Winter Owl Workshop with Christopher Dodds

Winter 2025

January 13 to 17, 2025 ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT

January 20 to 24, 2025 2 SPOTS LEFT

 
  • This is a specialized Owl photography tour. Our target species include: Snowy Owl, Great Grey Owl, Boreal Owl, Saw-whet Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Short-eared Owl and Long-eared Owl. Variety of subjects varies from year to year.

  • Ethical and responsible birding practices. We will not feed, bait, lure, call or disturb the owls we will be photographing.

  • Tour groups are strictly limited to only 7 photographers maximum.

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

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

  • Photographers of all levels are welcome, the tour pace will suit everyone’s needs and skill level.

  • Owners of all camera brands are welcome, my 39 years of professional photography includes the last 5 years as a Sony ambassador, 16 years using Canon as a Canon Northern Explorer of Light and 18 years using Nikon before that. I can help anyone with any brand improve their photography.

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

 

Join me, Christopher Dodds, in Quebec and Ontario for the ultimate Snowy Owl photography workshop photo tour. You will be mesmerized by the yellow-eyed Ghost of the Great White North. Bring home an incredible portfolio of Owl images while learning to make consistently technically perfect and artistic images. Iconic portraits and dramatic Owls-in-flight with ample opportunities to photograph hunting Owls in picturesque snow-covered fields (weather and owls permitting) at close range.

Our target subjects include (but are not limited to) The Snowy Owl, Boreal Owl, Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Barred Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl and Saw-Whet Owl. Gain access to the places I've been photographing these Northern beauties for many years.

The trips are timed to offer the best opportunities for a nice mix of Owl species with the best chance for snow-covered backgrounds.

Includes five days of professional instruction and guidance by Christopher Dodds, local transportation during the workshop and logistics management. Not included in the price is your transportation to Montreal Pierre-Elliot Trudeau Airport (YUL), hotels (I have a block of discounted rooms available at a Montreal Airport hotel for nights before & after the workshop), meals, drinks, souvenirs or other expenses of a personal nature.

Who should attend: This workshop is highly recommended for any level photographer. Whether you are entirely new to nature photography, an experienced amateur, or a seasoned pro, there will be something to photograph, and we will have plenty of time to tailor your instruction to your abilities. The seasoned pro can fully utilize the logistics, my site and subject knowledge.

Getting there: You should plan to arrive at Montreal Pierre-Elliot Trudeau Airport (YUL) a day (or two) before your workshop starts to avoid missing our connection due to weather and aircraft/airline delays. I have discounted rooms available at an airport hotel for any night before or after your workshop. After we meet at the airport hotel on Monday morning, we will transfer to another hotel where I have discounted rooms reserved for the four nights of the workshop; you'll just need to present a credit card when we check-in.

Group size: Our group will be strictly limited to ONLY SIX participants.

Details: An incredibly detailed email with the precise itinerary, hotel details, camera gear suggestions, and tested clothing checklist to keep warm will be emailed after registration is complete and the deposit is received.

Questions: Feel free to email me at chris@chrisdoddsphoto.com or call me at +1 (514) 945-6195

Sign-up Now

Join Christopher Dodds in Quebec and/or Ontario for the ultimate Snowy Owl photography workshop photo tour. Bring home an incredible portfolio of Owl images while learning to reliably make consistently technically perfect and artistic images. Iconic portraits and dramatic Owls in flight with ample opportunities to photograph hunting Owls in picturesque snow-covered fields (weather permitting).

“I enjoyed the experience and appreciate your vast knowledge of birds and the respect you have for birds & nature!

I was pleased to see you not bait birds and at no time did we flush birds or approach them in an unethical way just for good photos.

— Deb Bryk - USA February 13-17, 2023 owl workshop

“I just returned home from a trip to Ontario, Canada with Christopher Dodds to look for and photograph Snowy Owls. The weather was cold and snowy, but not necessarily Snowy Owl cold, so I was worried that the Snowy Owls might be thin on the ground. Christopher Dodds deserves kudos and my thanks! He led our photo trek and put me (and the others in the party I joined) in position to see, watch, track and photograph Snowy Owls. I was able to capture wonderful images of Snowy Owls at rest, in flight, on the hunt, on the ground in the fields, in blowing snow! Outstanding photographic results for me, better than I anticipated. From the get go it was obvious that Christopher Dodds knows his Snowy Owls and wildlife photography. He is an excellent photography trek leader, knowledgeable, personable, professional and helpful to me and the others in our group at every turn. I am impressed with Christopher as a photography trek leader, particularly as his focus was on his clients at all times, and the well being of the Owls. He ensured that we did everything possible to not stress or disturb the Owls in their habitat. Of particular note Christopher is not a photography trek leader who spends his time with his own camera, taking his own photographs. He spent all his time with us locating Owls, coaching us, helping us with our equipment and camera settings, and letting us know what to expect and when to expect an Owl to fly, in what direction, and when. What an outstanding experience! Thank you, Christopher. I hope to enjoy another trek with you soon.”

— Joe Norton, USA January 23-27, 2023 owl workshop

“I recently attended the snowy owls workshop with Christopher Dodds and had an amazing experience. Not only was I extremely impressed with Chris' knowledge and expertise in photography but also how he really cared about the shots we got. He made sure that everyone in the groups had the shots they wanted and that we all experienced success.

His knowledge of cameras and photography is phenomenal. I have never met anyone who is a knowledgeable in photography as he is. He was able to answer any and every question and always explained the reasons behind his recommendations to make sure we learned as much as possible.

The instruction didn't stop after shooting in the field. I learned so much in the Photoshop and Nik Software post-processing session that took my photography to a whole other level.

The small group atmosphere was great as we were able to blend in with nature ensuring that the owls and other wildlife were not disturbed resulting in great shots every time. Chris made sure each of us were able to develop our skills at our own pace. The experience and the results were more that I could have asked for. I would definitely recommend Christopher Dodds workshops to anyone who is looking to improve their photography skills and learn from a real pro. ”

— Fred Lemire - Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

“With health issues and possessing few skills in tracking birds in flight, I headed to Montreal with a good share of trepidation about having any success on the Winter Owl Safari. Chris Dodds is not only a master photographer, but I soon discovered that he is an incredible leader and instructor who is quick to give suggestions, share his vast knowledge and patiently answer any question. As a result, I was successfully capturing more and more action shots each session as the days went by. Chris went out of his way to make sure each one of his clients was safe and as comfortable as possible in the extreme conditions in which we were photographing. Aware of my health issues, he was continually monitoring me to make sure that I wasn't over doing it. Chris is fun to work with and is spoken very highly of by the landowners who he deals with, which in turn, makes many private tracts of land where the owls are located accessible to him and his groups. He seemingly has an inexhaustible level of energy that ensures that his clients will have the most productive experience humanly possible. Returning home with many stunning photographs and memories of such a delightful experience, I am looking forward to the time when I can do another one of Chris Dodd's workshops with great anticipation.”

— John Michael Fuller Duanesburg | NY

“Thank you again for an amazing week of owls. I came home with some of my favourite images of all time. I was very impressed with many things throughout the week. Most notably, your concern for our groups’ comfort, your knowledge of the owls we were there to photograph, your technical ability, your advice/instruction, and your ability to always make things fun. Spending some time with you and seeing the amount of effort, time and processing that goes in to capturing your images was an eye-opening moment for me. It was an awesome experience and I am already looking forward to next year’s workshop. Thank you again for everything.”

— Andrew Feiler Las Vegas | Nevada | USA

“What can I say? Your Winter Owl Photo Tour was an absolute sensory overload of owls, knowledge and fun! A smashing success! I have to say this was the very best photo trip I have ever joined (and I have joined many). It was an EPIC adventure, and it was a huge success; with your help, I managed to pull off an incredible portfolio of Owl images that was miles better than I could have imagined! Just like your stated goal; I can attest to the fact that the single most important objectives for you as the leader is for your clients to achieve an EPIC portfolio that you would have been proud to call your own, and for everyone to learn. Mission accomplished, my friend…many fold. I would have been thrilled with just one of the hundreds of EPIC images that I created under your wise guidance. You will see me again on another workshop soon. I can offer anyone considering this trip the following advice: DO IT! You won’t regret it. Chris works extremely hard for you to get the very best images; images that will impress everyone. He’s fun and eager to teach anyone, regardless of their abilities. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

— Peter Frost London | England

“Thank you so much for a memorable week during your Snowy Owl Workshop, I have enjoyed it immensely.
The week has been EPIC, Exhilarating Pictures, Instructional Colossus, what more can I say.
It has been a long held ambition of mine to photograph Snowy Owls and in choosing your trip all my expectations have been filled and some. The company has been an important and enjoyable part of the trip and I will recall with great fondness many of the hilarious moments we have shared together.
I appreciate all the hard work that you have put in to ensure the success of our trip and I wish to thank you for that.
I hope the season continues to go well for you and I wish you happiness in your life.”

