Snowy Owl & Workshop Update

This is the second Snowy Owl in the same area that I found my first of the year (see my Nov. 13 & Nov. 14 posts). I was almost as surprised as the owl as I wandered through the heavy frost in the misty fog as the rain started to fall. It's still too early to decide if this winter will be great for owls, but the early indicators are all good. Fingers crossed that they establish the area as their winter hunting grounds.

Two spots remain available for my recently added Winter Owl Workshop, February 10-14, 2025.

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Quebec, Canada. Sony a9 III mirrorless camera body & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @600mm F/6.3 ISO 6,400 @ 1/5,000s.

Snowy Owl Workshop New Dates Just Announced!

Here is another image of what I believe to be the same Snowy Owl that I posted yesterday. It was so nice to find it in time for the nice light—smile. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it hangs around.

I have announced an additional Owl Workshop from February 10 to 14, 2025. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE OR SIGN UP.

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Quebec, Canada. Sony a1 mirrorless camera body Sony & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @600mm F/6.3 ISO 10,000 @ 1/5,000s.

Snowy Owl Workshop Update - They are back!

I have been predicting a good winter for Snowy Owls, and although it is too early to know for sure, it looks more and more like it will be. I had my first Snowy Owl on the drive back to Montreal from Toronto after my Sony Presentations at ProFusion Expo! It was perched beside the highway at a truck scale, making it an easy choice to stop and grab my 100-400 for a portrait - and it never flew away - smile.

Since the February 3-7 trip sold out in record time, I have added another workshop from Feb. 10-14, 2024. Click the image to learn more or sign up.

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Quebec, Canada. Sony a1 mirrorless camera body Sony & Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @400mm F/5.6 ISO 5,000 @ 1/5,000s.

Loggerhead Shrike

It was a stroke of luck that the Loggerhead Shrike landed directly before us, especially as I was tracking a Sharp-shinned Hawk circling above. The encounter was brief, but it allowed me to back up and capture the whole bird in the image without clipping anything off, a rare opportunity indeed.

Equipped with strong, slightly hooked beaks, shrikes are songbirds that hunt for a living. They survey their surroundings from exposed perches and then chase down insects, small birds, rodents, and reptiles. Shrikes have been nicknamed butcherbirds since they often hang their prey on thorns or barbed wire fences.

Two species are native to North America: the northern shrike of boreal Canada and Alaska, which wanders south in winters when food is scarce, and the more southerly loggerhead shrike (shown here), a widespread but increasingly scarce bird of fields and fencerows.

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus, Pie-grièche migratrice, LOHS) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bernardo Wildlife Area, Bernardo, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 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.

Snowy Owl Hoar Frost Heaven

A Snowy Owl on a very cold and windless morning before sunrise during my winter owl workshop. The owl was so well hidden with its camouflage that it took several minutes for my group to see it after I pointed it out. This may be one of my favourites :)

I announced an additional winter owl workshop from February 3 to 7, 2025.

Snowy Owl Hoar Frost Heaven (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) from my Snowy Owl Workshop in Ontario, Canada. Sony a1 mirrorless camera body Sony & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens @600mm F/6.3 ISO 10,000 @ 1/5,000s.

Peregrine Falcon in Golden Light

Peregrine Falcons don’t nest in Florida but can be seen during seasonal migrations. We often get to see them during my Ospreys Galore Workshops every April.

Fun Fact: “Peregrine” means wanderer. Northern breeders migrate from the Arctic tundra to South America.

Peregrine Falcon in golden light (Falco peregrinus, Faucon pèlerin, PEFA) from my Ospreys Galore Workshop Lake Blue Cypress near Vero Beach, Florida, USA. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm ISO5,000, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s. Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my Ospreys Galore workshop every April. To learn more, CLICK

Osprey showing off Fish for Breakfast in Golden Light

Being out on the boat on Lake Blue Cypress and in position at sunrise is one of my favourite ways to start a morning. Add the melody of calling Ospreys proudly announcing their arrival with breakfast and the first drops of golden light….with an Osprey showing off its fresh fish; it doesn’t get any better!

Due to a medical accident, one spot is still available from April 5-7. You can learn more or sign up for my Ospreys Galore Workshop on Lake Blue Cypress HERE.

