of the day as the fog let up a little.

Common Murre with baby food

I photographed this Common Murre (bringing fish home to feed its baby) against the out-of-focus cliffs of Bonaventure Island hand-held from a Zodiac Hurricane during my GANNETS GALORE WORKSHOP last June. I love my time on the daily Zodiac excursion photographing the other species that call Bonaventure Island home. The open boat trips are weather permitting, and there is some rain in our forecast, but my fingers are crossed that the current sunshine manifests and we start big on the Zodiac tomorrow morning.

Northern Gannet Lovebirds

Happy Valentines Day!

I just love the super saturated colors immediately after a rain storm passes at the largest Northern Gannet colony in the world. Join me in June for my Gannets Galore Workshop on Bonaventure Island in The Gulf of the Saint Lawrence. This is, by far, the very best venue in the world to learn, refine and master your bird photography skills!

Northern Gannet The Return

Northern Gannet THE RETURN (Morus Bassanus, Fou de Bassan, NOGA) 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 1DX Mark II, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM @263mm. ISO 1250, f/8 1/5,000s Manual. Full Frame. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

Here's a simple image from the first day of my Gannets Galore trip to Bonaventure Island. The Gannets continue to do well and the colony continues to grow, offering truly spectacular sights and images; The photographic opportunities are endless. The 1DX Mark II and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM proved to be a killer combination; easy to manage all day with amazing AF and high ISO performance. Do join me for the ultimate Bonaventure Island experience next June 5-7, 2017. Find more details HERE.

Snowy Owl from Saint Paul Island Workshop

Male Snowy Owl SAINT PAUL BLAST-OFF (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Saint Paul Island, The Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Canon EOS Canon EOS 1DX, 600mm F4 L IS II, 2X Extender III, Tripod & Jobu Jr. 3 ISO 4,000s, f/9 @ 1/3,200s Manual mode. PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION HERE.

We had an awesome time photographing the beautiful male Snowy Owl one morning during my Saint Paul Island workshop. The owl was much more tolerant of our presence than I expected, and kept taking-off to hunt Least Auklets along the shore, only to return to perch near us each time it failed. Finding this, and the Lesser White-fronted Goose the next day is a testament to the diverse and rare birds of Saint Paul Island.

It's not too late to learn bird photography!

If you want to learn bird photography at the very best place in the world for me to teach it, then it's not too late. I have just announced that I'll be returning to Bonaventure Island to teach another Gannet Galore workshop from August 21-23, 2013. This is the best time to photograph the babies and all of the usual Gannet behaviour. Do take the time to read one of the many testimonials from this workshop - if I could recommend a single workshop for you to learn the most, this is it! There is something to photograph from dawn to dusk and the birds in flight opportunities will not disappoint! Click the link for more information or to sign-up: Gannets Galore August 21-23, 2013

Testimonial

My very first birding workshop (Gannet Galore on Bonaventure Island) with a new lens AND camera was filled with much anxiety until the thorough briefing prior to our 1st shoot. After meeting Chris for the introduction to exposing to the right, the Sunny 16 rule and its variances, and the promise of capturing some bird images HE would be proud to call his own my mind was set to rest. I have only been in photography for 3 years and still struggle with exposure, composition, and sharp focusing(especially when bobbing in a Zodiac) but there I was actually able to come away with some great images of Razorbills on the fly! Chris is one of best teachers of photography and wildlife habits I have ever had the pleasure to be around, his knowledge of the Northern Gannets Colony and Bonaventure Island is exceptional. I have already signed on for my next workshop with him, his enthusiasm for wildlife is contagious!

Mel Geer Saint Simons Island, Georgia, USA

Canon EOS 1D X Firmaware Version 1.2.4 and Gannets Galore Bonaventure Island mini report

Northern Gannets LOVING  (Morus bassanus, Fou de Bassan, NOGA ) Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure Island, Quebec ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D X, 70-300mm F4-5.6 L IS USM @ 277mm Hand Held ISO 800, f/7.1 @ 1/1,600s Manual mode. Click HERE to order a print or license image for publication.

I'm just in the door from my Gannets Galore workshops and can honestly say that the Northen Gannet colony on Bonaventure Island is better than ever! We had a mix of weather and I enjoyed some fabulous company from the wonderful participants. The conditions are so good that I have decided to return and have just announced an August 21-23, 2013 Gannets Galore workshop / photo safari. If you want to experience a true photographer's paradise and learn tons about bird photography while there, then this is the trip for you - I guarantee it! This is one of those workshops that 500 or 600mm lenses are not obligatory to make some killer images! No one on earth knows the place better than I do! Do consider joining me and read more about the August 21-23, 2013 Gannets Galore Workshop on Bonaventure Island, Quebec HERE.

TESTIMONIALS

Thanks again for a great workshop. The gannets were awesome and I am really, really happy with my pictures. You did a great job of making sure everything went smoothly and I appreciated your help with camera settings, techniques, etc. I had high expectations going into the workshop and I can honesty say that my expectations were exceeded and then some.

Ian Nicholson Fredericton, NB, Canada

I had a wonderful time on your Northern Gannet workshop on Bonaventure Island. I only wish I could go back now, knowing what I learned from you and using it to produce even better and memorable images. You were an inspiration and very patient with me. It has whet my appetite for more and I'm thinking of your Texas workshop next.
I especially like the way you showed respect for the gannets and the park in general. I haven't stopped talking about my experience and the not-so-difficult climb to the colony, about the zodiac on the sea, about the Kawasaki mule taking our gear up so we didn't have to, about the beauty of Perce, about our leader; a kind and expert photographer.

John L. Block Dollard des Ormeaux, QC, Canada

Canon EOS 1D X Firmaware Version 1.2.4 released

Canon has released a firmware update Version 1.2.4 for the EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera. It incorporates the following improvements and fixes:

1. Improves the speed of the camera’s acquisition of focus when using a Canon Speedlite’s AF-assist beam.
2. Reduces the time it takes to display the metering result on the LCD or Viewfinder when the meter has been activated.
3. Fixes a phenomenon in which a “Caution 02” message is unnecessarily recorded in the camera status log.
4. Fixes a phenomenon in which continuous shooting pauses when using a Canon Speedlite.
5. Fixes a phenomenon, when the Canon GP-E1 is attached, in which the GPS device settings are reset to default settings when the camera has been powered off.

Download the new firmware HERE