Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) from my Winter Owls Workshop ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. 400mm. ISO 5,000, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure
Winter Owl Workshop update
I just had a second person cancel for medical reasons. Please click below to learn more or sign-up:
Short-eraed Owl in Flight (Asio flammeus, Hibou des marais, SEOW) While scouting for my Winter Owls Galore workshop yesterday. 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 5,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full Frame image shot vertical.
I had a great afternoon in great company yesterday while scouting for my Winter Owls Galore workshops. While the sky was dramatic and spectacular with storm clouds and golden light at times, my favourite poses and closest encounters happened against a bright white part of the sky with the slightest hint of pink - happens :)
Bald Eagle Fishing Tales (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens. ISO 5,000, f/4 @ 1/5,000s. Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my Eagles Galore workshop in March. To learn more CLICK HERE.
Look closely :) A Bald Eagle banking in flight with fresh catch from my Alaska Eagles Galore Workshop in March. Join me for an incredible workshop with more Eagles than you can imagine. Learn more about my March Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska HERE.
Bank swallow (Sand Martin) banking in flight (Hirondell de rivage, Riparia riparia, BANS) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 2X teleconverter (@1,200mm) ISO 2,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.
Here is a Bank Swallow (Sand Martin) banking in flight; certainly a little more challenging than Puffins in flight. We had some great fun trying to get these Ariel acrobats in the frame during my recent Deluxe Puffins Galore workshops.
Atlantic Puffin in flight silhouette (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony 200-600mm Lens (@441mm) ISO 500, f/6.3 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.
I can love making silhouettes at sunset on windy days at seabird colonies :) The biggest mistake folks make is not using a fast enough shutter speed to capture sharp edges - wink.
Crested Auklet in flight (Aethia cristatella, stariques cristatelles, CRAU) from my Saint Paul Island, AK workshop in the middle of the Bering Sea. ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony 200-600mm Lens (@600mm) ISO 6,400, f/6.3 @ 1/5,000s Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my Saint Paul Island, AK workshop next July to learn more CLICK HERE.
There was no shortage of Crested Auklets on Saint Paul Island during my recently concluded workshop there. They share the same habitat as the much more numerous Parakeet Auklet, so you really do need to focus on finding the few Crested Auklets amongst the masses of seabirds flying on windy days. The quick identifier is the dark belly compared to the pale underside of the Parakeet Auklet. Absolutely my favourite bird on Saint Paul Island - smile.
Snowy Owl Dorsal View (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) from my Winter Snowy Owl Photo Tour in Ontario, Canada.Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400 f/2.8 GM OSS. ISO 800, f/2.8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full Frame.
Q: Hi Chris, I have been told a few times by other photographers that I should throw away any picture that does not include both eyes. Do you follow this rule?
-James Bauer
A: Hi James, Absolutely not! While it is rare for me to keep an image where you can’t see at least one eye, it does happen. The dorsal view of the Snowy Owl here is a good example of when that works. Browse through the images in this blog and you will see many images with just one eye visible to the viewer.
As for what to throw away, once you have deleted any images that are out of focus, or obvious immediate failures, it is up to you what to keep. We all have different tastes and storage is cheap these days. Keep the images that you like - smile!
Horned Puffin Dorsal View In-Flight over the Bering Sea (Fratercula corniculata, Macareux cornu, HOPU) Saint Paul Island, AK ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Camera & Sony FE 400 f/2.8 GM OSS ISO 1,600, f/4 @ 1/5,000s Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my Saint Paul Island, AK workshop this July to learn more CLICK HERE.
A Horned Puffin returns to its nest in the cliffs of Saint Paul Island, AK. Very similar to the famous Atlantic Puffin, the Horned Puffin has different bill colors and a longer fleshy "horn" above each eye during the breeding season.
The Horned Puffin is among the Alaskan seabirds facing the challenges of climate change and dying in large numbers. Be sure to see my recent post: