A Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Cub in golden light

This Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Cub was the star performer during my Ultimate Brown Bears of Alaska Workshop last September. Join me for an incredible all-inclusive eight days of Brown Bear photography along the Katmai coast with departure from Kodiak, Alaska, September 17-24.

A Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Cub in golden light. (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. ISO 800, f/4 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full Frame Image (cropped slightly top & bottom to 4 X 5 aspect ratio).

Atlantic Puffin with Fish against Golden Cliffs

An Atlantic Puffin bringing home breakfast in golden light against the out-of-focus cliffs during my Deluxe Atlantic Puffin Workshop in Quebec, Canada.

A couple of spots are still available for this magical newly added workshop from August 10-13, 2024. This workshop is open to photographers of any level. We live in a restored lighthouse on a small island, eat gourmet food, and only walk 200 meters (200 yards) to the prime photography location from our accommodations. We remain on the island only 200 meters (200 yards) from the Puffins (and other birds) for the duration of the workshop. Truly the very best Puffin Adventure in the world!

You can read more about the Deluxe Atlantic Puffins (and so much more) workshop HERE.

Atlantic Puffin with Fish against Golden Cliffs (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 FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 2X teleconverter (@1,200mm). ISO 5,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my Deluxe Puffins Galore workshop in August. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Razorbill with fish flying over out-of-focus seaweed

A Razorbill with fish flying over out-of-focus seaweed at low tide during my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Adventure Workshop in Quebec, Canada.

Razorbill with fish flying over out-of-focus seaweed (Alca torda, Petit Pingouin, RAZO) 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 and Sony 200-600mm Lens @600mm. ISO 2,000, f/6,3 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full-Frame Image.

Atlantic Puffin landing with fish at first light

On the first morning of the first Deluxe Atlantic Puffins and so much more Workshops last July 29, 2023, we were all on the beach well before the 04:43 sunrise. The Puffins were already streaming into their burrows with loads of fish for their growing Pufflings directly in front of us. It was dark, and a layer of fog threatened our golden light. The fog lifted by about 05:05, and this is one of a sequence of images made at 05:11 - our morning was a good one :)

Atlantic Puffin landing with fish at first light (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 FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm. ISO 5,000, f/5.6 @ 1/3,200s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop Update

I have just added another workshop from August 10-13 due to the overwhelming popularity of my Deluxe Puffins Galore and so much more workshops.

This is a dream deluxe photography tour: Dreamlike accommodations in a newly restored lighthouse just feet away from nesting Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills on a small island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Quebec, Canada, with gourmet food.

• It is timed to coincide with the very best time to be at the colony when the Puffins return with fish to feed their young.

• The group size is limited to 5-8 photographers (the price is per person in single or double occupancy, as desired, with only six rooms available).

• Exclusive use of the lighthouse and accommodations means we will be the island’s only inhabitants.

• The small group size means more assistance, one-on-one guidance, and coaching for every participant.

• Long lenses are not mandatory for this tour; 200-400mm reach is adequate for an impressive portfolio.

• Photographers of all levels are welcome; the tour pace will suit everyone’s needs and skill level. Participants should be able to comfortably walk 200 meters (200 yards) at a slow pace while carrying their equipment.

• Owners of all camera brands are welcome. My 40 years of professional photography include the last six years as a Sony ambassador, 16 years using Canon as a Canon Northern Explorer of Light, and 16 years using Nikon before that. I can help anyone with any brand improve their photography.

• Christopher Dodds has 40 years of experience with the Puffins in the great Canadian outdoors.

Atlantic Puffin in flight with fish (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 FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm. ISO 10,000, f/6.3 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Bald Eagle Talons Clutching Fresh Caught Fish in Flight

Do Bald eagles have talons or claws?

A common question is whether bald eagles have talons or claws. A quick literature review suggests that claws and talons are similar in composition, form, and function. Technically, mammals, reptiles, and birds have claws that have very similar appearances. But the claws of a bald eagle and other birds of prey are called talons. This is to say that only birds of prey have talons, while other animals, including non-birds of prey, have claws. For instance, we say the claws of a duck or a dove, never the talons of a duck or a dove.

Bald Eagle Talons Clutching Fresh Caught Fish In Flight (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens. ISO 3,200, f/2.8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my Eagles Galore workshop every March. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Fishing Bald Eagle Exploding Head-on with Fish

A Bald Eagle explodes towards us with freshly caught fish during my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. I can’t think of anything as thrilling in nature photography as when you review your images and realize you got the shot!

We have two spots open for my March 10-14 Eagles Galore trip due to an unfortunate medical emergency, so join me for the Ultimate Alaskan Eagles Galore trip of a lifetime if you can get to Alaska in time.

Fishing Bald Eagle Exploding Head-on with Fish (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens. ISO 4,000, f/4 @ 1/5,000s. Manual Exposure mode. Full frame image. Join me for my Eagles Galore workshop every March. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Common Murre in flight with fish

A Common Murre brings fish back to its baby. Photographed during my recent Deluxe Atlantic Puffins and so much more workshops in Quebec. While there was an abundance of Puffins bringing fish back to their nests, the Murres were in short supply this year; perhaps the result of the avian flu, as some have speculated, or maybe they were displaced by the larger and now more abundant than ever Razorbills?

Atlantic Puffin in flight with fish in first drops of sweet morning light

This image was created on August 11, during the last of five back-to-back Deluxe Atlantic Puffins and so much more workshops. It was a magical morning, with repeat clients Julie & Rainer (Saint Paul Island), Charlie (Ospreys) and first-time attendee & solo adventurer Janet living the dream as a full-time RVer.

Atlantic Puffin in flight with fish in the fog

It was a dark and foggy morning, and waves of Puffins were bringing back freshly caught fish for their babies during my Deluxe Atlantic Puffins and so much more workshops. Today’s cameras with the latest software can negate any sign of fog, but I much prefer the fog as I saw it, as it adds such an ethereal quality to the image.

Atlantic Puffins in flight with fish

We got photobombed while I was tracking the nearest Puffin as it brought fish back to its baby during my Deluxe Puffins Galore and so much more workshops in Quebec. Join me at the best location in the world to photograph Puffins bringing home fish. It was one of those days when it got cloudy and we were having so much fun that we stayed out late in the dark; notice my ISO of 32,000 :)

Atlantic Puffin in flight with fish on green

Deluxe Atlantic Puffin Workshop Update

Only two rooms are left for my recently added August 10-13, 2023, Deluxe Atlantic Puffins, and so much more workshops. If you want to master birds in flight photography and create a complete portfolio of Atlantic puffin images, this trip is for you. The trip is timed to maximize photographic opportunities of Puffins bringing loads of fish back to their babies.

“I want to thank you again for one of the best photo workshops I have ever attended. The trip to Northern Quebec to photo Puffins was truly an adventure. I was very impressed with the planning you put into ever aspect of the tour. Everything ran smoothly and the opportunity to photograph these amazing birds was an experience I will not soon forget. I also appreciate the time you spent with each of us to make sure we got the best possible result from whatever equipment we were using. Your technique for reducing noise while maximizing detail when shooting at high ISO’s was particularly helpful. No one had ever explained the science behind this and now it makes a lot of sense. This trip was everything I had hoped for and I look forward to joining you again in the future.”

— Chuck Raines Camarillo, California

Deluxe Atlantic Puffin Workshop in dream lighthouse accommodations

It’s not too late! Join me in Quebec, Canada, at the best location on the planet to photograph Atlantic Puffins while enjoying gourmet food and dreamlike accommodations in a newly restored lighthouse.

Loads of Puffins will frantically return to their nests with loads of fish to feed their growing babies.

Deluxe Atlantic Puffin workshop just announced

Another from my recent Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Adventure in Quebec. An Atlantic puffin with a bill full of capelin in golden light against out-of-focus golden cliffs. This has quickly become one of my favourite images from one of my favourite places! There is no better place in the world to photograph than Puffin Paradise in Quebec, Canada.

Just announced! August 10-13, 2023 Deluxe Atlantic Puffin Workshop

If you would like to photograph Atlantic Puffins flying with fish in golden light while eating gourmet food, consider joining me in August. Wait! Did I mention that we live in a recently renovated lighthouse? The trips were sold out completely, so I added August 10-13. My trips are timed perfectly so the babies are big enough to need constant feeding, but it ends just before the adults abandon them to fend for themselves.

““Puffins Galore” is a very apt name for this photography workshop with Christopher Dodds on L’Ile Aux Perroquets in the St. Lawrence Seaway. Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots, and many shorebirds use this little island in the Mingan Archipelago as their nesting home during the breeding season and the place is alive with activity with many opportunities for images of birds in flight and birds around their burrows. Chris Dodds is acquainted with every aspect of puffin behaviour and is very generous with time and advice; he helped me improve my skills capturing images of fast-moving birds. Everyone in the group came away with images that they were thrilled with. The guest house on the island is a converted lighthouse keeper’s residence and provides a very comfortable experience. The meals alone would be worth the trip. Puffins Galore and much, much more!”

— Paul Ludden (Wisconsin, USA)

Bald Eagle Fishing Silhouette

Creating pleasing silhouettes is much easier than you might think. Look back through this blog, and you will find that my exposure settings for silhouettes are almost always the same. I always point my camera to the brightest part of the sky and set the ISO to 400, aperture to f/5.6 and shutter speed to 1/5,000 of a second; this will always produce a sharp and noise-free image.

In post-capture processing, I slide the black point and shadow slider to ensure my subject is black. I usually slide the colour temperature to the right - remember this is a creative process and adjust to taste!

Bald Eagle sub-adult with fish

The first drops of morning light crested the mountains behind us in Kenai Fjords National Park at the bottom of the tide in Kachemak Bay as we lay on the wet rocks at the water's edge; then the tide turned, and a wave gently lapped up into my lens hood. I made this image just at that moment. The lens was fine after a careful cleaning - smile.

The darker markings amongst the white head and tail feathers, with the white markings on the dark wing feathers, indicate this is likely a 3.5-year-old Eagle.

Bald Eagle Visual Impact

High drama with a dramatic, dark background and low angle of view all add up to an image with high visual impact—this one from my Eagles Galore workshop in Alaska.

Are you interested in creating a portfolio full of Eagle images while learning to master birds in flight photography? Join me in March. Learn more HERE.

Bald Eagle Fishing Tales

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.

Juvenile American Bald Eagle with fish in light snow

A juvenile Bald Eagle with a fresh catch in light snow from my Eagles Galore Workshop in March. Another instance when I reached for the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens and used it wide open at f/2.8: I just love the different sizes of the out-of-focus snowflakes this creates.

Bald Eagles Grand Theft

Here are a couple of Bald Eagles fighting over a fish. You can see the frame before this image in a previous post: https://www.naturephotographyblog.com/blog/bald-eagles-fighting-over-fish.

Despite its fierce appearance, the bald eagle is a rather timid hunter. Usually found near water, it feeds mainly on fish, which it often steals from ospreys or other Eagles - smile.