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.
Common Murre Kudos & Gear for Sale
Common Murre or Common Guillemot Vertical (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, 1/1,600s f/5.6 Manual. Hand held from Zodiac Hurricane 733. Full Frame. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A PRINT or LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.
TESTIMONIAL
"In September 2011, I attended Christopher Dodds’ “Gannets Galore” workshop in Perce, Quebec, Canada. I have attended many wildlife photo workshops over the years and this workshop was a 10+ without a doubt. The trip was exactly as he described on his web site; no overpromising and under delivering.
Chris provided access to a colony of 63,000 nesting pairs of Northern Gannets (and at least as many non-breeding birds) and his relationships with the local park staff allowed us to get to locations in the park that were closed to the public. Throughout the trip he was cheerful, very well organized and took care of all those details (and this was a complicated location) that can ruin an experience.. I was able to concentrate on what I came to do…..photography.
As a professional photographer I know my field, but it is a major bonus to find someone who can provide instruction to me. My flight shots improved dramatically! Chris has an uncanny understanding of composition and light and presented me with many opportunities to test my skills. He understands creativity in photography as well as being a technical master. This trip was perfect for a beginner or a professional and he gives as much instruction and guidance as you need without arrogance, attitude or making you feel too shy to ask. I would encourage any photographer, no matter what level, to sign up for Chris' workshops."
Equipment for sale
I have a Canon 1.4X II & Canon 2X II Extender for sale. Both items are in excellent working codition, but have slight signs of wear as expected when used professionally. Both have brand new caps (front & back) and are available to the first person who agrees to send US$250.00 or CAD$250.00 each via PayPal (Post Office shipping to Canada or USA and PayPal fees included). Visa, MasterCard or check are fine if I know you. Contact me chris@chrisdoddsphoto.com
I have a friend who is selling the following mint gear (email me chris@chrisdoddsphoto.com for details):
Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS L USM Version I - US$1,150.00
Canon 100-400 f/4-5.6 IS L - US$1,300.00
Canon 600mm f/4 IS L USM (includes LensCoat Cover, Really Right Stuff replacement foot and case.) - US$8,000.00
Includes PayPal fees and shipping.
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.