Atlantic Puffin in flight with fish (Capelin) dorsal view

Everyone who joined my five sold-out Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventures had some pretty epic opportunities with the Puffins bringing fish back to their babies. Upon reflection, there seemed to be more Puffins and more of them had fish. A sign that the colony is doing well despite many other seabird colonies being ravaged by the Avian flu.

Next year’s trips are starting to fill already, so don’t wait until it is too late to join the Puffin fun.

Crested Auklet in flight

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 Frosted Sunrise

Sometimes the best mornings are the coldest mornings (smile). It was a dark and frigid start with ice fog and hoarfrost everywhere, but I couldn't find an owl to save my life! Just as the ice fog was burning off and the sky lit up in all of its magenta glory, there she was.

Cold weather photo tip: Be sure to acclimatize your camera and lens to the cold! It is really important to allow your camera and lens to adjust to the outdoor temperature; If the lens is not the same temperature as the outdoor air that you are photographing in, then the lens elements become unstable resulting in distortion or an image that is not razor sharp. This is especially true of lenses that use fluorite elements!

Why do lenses use fluorite elements? Optically clear transparent fluorite lenses have low dispersion, so lenses made from it exhibit less chromatic aberration, making them valuable in high-quality camera lenses, microscopes and telescopes.

Bird Photography Intentional Blur and Q&A

Q:

Christopher,

I am constantly gobsmacked by your exceptional images. The details are captivating to me. I do wonder if you ever slow down your shutter and create artistic blurs? - Peter Wentworth

Hi Peter,

Thank you. Yes, I am not typically a fan of intentional blurs, but I do occasionally play around and slow my shutter speed down. Here is a Great Gray Owl I recently photographed at 1/40s with the new Sony a1 and 200-600mm lens. I find the key to my liking an intentional or artistic blur is having the eye(s) relatively sharp.

Q:

Hello Christopher, I liked your comments on the new alpha 1. How did you find it with the 200-600 zoom. I use this lens with the a7r3. The combo I found a bit slow to focus with wildlife. Where you happy with it on the a1. I have preordered the a1 and hoping to not have to upgrade the lens. Best, - Steve Aidelbaum

Hi Steve,

I think you will notice a significant autofocus performance boost with the focus acquisition speed and AF responsiveness of the 200-600 with the a1 vs. the a7RIII.

Q:

Thank you for responding to my query (Antman) in the comments. I would value your opinion on the following.

If you could buy either the 600MM f4 or A1 what would you go for based on the pairing

A9 + 600mmF4 or A1 + 200-600MM.

I own the A9 + a7R4 and 200-600mm and am wondering what makes more sense. My gut feel says go for the 600mm f4. However, I have never used either and I cannot get to see or feel the 600mm f4 in Australia. Both options have advantages. - Thanks, Anthony Heuver

Hi Anthony,

The most practical and financially sensible direction here is to invest in glass and buy the 600mm f/4 GM lens that you will have for the rest of your life. Camera bodies are refreshed at a staggering pace and the used value of them seems to be diminishing at a faster and faster pace with each new release. You can get a great deal on a new a9 (the version I), or take advantage of the "depressed" market and get a lightly used one: remember the shutter count is much less relevant for a mirrorless camera body and if you use the electronic shutter to achieve the fastest capture rate of 20 fps, there are no moving parts. The a9II has better ergonomics and connectivity, but I see little reason to spend the extra cash at this time. Holding off on the newly released a1 until we see promotional discounts or used bodies on the market will give you time to save money toward the purchase and save on the initial investment.

Sony 200-600 with Sony A1 Image Quality

There has been a lot of chatter about the image quality of the Sony 200-600mm zoom lens when used with the new high-resolution Sony a1 camera body. My observations were limited in time and opportunity, but I don't see any issues with the incredible level of detail in this full-frame image of a Great Gray Owl in a snowstorm. I purposely tested the camera in the field as I typically use my equipment to produce the kind of images that excite me.

What I can tell you is that this may not be the best example to clearly define any issues that the lens may have when paired with an ultra-high-resolution camera. If I were to try to find a weakness, then I would test it for edge-to-edge sharpness, chromatic aberration, image degradation, and barrel distortion on something as simple as a black and white chessboard; an image with lots of contrast and linear lines. To test that most accurately and rule out any interference from traffic or ground tremor vibrations I would have to use one of only a very few seismically stable platforms that are typically used to test/measure helicopter or jet engine vibrations.

My advice is to completely ignore the critics who are photographing outside of their usual genre and posting bird pictures that most of us would throw in the trash: always to test equipment under the conditions that you would normally use it - smile.

Great Gray Owl PEEK-A-BOO

I love being in the woods looking for owls and I love feeling that something is watching me even more, as was the case here - smile.

The most remarkable moment with this Great Gray Owl was a group of about 14 birders who walked past me and the owl without even replying to my “hello”. No reply, eyes down as if they had already decided that they were not going to see an owl; so they didn’t get to see the owl :)

Great Gray Owl in November Sleet

Another recent Great Gray Owl image made with the incredibly versatile Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens as I zoomed out to 210mm. The Sony a9II eye autofocus locked onto the eyes immediately and tracked the owl with ease.

