Sandhill Crane

This Sandhill Crane was photographed during my Best of Bosque Workshop last December. When I checked the weather forecast the night before, it threatened some nastiness, but it amounted to only a light sprinkle of rain during the night. The saturated colours of the desert the next morning were a treat! Knowing exactly where the birds are is only part of the formula for a successful shoot; knowing where the best backgrounds are makes all the difference!

Only a couple of spots remain for my December 5-9, 2024 Best-of-Bosque Workshop!

Sandhill Crane in flight (Grus canadenis, Grue du Canada, SACR) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm ISO 4,000, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Belted Kingfisher

We had some great times and incredible opportunities with Belted Kingfishers while scouting for my BETTER THAN BOSQUE WORKSHOP in New Mexico while catching up with friends Doug and Kristin Brown (Special thanks to Doug for the Kingfisher spot).

Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon, Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique, BEKI) while scouting for 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.

Come and see me at ProFusion Expo in Toronto

Come and say hello and join me for my FREE mini-workshop presentation at Canada’s largest camera show in Toronto. I will be presenting at 12:00 on both November 9th and 10th. The presentation is sponsored by Sony and I look forward to seeing you there! Learn more about ProFusion Expo HERE.

Coyotes of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge New Mexico

We had some awesome experiences with this pair of Coyotes during my recent Best of Bosque workshop at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, USA. Given the playful nature of their interactions that we watched, I think it is fair to assume they were siblings born this past April.

My experience at the refuge this year was absolutely awesome. Word spread quickly that the drought limited the amount of wetland habitat and the failure of the crops that were planted to feed the migrating Sandhill Cranes and Geese. While this did mean there were limitations on the number of locations for good photography, the available options were awesome. I have never seen so few people in the refuge during migration.

Best of Bosque 1 opening due to cancellation Dec 6 to 10 2021

UPDATE: NOW SOLD OUT!

Best of Bosque Dec. 6 to 10, 2021 One spot open due to cancellation

A winter paradise for Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes and many other birds, Bosque del Apache is located along the Rio Grande River near Socorro, New Mexico. Touted as the Crown Jewel for bird photography by many, Bosque does offer some incredible images, but there is so much more to the area than just this one place. After many, many years of visiting the refuge and surrounding areas, I've decided to offer another photographic workshop there . This is, by far, the very best New Mexico has to offer in the winter; we will visit Bosque del Apache NWR when the conditions are right, but you will also have the opportunity to join me and learn where all of the other amazing, and somewhat secret spots are. We will visit some of my old haunts, blinds and secret locations.

Join world-renowned Canadian nature photographer, blogger, photo educator, lecturer, Sony ambassador and X-rite Master Coloratti Christopher Dodds in, and around, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge for 5 action-filled days of incredible bird photography, learning and fun!

The trip is timed to coincide with the very best time to be at Bosque del Apache NWR for fall migration.

Includes five days of professional instruction and guiding and logistics management by Christopher Dodds. Not included in the price is your transportation, hotels (I have a block of discounted rooms available at a discounted rate), park access fees, meals, drinks, souvenirs or other expenses of a personal nature.

Who should attend: This workshop is highly recommended for any level photographer. Whether you are completely new to nature photography, an experienced amateur, or a seasoned pro. There will be something to photograph and we will have plenty of time to tailor your instruction to your abilities. The seasoned pro can take full advantage of the logistics, my site and subject knowledge.

Getting there: Socorro is 73 miles from Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ).

Details: An extremely detailed email with the precise itinerary, hotel recommendations (for the night before your workshop), camera gear suggestions and tested clothing checklist will be emailed after registration is complete.

“My recent trip with Chris Dodds to the Bosque del Apache reserve was a roaring success! Five full days of shooting opportunities were exactly what I bargained for, and great lessons were learned. Specifically, high-quality results come with time, patience, and attention to detail. My experience with Chris gave me a taste of all three in a truly relaxed and fun atmosphere.

Each and every one of our five days working primarily with snow geese and sandhill cranes offered welcome variation in conditions to provide a broad package of opportunities. I left the workshop with a full portfolio of portraits, flight shots, behaviors, and great shots of those magnificent “blast offs” of thousands of white geese and elegant cranes, all under excellent light conditions for bird photography. Chris is a master at choosing and teaching about the best positioning for photos (clouds, sun, wind, behavior etc.) It was a busy time, with all the instruction I wanted, and that’s exactly how it should be!

I most admired Chris Dodds’ active coaching combined with openness to questions at any time. Chris was often right next to us shooting away and teaching-by-example, but his clear priority was to boost the abilities of each participant, no matter whether they were beginners or pros. It is a rare ability to coach a well-experienced photographer one moment, and then patiently help a newbie with a point-and-shoot learn how to set up their tripod!

I’m busily planning another trip or two with Chris!”

— Darrell Vodopich, Waco, Texas