OSPREY Showing off a Fish for breakfast in golden light (Pandion haliaetus, Balbuzard pêcheur, OSPR) from my Ospreys Galore Workshop Lake Blue Cypress near Vero Beach, Florida, USA. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm ISO 4,000, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s. Manual Exposure mode. Full-frame image. Join me for my Ospreys Galore workshop every April. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

“I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Dodds a few weeks ago in Florida when I signed up for his Osprey workshop. The sign up process and pre workshop communication was excellent and concise. I must admit that as I drove over from Tampa to the hotel I was a bit uneasy after looking at Chris’s images wondering if he was approachable, patient, and a good teacher with someone like me who didn’t have a lot of experience shooting wildlife before. We met in the hotel lobby , chatted for 30 minutes or so and thankfully Chris put my concerns to rest. I went to bed that night knowing that the next few days would be an adventure.

I can honestly say that Chris Dodd’s workshop for Ospreys far exceeded my expectations. Chris is a great guy, very happy to answer your questions and the best thing of all, fun to shoot with. I learned a lot, met a new friend and best of all was blown away at the quality of my images because of Chris’s help/techniques. I cannot wait to meet Chris somewhere else in the wild and experience another awesome outdoor shooting experience. Thank you Chris, I hope to see you again soon!”

— Mark Weaver Tampa, Florida, USA

Green Kingfisher

Spirited and able anglers, Kingfishers regularly perch themselves on branches over lakes, ponds and streams and intently eye the water below. When a fish darts past, the bird plunges into the water and snaps it up with its stout, dagger-like bill.

You are probably used to seeing the Belted Kingfisher across North America, but two other species are found in North America: the Green Kingfisher and the Ringed Kingfisher.

There are around 120 species of kingfishers found all around the world. Most kingfisher species are found in Australia, Asia, and Africa in wooded tropical areas near water.

Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana, Martin-pêcheur vert, GKIN) Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center, Weslaco, Texas, USA. ©2012 Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon 1D mark IV with 50mm f/4 and doubler @1,000mm. ISO 800 @ 1/1,250s f/8. Full frame image.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

This scissor-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus), also known as the Texas bird-of-paradise and swallow-tailed flycatcher, was photographed on April 2, 2011, near Edinburg, Texas, USA. I recently discovered a folder of images from a road trip that I made from the Florida Coast through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas before heading north to my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop in Ontario, Canada, that May.

Notice that I used to try to keep my ISO low way back 13 years ago - So great to have the latest Sony cameras capable of super high ISO today!

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus, Tyran à longue queue, STFL). Photographed near Edinburg, Texas, USA, on April 2, 2011. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. 500mm f/4 with 1.4X Teleconverter @700mm ISO 400, f/7.1 @ 1/320s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Northern Harrier Gray Ghost

A Gray Ghost (Male Northern Harrier) allowed us to get quite close while approaching on foot, a testament to the respect that my participants showed this magnificent raptor while carefully and slowly moving toward it. Usually scarce and hard to photograph, there is an unusually high number of Male Harriers this winter!

Northern Harrier GRAY GHOST (Circus hudsonius, busard Saint-Martin, NOHA) from my WINTER OWL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP in southern Ontario, Canada ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a1 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.

Bay-breasted Warbler

A Bay-breasted warbler from my SONGBIRDS OF PELEE WORKSHOP at Point Pelee National Park of Canada.

In contrast to the more stable populations of other warblers, Bay-breasted Warbler numbers go up and down depending on spruce budworm outbreaks. The birds are abundant during infestations but decline or disappear from some areas a few years later. A similar relationship with spruce budworm exists for Tennessee and Cape May Warblers. Blackburnian and Blackpoll Warblers also readily consume budworms but are not as specialized in their diets.

Black-throated green warbler

A Black-throated Green Warbler pauses for a portrait during my recent SONGBIRDS OF PELEE WORKSHOP at Point Pelee National Park of Canada.

Bald Eagle Calling in light snow

Another Bald Eagle from a magical snowy day during my Eagles Galore workshops in Alaska. I noticed this perch early on and never saw an Eagle land on it for the first few days of my trip. Things improved when it started to gently snow :) ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ker. You can read more about the Bald Eagle call in my post from September HERE: THE BALD EAGLE CALL.

Pel's Fishing Owl South Africa

More from my workshop in Africa in November of 2012.

Night Safaris in Africa are always fun and productive. This is a Pel’s Fishing Owl that was illuminated by an old-fashioned high-power tungsten spotlight. Once the correct exposure is determined, it doesn't change unless the distance between the subject and the light source changes; Increase the ISO if the light source to subject distance increases, decrease the ISO if the light source to subject decreases :)

The Pel's Fishing Owl is one of the largest owls on earth. Among the world's owls, it ranks as the fifth heaviest on average, the seventh longest in length and measured wing chord and fourth longest in mean wingspan (1.24 meters or 60 inches). They typically weigh about the same as a Snowy Owl.

Pel’s Fishing Owl Dorsal View (Scotopelia peli, Chouette-pêcheuse de Pel Croatian) South Africa. ©2012 Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. ISO 20,000 @ 1/250s f/5.6 @ 500mm. Hand-held. Full frame image.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Best wishes for a very Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it & Happy and safe holidays for everyone.

Snowy Owl TOTEM

Snowy Owl GOLDEN TOTEM Bubo scandiacus (Harfang des neiges) Quebec. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1D MKII, 500mm F4 L IS and 2X II Teleconverter (1,000mm). ISO 450, F8 @ 1/1000s Manual mode. CLICK HERE TO ORDER A PRINT OR LICENSE IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION.

Kudos:

Talking to Chris before I signed-up for his famous owl workshop safari, he mentioned he has had many customers attend more than one workshop.  Now I understand why.  We had a small group, so there was plenty of time to really talk about many things and make sure everyone understood everything.  I’ve spent so much money and time on gear, books and “camera user guides”, but I still didn’t really understand the basic fundamental of exposure theory.  Before I left, I anticipated learning how to properly expose for snow, etc.  If you had dropped me off in front of one of the owls, I would not have been able to get the shots I wanted exposed properly.  What I didn’t realize was that I would finally learn how to evaluate the scene and determine the correct exposure, whatever the subject, situation, scene or light level.  Now I finally have the answers to so many questions ... I finally understand exposure theory!   I’m from Alabama, so an unexpected treat was to learn how to deal with the cold temperatures.  It got down to -9° F while we were there.  

As a testimonial, I most definitely plan to attend another workshop with Chris.  Now I’ve just got to decide where I want to go.

Rhett Gibson Auburn, Alabama, USA

Learn more about my Snowy Winter Owl Workshops HERE.

Red-legged Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes cyaneus)

Male Red-legged Honeycreeper   (Cyanerpes cyaneus) Gamboa Reserve, Panama. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds  www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 500mm F4 IS, 2X II Tele-converter, Canon 580 EXII Flash (manual mode) with Better Beamer, Gitzo tripod and Wimberley Head II  ISO 650, F9 1/160s Manual Mode. Full Frame. The Red-legged Honeycreepers were the star performers at the hummingbird feeders during a recent photography trip to Panama. Click HERE to buy a print or license image for publication.

Book Review: Nature Photography Learning from a Master

Published in 2003, before the advent of professional digital cameras, this is still among my favorite go-to books for inspiration and creative techniques. Using this exceptional book as a guide, would-be nature photographers embark on a journey of learning and discovery as they master, step by step, the technical know-how they will need to achieve excellent results when venturing into the wild with camera in hand. Beginning with the basics of selecting equipment and moving on to the essential photographic techniques of exposure, focus, and lighting, the book then offers tips on how to compose a shot, how to get close-ups, and how to explore the possibilities of medium-format, large-format, and panoramic cameras.
The striking color photographs-of seals in Antarctica, zebras on the savanna, rhinoceroses in the tropical forest, and much more-are of a quality seldom found in how-to manuals. Fascinating and beautiful in their own right, they illustrate the challenges and joys that are the rewards of nature photography, and will inspire many to take to the sea, to the air, and to an array of different environments to capture their photographic prey. The book concludes with useful strategies for making the leap from talented amateur to professional photographer.
Gilles Martin has been a photographer for more than 30 years, capturing nature in all of its variety and richness. His subjects have ranged from the 12-foot baleen whale to minuscule insects. His work has appeared internationally in such publications as GEO, Paris Match, Life, and National Geographic. Denis Boyard, a journalist and photographer, is the chief technical editor of the magazine Chasseur d'Images.

Canon 1D Mark IV

Canon's latest professional digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera has now shipped. If you've been holding off to see how it's autofocus system works, then here's some reviews:

An analysis of EOS-1D Mark IV autofocus performance by Rob Galbraith

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV Review by Richard Butler on dpreview.com

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV White Paper from Canon

Let's not forget Haiti!