I want to thank you for a great "Gannets Galore" workshop. The Gannets and Bonaventure Island were an incredible experience for me. The workshop was enhanced by your knowledge of the birds behavior and great relationship with the officials on the Island gained over more than 25 years. It's incredible that you are able to recognize individual birds, remember their nesting sites, and predict their behavior so well. I felt that I had made a wise decision when I decided to experience Bonaventure with you.
The highlight of the shoot was the early morning Zodiac trips. I've always been fascinated by Gannets diving for food and experiencing it from the boat, so close to them, was something I'll never forget. In addition the photography from the Zodiac was great.
I'm in the process of editing the thousands of images I photographed. I appreciate your expert advice on how I should improve my photography. Your technical grasp of digital photography and the toys used to create it was another benefit of doing this workshop with you.... Best regards, Shelly
Sheldon "Shelly" Goldstein Boynton Beach, Florida, USA
Everything about your day on this workshop is special
I recently went on the Gannets Galore workshop with Chris.... It has been 3 weeks now and I still can not come up the the words to describe this experience. The world Chris takes you to defies description. The colony is beyond words. Everything about your day on this workshop is special. This is a trip of a lifetime for anyone who loves birds. Chris runs his workshop so all you have to do is show up at the appointed time and shoot for 10 hours, every detail beyond that is taken care of. The Day is spent with no other care than to photograph beautiful gannets, whales, murres, razorbills, kittiwakes, seals, and he threw in 2 bald eagles for good measure. I had so many great shots when I returned home that I still can not believe it. My birds in flight technique improved 100 percent. Chris gives you as much or as little instruction as you want. He even let me shoot a couple of cards in his camera with his lens. All I can say is, if you love birds, and want to see gannets, I don't believe you can do any better than a Chris Dodds workshop.
Carole Wiley Torrington, Connecticut, USA
We have been on many photo tours and yours was one of the best!
Pat and I had a great time on your recent Gannets Galore photo tour. We have been on many photo tours and yours was one of the best. We have never seen so many excellent photo opportunities. Even the 5 AM Zodiac trip around the island offered great opportunities. The small size of the group, 6 photographers, added to our enjoyment since you were able to spend considerable time with each of us. Your tips on using manual camera settings were excellent. I now use manual settings for virtually every photograph, flight or static. Thanks again for a truly outstanding photographic experience.
Stokes Fishburne Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Chris Dodds photographic knowledge was immense and his instruction was never intimidating
My wife Marla and I attended Chris Dodds' Gannets Galore photo workshop on Bonaventure Island, Quebec in August. We both found it a tremendous advancement for our photographic skills and vision. We felt Chris’ knowledge of both the wildlife and the area was supreme, always looking for the perfect spot and technique to make better images. His photographic knowledge was immense and his instruction was never intimidating.
Always cheerful, Chris kept a constant vigil to satisfy the group as well as providing personal attention along the way. I don’t believe anyone felt shorted either way. He put us in front of so many unique situations. As a result, my wife (even with an awkward arm cast) and I shot the most remarkable nature photos of our lives.
The workshop was intense but the atmosphere was always kind, low-key and generous. At the end of the last day, we felt we had witnessed one of the great places on earth, accomplished something remarkable photographically and gained a friend in the process. Well done, Chris.
Jeff Moore Arlington Heights, Illinois , USA
An experience I will never forget
In June, I decided to sign up for a photo workshop with Christopher Dodds, one of the best photographers according to a friend of mine who met Chris a few months earlier.
I'm a Software Engineer and photography is my passion. This is how I spend all of my spare time. Over the years, I have learned a lot about wildlife photography but I wanted to improve my techniques, especially with flying birds with different and changing backgrounds. Also, my skills were not growing at a fast enough pace.
This workshop held on beautiful Bonaventure Island in August 2007, was my first, and will remain an experience I will never forget. Chris was such a kind person, an amazing teacher with great photo skills. The other students were also amazingly friendly. This workshop offered me more than I expected. I learned how to shoot birds in flight with, or without, sunlight. I learned all about the camera settings to get the most out of my shooting and the techniques that will make my photos look better.
A highlight was learning all about using an incident light meter and shooting in manual mode to greatly increase my keeper rate. Chris is a superb teacher, who knows how to explain complex techniques to regular people. I realized how serious he was about photography and how much he wanted us to improve the quality of our photographs. He taught us about bird behaviour and how to use it to make the best photos possible. Overall, this workshop was a well-organized trip, and a successful photographic experience. Chris answered all my questions and I feel I have achieved a level of experience I had never expected in my life. What an awesome experience!
Gilles Archambault Québec City, Quebec, Canada