NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
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Chris has combined his life-long passion for nature with highly technical expertise to become one of the top nature photographers of the time. He has over 35 years experience as a full-time freelance nature and wildlife photographer, nature photography workshop & safari leader, photography educator, blogger, and lecturer.
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
1d ago
Here is one from our last day of the second Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. I can’t say enough about the advantages of a camera (Sony A9 mark III) that captures 120 images per second! The time it takes to go through the photos is well rewarded with perfectly timed images like this one—smile!
Bald Eagles Lock On (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) March 14, 2024 near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 2X Tele-extender @1,200mm ISO 8,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual Exposure ..read more
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
1d ago
This is another portrait of an Adult Bald Eagle calling from my recent Eagles Galore Workshops in Alaska. The new Sony A9 Mark III proved to be an incredible tool for any action. In this case, having so many frames to choose from ensured direct eye contact with open eyes. As always, I chose manual mode and exposed for the light falling on the subject to ensure a perfect exposure for every frame.
Bald Eagles Calling Portrait (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) March 13, 2024 near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless camera & S ..read more
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
3d ago
An immature Bald Eagle on final approach during my Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska. I chose the newly released combination of the Sony a9 mark III and Sony 300 f/2.8 lens for the 120 fps frame rate of the a9 III and the incredible sharpness and extremely narrow depth-of-field of the 300 f/2.8 to ensure I captured direct eye contact while obliterating the background to make the subject pop. The snow was the icing on the cake :)
Immature Bald Eagle Blizzard Flight (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) March 12, 2024 near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds So ..read more
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
3d ago
After a flurry of feeding, the Eagles settled down on perches, and many allowed us to get really close, as they usually do during my Eagles Galore Workshops in Alaska.
The key to getting a close-up portrait of an Eagle calling is patience; wait, and they will call!
ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ker! An Eagle calling is like no other sound in nature; it always induces goosebumps and is instantly recognizable.
Bald Eagles Calling Portrait (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) March 13, 2024 near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless camera & ..read more
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
5d ago
We returned to town after an incredible and action-filled four-hour Eagle photography session during my Eagles Galore Workshop on March 8, 2024. We visited my favourite, The Bagel Shop, for a fabulous lunch and superb coffee. After a short break, we set up outside the hotel, and despite it being relatively quiet, there were some Long-Tailed Ducks within reach and a couple of other species of ducks appeared. I was tracking a few Common Goldeneyes that were slightly off-camera angle when this female Surf Scoter made a single pass and almost landed.
Thanks to the new Sony a9 mark III, the short e ..read more
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
1w ago
A Bald Eagle steals a fish during a high-speed chase over Kachemak Bay. Most Eagles drop their prized fish just as they are about to get slammed by another Eagle.
120 frames per second doesn’t change everything, but it makes capturing split-second events much more effortless!
I used my Sony a9 III paired with the Sony 600 f/4 and 1.4X Tele-converter and waited for Eagles to chase each other. Imagine if their wings were spread wider and the light was still golden….. I guess I will have to return to Alaska again - smile!
Bald Eagles Decisive Moment (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête bla ..read more
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
1w ago
Photographing at the maximum frame rate of the new Sony a9 III (120 frames per second) adds a whole new level to capturing that decisive moment. I have TOO MANY frames from my recently concluded Eagles Galore Workshop in Alaska.
I chose this one for the less-than-perfectly-clean talons; some grass is stuck to its frosty left talon.
Join me next March for my Eagles Galore Workshop and five incredible days of Eagle photography. Note that others offering similar (or less) field time are charging more than USD$1,000 more for the same trip, but they are timed too early and risk their boat being stu ..read more
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
1w ago
I am home from hosting two epic back-to-back Eagles Galore Workshops in Alaska. The weather was excellent, with both groups using all of their boat time (we loved the daily four-hour trips). Both groups got a fair mix of weather, including the prized SNOW!
There is so much to say about the incredible new Sony a9 III and the new Sony 300 f/2.8; perhaps I should keep it all to myself to keep an edge and stay one step ahead of the competition - smile.
Bald Eagle in a Snow Storm (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) March 12, 2024 near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christoph ..read more
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
2w ago
What a nightmare! The new Sony a9III, at 120 frames per second, offers incredible choice, but the subtle differences between images are an absolute nightmare to edit after each of the four-hour action-filled sessions that we have had with the Eagles so far. The autofocus is even more impressive than the Sony a1, so there is no easy way to rule out anything that is not tack-sharp. A great problem to have - smile!
Since it is a lot easier to choose a portrait, here is one of the last images I made yesterday using the new Sony a9III dialled down to only 30 FPS (I like some choice to get the best ..read more
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
1M ago
My group was treated to more than a few phenomenal moments during my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai Adventure Workshop. This is the mother of the Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear Yearling with Pink Salmon I posted yesterday. She put on quite a show with her yearling twins, and my “secret spot” on the Salmon River, with its amazing backgrounds, made the images surreal.
Join me for my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai Adventure Workshop ? Join me for my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai Adventure Workshop? Join me for my Ultimate Coastal Brown Bears of Katmai Adventure Workshop ..read more