Bald Eagle BW Over The Top Big Sky

Something a little different: A black & white conversion of a Bald Eagle cartwheeling as it dives against a stormy sky. While I do shoot extremely tight images packed with visual impact most of the time, I do always think about shooting loosely framed images which traditionally don’t do as well on social media, but make much more pleasing images for my walls.

Bald Eagle Winterscape

I’ve long been wary about joining a workshop with a “big name” pro. I’ve heard (and witnessed) a litany of workshop horrors, ranging from egomaniac leaders to unwieldy, unhappy groups. Plus, as a professional photographer, I did not think that I would learn much from a workshop. Indeed, I teach photography and postproduction.

Chris Dodds’ Eagles Galore workshop changed my mind. Although he is a supremely talented photographer, Chris is approachable and friendly, and he works tirelessly to make sure that everyone in the group has a fantastic experience. He limits the workshops to a small, manageable size. And, in spite of my I’m-a-professional-and-don’t-need-help attitude, I am a better photographer for having joined the workshop. After spending a week with Chris, my flight photography is materially improved. (Chris is an expert on the nuances of servo autofocus, for example.) Chris also taught several useful post-production techniques that I now use routinely in my workflow.

The true measure of any photo trip, however, is the photos. Chris’ stated goal is for every workshop participant to go home with images that Chris would be proud to call his own. He means it. The eagle photography was fantastic. I came home with several dozen “portfolio grade” images, plus thousands of strong shots. Indeed, the single biggest complaint from my fellow workshop participants is the number of eagle shots that they had to sort through when they got home.

I’ve already registered for another workshop with Chris.

Andrew Kelley Denver, Colorado USA

Top birds in flight settings for Sony a9II

“Hey Chris!
It’s Trevor Pottelberg. Hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy! With the unique spring we are all facing, I have been finding myself photographing more songbirds. They are obviously a lot faster and more erratic than the larger predatory birds. Do you have any suggestions of settings for capturing them in flight? I’ve tried with the Flex Point M setting but haven’t had a lot of tracking luck when a bird leaves it’s perch. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks Trevor”

Hey Trevor,

Thank you. We are safe, healthy and staying in self-isolation on our property.

There are a lot of factors that collide into a razor sharp action shot of anything. Here’s the short list:

• Firmware: Make sure you are using the latest firmware from your camera manufacturer. It amazes me how few opt to check and upgrade their camera’s firmware. Manufacturers constantly tweak and tune many aspects of how your camera operates and often unlock great new features.

• Shutter Speed: I strive to use at least 1/5,000s when I want razor sharp images. As you can see from the settings above, I was at 1/6,400 of a second exposure to ensure every detail was sharp in this image. Our cameras and lenses resolve so much detail these days, it is imperative to start to realize that freezing our movement (or that of the camera/lens) is just as important as freezing the subject; think about the wingtip speed of a windmill vane (blade).

• Silent shutter: Be sure to use electronic shutter and turn off any shutter sounds so that your subject remains undisturbed. Migrating songbirds fly away as soon as they hear the sharp sound of a mechanical shutter; it was always the best way to end a great opportunity, we used to have to hold off until everything was just right and often missed the best image with hope of something better; something mirrorless has changed forever.

• Solid footing: I use a solid tripod with gimbal head (Wimberley Head II) as often as I am able.

• Camera settings: Here are the key settings that I use most often to ensure the most reactive AF on my Sony a9II:

• Priority set in AF-C (Camera 1 - 5/14): AF

• Focus area (Camera 1 - 5/14): Tracking: Flexible Spot S (note that less experienced action shooters or those who have trouble acquiring and following the target may get better results with Flexible Spot M)

• AF Tracking Sens. (Camera 1 - 6/14): 1 (Locked-on). This is counter-intuitive to some who feel that they need to use 5 (Responsive) for fast moving birds with erratic flight patterns. The AF remains really responsive when set to 1 (Locked-on), however it will stay locked-onto your target much more reliably. If you were photographing a team sporting event, you would choose 1 (Locked-on) to continue to track a player when other players enter the frame between you and your target. You would choose 5 (Responsive) if you wanted to start tracking that new player who entered the frame in front of your original target.

Hope this helps. Enjoy and be safe.

Bald Eagle Fishing in Golden Light MISSED IT

I’ve only been fishing a handful of times, but there is a story for every one of them. When fishing for the first time shortly after moving to Canada my first bike (a metallic gold banana seat bicycle - but I probably shouldn’t tell you that) was destroyed by a drunk taxi driver in Chateauguay, Quebec and new friend that day Kevin Harvey (Now of Juno Nominated Durham County Poets fame) saved the day like the rock star his today (He remembered the Taxi permit and license numbers, and his dad drove me and my wrecked bicycle home). I’ve fought battles with what seemed like monster Halibut in Alaska, but they were really 20 pound Rock Fish. Finally, I do know that feeling of a great catch escaping the hook just before being landed in the boat when Halibut fishing in the Shelikof straight (AK); it would have been the biggest Halibut ever caught I’m sure!

