Gannets Galore Bonaventure Island June, 2009
Gannets Galore Workshop
Bonaventure Island (Perce, Quebec)
June 7 to 9, 2009 (slide show on June 6th) Leader: Chris Dodds Limit: 6 participants
June 11 to 13, 2009 (slideshow on June 10th) Leader: Chris Dodds Limit: 6 participants
June 15 to 17, 2009 (slideshow on June 14th) Leader: Chris Dodds Limit: 6 participants
June 19 to 21, 2009 (slideshow on June 18th) Leader: Chris Dodds Limit: 6 participants - 2 OPENINGS
On the morning of June 14, my 62nd birthday, we took the ferry to Bonaventure Island and made the 1.8 mile walk up the big hill. I had been a bit worried about making that walk up and down for five straight days, but Chris was right: “Take it slow and it is an easy walk.” When we arrived at the gannetry, I was totally blown away. So so many birds at arms length. Dozens, even hundreds of gannets in the air at all times, many carrying huge loads of nesting material, many landing just yards away. That day, the photographic action was nonstop, but it was not a birthday present, for the succeeding four days were equally exciting. And as each day came and went, I visualized and created many new and different images. I felt like a painter locked in a huge warehouse with hundreds of blank canvases and an unlimited supply of paints. I was in bird photographer’s heaven.
That evening Chris and I met the five remaining members of the group. Weather permitting, we planned to spend four hours in a large Zodiac photographing the gannetry and the cliffs from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Though it was rough on the two mornings that we went out very early, we had some great flight and scenic opportunities. Then Danny, the skipper of the Zodiac, would drop us of on the island and we would make the climb to the birds. Danny brought along coolers full of sandwiches and fruit, enough to feed an army. Once he learned that I was diabetic he had his chefs prepare me egg salad and fruit salad every day. We would load our vests with food and head up the hill.
I have been to Antarctica. I have been to Kenya. I have been to Tanzania. And I have been going to Bosque for the past 13 years. All of those places offer great photographic opportunities. But no place that I have been has ever offered as consistent and spectacular action as Bonaventure. - Arthur Morris (www.birdsasart.com)
Join Christopher Dodds at the largest Northern Gannet colony in North America (second largest in the world). Bonaventure Island, off the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec, is home to more than 55,000 nesting pairs of Northern Gannets. You haven’t really seen a Gannet until you see the activity at a breeding colony. Bonaventure Island is perhaps one of the world’s best places to teach avian flight technique. Other photographic opportunities will include all aspects of breeding behavior; courtship display, bowing (territorial display), sky pointing, fencing (two mates clashing their bills together while pointing skyward), mutual preening and copulation. Most of the nests will be occupied and will contain babies at various stages of development. We’ll be feet away from adults feeding their young on their nests. The workshop is timed to coincide with the annual caplin run, so we'll have plenty of opportunities to photograph these magnificent birds diving; sometimes forming huge diving funnels containing thousands of birds. Other photographic possibilities include thousands of nesting Kittiwakes, Murres, Guillemots, Gulls, Grey Seals and various Whales. Highlights will include a daily four hour adventure on a 24 foot Zodiac Hurricane. We should have ample opportunities to photograph Gannets diving and feeding in large funnels.
| "A trip of a lifetime. The workshop was amazing. The scenery was awesome and the people were fabulous. Chris Dodds knowledge of our subjects was expansive. The instruction was top notch, We were given so many opportunities to explore and learn the aspects of shooting pictures under conditions that allowed us to work with light, speed and movement. There were so many aspects of photography I had never paid much attention too but Chris incorporated them in my experience effortlessly, patiently and with the understanding what is necessary to accomplish beautiful and professional photographs. Chris is thoroughly professional, knowledgeable and very personable." Marla Moore Arlington Heights, IL |
Daily 4 hour Zodiac Adventure
Access to Bonaventure Island is tightly controlled, and it is impossible to land on the island before nine o’clock. The addition of the Zodiac voyage is the best way to maximize the morning light and photograph Gannets in a most unique way. This is your chance to spend four hours onboard our 12 person (though our group of six will be the only passengers on board), 24 foot Zodiac on each of the three mornings of the workshop. Our Captain will be a huge asset to our expedition as he has lived in Perce all of his life and has spent the last twenty years building the largest (and best) passenger ferry service to the Island and whale watching tour company. Our Captain is an expert pilot who naturally positions his Zodiac in exactly the right place for photography. We will be his only passengers and he will be sure to maximize our time aboard. We will have many opportunities to photograph nesting Black-Legged Kittiwakes, Razorbills, Common Murres and Grey Seals: all at close range. We'll have many opportunities to photograph diving Gannets. After our Zodiac trip, we will land on the main wharf of Bonaventure Island at about nine o’clock and enjoy home-made sandwiches, juice and coffee before setting off on a 1.75 mile hike (mostly uphill with our gear) to the colony, where we’ll spend the remainder of the day.
| “Thank you for a magnificent workshop. Your efforts on our behalf were nothing short of heroic. I don't know where you get your energy, from Sun up to long after it set, you were working to make this the best photographic event that any of us had ever experienced, and you succeeded. Bonaventure Island is a photographers paradise, I have never returned from a workshop with so many 'Portfolio shots". If all your endeavors as fruitful, can't wait to get my lens on those Snowy Owls this winter............."I had a heck of a good time doing what I love, thanks to you".” Malcolm MacKenzie West Palm Beach, Florida |
Who should attend
This workshop is highly recommended for any level photographer. Whether you are completely new to bird photography, an experienced amateur, or a seasoned pro. There will be something to photograph all day long and I will have plenty of time to tailor your instruction to your abilities. The seasoned pro can take full advantage of my site knowledge and this is the only way to circumnavigate the island in a Zodiac before the island opens at 9AM.
| “We are back from this wonderful experience we all had on Bonaventure Island this week. I am completely exhausted physically, but highly energized mentally after our 3 intensive days. There are images that will definitely stay imprinted in my mind starting with the Gannets twirling around us, and diving for fish, when you positioned the Zodiac in the middle of a school of fish on the last morning and many more. What an experience! I should say that I am a marketing professional who has done photography for more than 30 years. For the last 10 years, photography has been a passion. My personal goal is to become a professional photographer in a few years. I did think, and my experience at your workshop has proven this to me, that a good photography workshop allows someone to make a major leap forward in his progression in the art of photography. Your Bonaventure Island workshop has been a revelation for me on several points; such as shooting in manual mode and working with an incident light meter, composition, lens usage and understanding bird behavior. Days were long in training hours but everyone, including myself, were always excited to start a new day of learning. I should also add that your dedication to your workshop attendees' learning has been exemplary. The workshop has definitely surpassed my objectives and I came back home with more knowledge and abilities in bird photography, as well as with more friends. I should add, as an anecdote, that I was surprised how local people were happy to see you back, even though you were not a local, which I think describes the facility you have in getting along well with people. Please keep me informed of the next workshops you intend to organize; if my schedule allows it, I shall be part of it again. I will keep a this workshop in my mind as a super experience; that's for sure. To anyone considering a workshop by Christopher Dodds, I say: “Chris is a remarkable photographer and coach. He took good care to have everyone learn as much as they wanted. I should say that after 30 years of serious photography, I was amazed at what I have learned. Which gave me a great leap in my progression.”” Jean-Daniel (JD) Gagne Montreal, QC.Canada |
What to bring
One of the great advantages of being only a few feet from our subjects is not needing to own or bring any super telephoto lenses. Great images can be made with focal lenghts from 40mm to 600mm during this workshop. I bring quite a load, but remember that I have many, many Gannet images. I’ll be on the lookout for unique opportunities (and I’ll be sharing them with you). For your first day, I would recommend that you bring at least a 70-200, 300mm lens and at least one camera body with flash. If you think you can deal with carrying what I do, then do as the Boy Scouts do and “be prepared” by bringing more gear. Don’t forget spare batteries and lots (and lots) of memory. Here's what I bring, packed in a large camera back-pack:
- Two Professional Digital SLR Camera Bodies
- 300mm F2.8 Telephoto Lens
- Flash with off-camera bracket and cord
The weather on Bonaventure Island can range from hot, sunny and humid 30 degrees (Celsius) to cold, wet and foggy 5 degrees (Celsius) so we should be prepared. Dress in layers and be sure to allow for the worst – I hope for the worst, as the most unique (and best) images in my collection were captured in heavy rain, heavy fog or with dramatic storm clouds in the background. I wear long, nylon “North Face” convertible pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt on hot, sunny days (there is virtually nowhere to escape the sun). On rainy, colder days, I add a pair of Gore-Tex over-pants and a Gore-Tex shell. I am never without my full brimmed Tilley hat, and sometimes even wear a thin pair of gloves and a light winter hat. Be sure to pack a sweater or two (it is often much cooler on the water). Footwear is a personal choice, as we start, and end each day with what some consider a serious mountain hike ( not as bad as we made it seem in the promotional material). I tend to go with Gore-Tex hiking boots most of the time. Other essentials include sunscreen, bug spray (for the pesky bottle flies that don’t bite, but can be quite a pain) snack and water (there is a little shop that sells water, pop, chips and candy bars at an inflated price – but be prepared in the event it is not open, or is out of stock).
Getting there....
- 776km from Quebec City Airport
- 1029km from Montreal Pierre Elliot Trudeau Int’l Airport
What's included....
Four nights accommodatin (single occupancy). Three 4 hour excursions on a Zodiac boat and return from Bonaventure Island to Perce on a larger, commercial ferry. Three picnic breakfasts (sandwich, juice & coffee) Three days admission to Bonaventure Island
Three full days photographic instruction and Introductory slideshow on the evening before the workshop
Group size....
Our group will be limited to six participants
Price....
CAD$2,395.00 per person. Non-refundable Deposit of CAD$1,000.00 is due with booking, balance of CAD$1,395.00 due 90 days prior to workshop. Please email me your contact information (chris@chrisdoddsphoto.com) and remit payment to: Christopher Dodds Box 112 Franklin Centre, QC Canada J0S 1E0 Bonaventure Island is THE best place in the world for Avian flight photography. Be prepared to be a little over-whelmed by the activity there. It is one of my favorite places on this earth, and I can't wait to share it with you.
Questions.... Feel free to email me at: chris@chrisdoddsphoto.com or call me at +1 (450) 827-1007 nature photography tours, nature photography workshops, nature photography seminars, bird photography tours, bird photography workshops and bird photography seminars, bird photography, nature photography, wildlife photography, avian, photography, digital photography, photographic workshops, photographer, photographers, bird photo workshops, nature photography classes, prints, photography safaris, photographic seminars, photo seminars, wildlife photographs, bird photographs, bird photos, birds, photos, workshops, workshop, nature
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