— John Sheppard Banbury | England


”The winter owl workshop was excellent. From the pre-planning through the last spectacular day with the snowy owls. In addition to the skills and nature experience Chris brings to the workshop, he also brings his passion of nature photography as well as a genuine focus on the safety of the owls and wildlife. The group size was great and the team composition was excellent, travel was pleasant, safe and comfortable. It was great to be able to peak into Chris's personal life, spending time with Chris opened up a new world for me that I want to explore. I learned value insights and lessons related to exposure, histograms and the habitats and behaviours of owls. It was great being out in the nature and cold, learning not only to capture razor sharp images, but how to do so in extreme weather. Most americans will not know the excitement of seeing a Tim Horton's in the distance or the comfort of fresh Poutine, I can say I am now a fan.”

— Kim Ringeisen Flying Monkey Photography North Carolina | USA

“Chris leads a great workshop. It quickly became clear the amount of prework Chris had done in the weeks leading up to the trip. Chris knew where the owls would be each morning when we arrived in the fields. Another amazing ability Chris has, is he can spot a snowy owl hundreds of yards away. I remember laughing a few times as I am looking through binoculars saying are you sure and every time he was correct.


Chris is an amazing photographer and extremely knowledgeable on both Nikon and Canon photography equipment. I came home a much better photographer, with a better understanding of my camera gear and how to adjust for the environment and light. Throughout the day Chris was continually making sure everyone had the correct setting and reminding us to check our exposure/histogram.


Additionally Chris is just a great guy. He is what i would consider a true outdoors-man and has the adventure stories to go with them. I really enjoyed the travel and downtime with Chris and we had a lot of good laughs.

I would definitely recommend a Chris Dodds photography workshop especially the winter owl workshop and am looking forward to my next trip with Chris.”

— Brad Lewis Gilroy | California

“I had the pleasure of attending Chris' Snowy Owl Workshop this past January. To be honest, I did not know much about Chris before the trip. All I knew was the quality of his images on his website and that I wanted Snowy owl pictures. Needless to say, Chris met and exceeded my expectations. He goes over and above to get you in the right place at the right time to capture the best images possible. Having been on numerous workshops around the world with various leaders, I can say Chris worked harder than most..... He also made sure that we were in position to get a variety of images and not just 1000 photos of the same animal behavior. Chris knows his birds and what they are going to do next (as much as humanly possible). He teaches in a way that things make sense. I was getting frustrated with my photography before this trip. I was able to get great shots before the workshop but felt that the percentage of great shots to missed shots needed to be better. Chris explained ways to change a few of my bad habits in a way that no one else ever did. I have tried manual exposure in the past but never got comfortable with it but after a day or two with Chris it clicked in my mind and my images improved and percentage of keepers went up.
If you get a chance to go on a workshop with Chris I would highly recommend it. I know I will again.”

— Rick Susi Orlando, FL, USA

“I'm happy to say I survived Africa and now I survived the bitter cold and wind of Ontario. Once I saw the movie the "Big Year" the Snowy Owl went to the top of my bucket list. There was only one photographer who combined excellence and instruction that I wanted to help me achieve capturing the Snowy Owl; Chris Dodds. Chris is an amazing photographer who taught our group to use manual setting and fully explain the technical aspects of our cameras(we were all Nikon users & Chris is a Canon guy). Chris made sure we were all in the position to capture a great image and he constantly was helping us and reviewing our skill set and lack of skill set. I was able to get a lot of great images and fully understand photography at a professional level. I am now a better photographer.. His preparation for his workshop was the best I have been part of. The small group workshop allowed Chris to spend individual time with each of us and that was the real bonus. If you want to capture great images and learn from a master photographer there is no one better in my opinion. The workshop and the accommodations were great. I look forward to my next outing with Chris.

— Carl Bilancione (Survivor Africa contestant) Winter Park, Florida

“I have just been fortunate enough to participate in a Winter Owl workshop run by Chris. The experience was outstanding. Chris had thoroughly researched our excursions beforehand and knew exactly where the Owls were wintering - he also spared no effort to maximise our photo opportunities - both in terms of weather conditions, lighting, angles, backdrop etc - but also in terms of helping us each personally during the week with technical tips towards achieving better results.

Logistically the trip was also a pleasure with spacious transport, good accommodations and food, and an enjoyable group camaraderie. Altogether a great trip, and I would thoroughly recommend Chris as a guide for future trips.

- Jonathan Mercer, UK