Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Charging after fish

A Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear charging after salmon during my Ultimate Brown Bears of Alaska Adventure Workshop in Katmai National Park. I love the monochromatic feel to this one ;)

Join me for my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai Adventure from September 17 to 24 for an incredible 8-day/7-night photographic adventure on a private charter along the Katmai Coast of Alaska. We will photograph the numerous Coastal Brown Bears congregating along streams overflowing with salmon as they fatten up for the long and harsh Alaskan winter. Unlike many other tours, our itinerary starts by flying out to the ship from Kodiak, Alaska, on day 1 (flights from Kodiak to the boat and back are included), and we remain there until we fly back to Kodiak on day 8. We photograph bears from day 1 to day 8, so eight days of epic brown bear photography! There are only two spots left!

September 17-24 is the best time to capture images with autumn colours and golden light. The sun has already started its winter journey south of the equator, so the low light angle is spectacular for photography. The bears will be about as big as they will get before winter hibernation, and all that fish oil they have been digesting makes their fur glisten in the light.

Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Charging after fish (Ursus arctos, ours brun) from my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai adventure workshop in Alaska. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 2X Tele extender @1,200mm. ISO 16,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full-frame image shot vertically and cropped slightly on top & bottom to make a 4 X 5 aspect ratio.

Coastal Brown Bears Dancing

We watched these two siblings wrestling in the rain for almost an hour during my Ultimate Brown Bears of Katmai Photo Tour. This frame makes it look like they are ballroom dancing (and rather good at it). This is another frame from 2010: I have been at this for a long time - smile!

Coastal Brown Bears SHALL WE DANCE? (Ursus arctos or Grizzly Bears) from June 2010. Geographic Harbor, Katmai National Park, Alaska, from my Ultimate Brown Bear Photo Tour. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. 500mm with 2X Teleconverter @1,000mm ISO 1,600, f/8 @ 1/800s. Manual exposure.

Happy New Year

American Bald Eagle SNOWGLOBE (Hailiaeetus leucocephalus, Pygarge a tete blanche, BAEA) from my BALD EAGLE WORKSHOP in Kachemak Bay (near Homer), Alaska ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year (and decade) ahead! Safe and adventurous travel with golden light and epic images ahead for all!

It's not too late to start the year right and learn how to consistently make awesome images, and bring home a pretty impressive portfolio while you are at it. There are a few last minute openings:

January 20-24 & January 27 to 31, 2020 Winter Snowy Owl workshops. Click HERE to learn more and sign-up.

March 10-14, 2020 Bald Eagles Galore in Homer, Alaska. Cligh HERE to learn more and sign-up.

Bald Eagle Photo Tour more Kudos

American Bald Eagle GRAVITY from my Bald Eagle Photographic Expedition (Hailiaeetus leucocephalus, Pygarge a tete blanche, BAEA) Kachemak Bay (near Homer), Alaska ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DX, EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 IS II USM @400mm ISO 4,000 f/5.6 @ 1/2,500s Full Frame, shot vertical in manual mode. Click HERE to order a print or license image for publication.

Kudos

There are a lot of photographers to choose from when deciding to take a workshop.  I had come across Christopher Dodds Photography on Facebook and really like his photographs.  I read about Chris’s workshops.  They all sounded well organized and he has years of experience going to various places.

I love Alaska and had been dreaming of taking an Eagle photography workshop and decided to sign up with Chris.  I am so glad I chose Chris for a lot of reasons.  The workshop was very well organized.  Chris provides the attendees with a list of suggested clothing to be sure you are comfortable in the Alaskan winter weather.  He provided us with a list of suggested equipment so that we knew exactly what was needed to get the kind of photos posted on his workshop page.  The group was limited to 5 attendees, so we each had ample opportunity to get feedback and suggestions from Chris. Chris is extremely knowledgable about Kachemak Bay and knows where to go to get the best shots depending on the wind and the weather, and whether there is sun or snow.  Chris uses the same boat and captain for this workshop, so the captain knows exactly what Chris wants to do and how to get us into those best areas…. Chris believes in safety above all else, but snow, sleet and rain did not keep us from going out.  In fact, it made for some great photos depicting the Alaskan winter eagle environment.  It was an amazing trip and I got a lot of great photos.  I would definitely choose Chris for another birding workshop as he is dedicated to doing everything he can to make sure you come home with lots of amazing photographs!   Thanks, Chris, for a fantastic workshop and wonderful adventure!


 Jessica Duke Eagle Nest, NM, USA

Bald Eagle Workshop and Kudos

American Bald Eagle FISHING DREAMS (Hailiaeetus leucocephalus, Pygarge a tete blanche, BAEA) Kachemak Bay (near Homer), Alaska ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Canon EOS 1DX, 300mm F2.8 L IS USM with Jobu L-Bracket  Hand Held ISO 2,000, f/2.8 @ 1/3,200s Manual mode. Click HERE to order a print or license image for publication.

He's an Eagle fishing in a rather dreamy snowfall from my Bald Eagle Workshop last March. If you would like to have the opportunity to learn the skill set to reliably get the shot timed, framed and exposed properly, then do consider joining me for the adventure of a lifetime. I'm never completely satisfied until you get the images I would be proud to call my own. Only a few seats left! For more information or to sign-up, CLICK HERE

Montreal Camera Club Northern Explorers of Light Presentation

On Monday September 9th, 2013, I had the pleasure of making my third presentation to the Montreal Camera Club; my first visit there since becoming a Canon Northern Explorer of Light.  It was truly a great evening for me to meet-up with some old and talented friends.

Last night (Sept. 9, 2013) Christopher Dodds was our guest speaker at The Montreal Camera Club's opening meeting of our 2013-14 season. The club over the years has had many guest speakers, but last night was something extra special. We had a full house and for a little over 2 hours everyone was just hanging on to every word that was spoken and in awe of every images that was shown. I can't ever remember all the people in the hall being so quiet. It is a tribute to Christopher and his speaking ability and the way he shares his knowledge of photography and the equipment he uses. It was a great evening I wish everyone could have been there.

Thank you Canon Canada for making all this possible. I am sure that I won't be the only one to tell you that you have a gem on your Canon Northern Explorer of Light team in Christopher Dodds.

Thank you once again.

John Zimmerman Past President, Montreal Camera Club