Sea Otter Mother Nursing Pup

Sea Otters are trending here, so I’ll continue with this image of a mother nursing her pup. The hardest part of making this image in the Homer harbor (Alaska) was getting an image without a reflection of the many colorful boats. I started lying on the dock, but didn’t like the split horizon that the ice floating in the background caused. I slowly stood-up and was lucky they drifted closer to me while both looking at me - smile!

Stay safe!

Sea Otter Mother and Pup KISS

Here’s a special moment between a mother Sea Otter and her Pup. What appears to be a kiss, is really the baby trying to take food from it’s mother’s mouth ;) If you missed it, and are looking for something to do, here is a link to my recent Vistek Live Stream that was sponsored by Sony of Canada. We had our share of technical difficulties, but that often happens live.

In this episode we discuss what it takes to get world class wildlife images and how any nature enthusiast can immediately start taking better photos of their...

Snowy Owl Topside Bank

“Chris, the Owl Trip was fantastic.

Chris led our Canadian photography adventure trip for Snowy Owl photography. He showed an excellent knowledge of local geography and territory habitat for the owls, and brought them into range with a safe approach away from roads in an ethical and responsible manner. Chris’ awareness of both light and wind kept the owls in front of us, resulting in some fantastic images. His willingness to offer technical advice and solutions was appreciated by all participants in the workshop.”

— Thomas D Knoop - New Jersey, USA

Wimberley MH-100 MonoGimbal Head for monopods mini-review

My friends over at Wimberley sent over their new MH-100 MonoGimabl Head for me to test; I have been using it during my winter owl workshops and I absolutely love it!

What is it? The Wimberley MH-100 MonoGimbal Head for monopods is a super light-weight (but amazingly heavy-duty), single-axis monopod head designed to work with telephoto or super-telephoto lens.

Why do you need it? Indeed, you can attach a monopod directly to a lens or camera without a monopod head, but then you have to tilt the whole rig around when pointing upwards or downwards. Other monopod and ball-heads load the weight of the lens and camera on top of the head and make it somewhat unruly: the whole rig tends to want to flop over to one side which can result in damage to camera and or your fingers.

Using the Wimberley MH-100 MonoGimbal Head makes everything work harmoniously and intuitively, giving you the hand-held freedom, but transferring the weight load to your monopod. The side-mount design of the Wimberley MonoGimbal ensures a stable, smooth and solid vertical pan action, while horizontal panning is achieved by turning the camera and monopod together. It is light (.77 lbs = 347 grams) and solid and I see myself using it as my primary support for my Sony 200-600mm lens.

Click HERE to download the Wimberley MH-100 Monogimbal instructions from Wimberley.

“The Wimberley MonoGimbal Head is a new style of monopod head. It allows you to balance your lens, preventing lens flop. The end result is a hand-held experience with the added stability of a monopod.The offset nature of the head compared to a tilt or ball head seems like a problem for handling, panning, and maintaining a level horizon. However in practice your hands intuitively do all these things without even thinking about it.The MonoGimbal Head is a game-changer when it comes to portability. The offset nature allows easy carrying with the weight of the lens and camera resting on your back instead of applying all that weight to the monopod which then digs into your shoulder. Also, weighing in at .77lbs, it is a very light and compact unit.Lastly the MonoGimbal Head is capable of handling any lens with a rotating collar with the limiting factor being the strength of the monopod.”

— - Wimberley product description.

Great Gray Owl WINTER DREAM

Great Grey Owl WINTER DREAM (Strix nebulosa, Chouette Lapone, GGOW) Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens  @220mm ISO 4,000, f/5.6 @ 1/3,200s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

Here's a Great Gray Owl in a snowstorm; perhaps one of my favorite subjects in my favorite weather. Only 1/4 turn to zoom from 200mm to 600mm with the new Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens is fantastic!

KUDOS

I wanted to thank you for a wonderful winter owling workshop last week.  It was great to be in the field with you and I learned a great deal about the birds, environment and my camera.  Thanks so much for being such a great naturalist, photographer and trip leader.  I will go on another trip with you in the future.

Lynda Goff (Professor Emeritus Ecology & Evolutionary Biology UC Santa Cruz) Santa Cruz, California, USA

Thanks, Lynda! To learn more about my workshops CLICK HERE.

Regal Horned Lizard

Regal Horned Lizard and Harvester Ant  (Phrynosoma solare) in the desert Box Canyon, Arizona, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens  @600mm ISO 800, f/8 @ 1/640s Manual exposure. Full Frame.

Here's another from my bat photography workshop in Arizona. We had a great time exploring and searching for wildlife during our morning excursions. I spotted this Regal Horned Lizard on the dirt road while driving towards Box Canyon.

Regal Horned Lizards eat mainly Harvester Ants; as many as 2,500 in a single meal!

Do consider joining me in Arizona next September for my annual High-speed bat photography workshop. CLICK HERE to learn more.