In late September 2023, I ran an extension for the participants in the Wild Wolves of the Taiga Forest workshop (Read the Trip Report) in northern Finland for golden eagles and eagle owls. Northern Finland is one of the best places to see and photograph these amazing birds reliably, and late September provides lovely colour in the boreal forest. Fortuitously, we had excellent photographic encounters with both species and many smaller bird species. We also had a miraculous encounter with a Eurasian Pygmy Owl.

For the duration of this extension, we were based near the small town of Muhos. We photographed exclusively from private hides dedicated to the Golden Eagle and Eagle Owl. A typical day saw us in the hides early after breakfast for the eagle and late into the evening for the Eagle Owl. As the Eagle Owl is most active at night, all of the photography of this unique bird is accomplished with pre-fixed lighting. Whilst this is a set-up scene, there is, of course, no guarantee that an owl will come to the planned location. Fortunately, we did not have to wait too long before the Eagle Owl put on a show for us.

Our first day in the hide for Golden Eagle saw us up well before sunrise and in the hide after an early breakfast before 7 a.m. During the day, we photographed multiple Sparrowhawks as well as many small species of birds, with the most common being the Eurasian Jay and Great Tit. We also had several sightings of Goshawk, but they did not land or provide photographic opportunities. The Sparrowhawks, in particular, provided an excellent aerobatic show throughout the morning, and many photographs were made of these fast-moving raptors.

On day two in the hide, a young male golden eagle briefly appeared at dusk just before we left the hide. Small birds were abundant throughout the day, although the sparrowhawks were strangely absent on day two.

On our third day, we headed to a different hide, hoping for encounters with the magnificent Eagle Owl. After an hour or so in the hide post-sunset, the Eagle Owl appeared and provided some fantastic opportunities throughout the half-hour, it stayed in the lit area.

On our fourth and final day, we returned to the eagle hide, hoping for more photographic encounters with this magnificent eagle. Late in the afternoon, as the sun began to get low in the sky the young male Golden Eagle returned and provided us some beautiful opportunities in golden light.

In addition to the Golden Eagle and Eagle Owl, we also photographed Eurasian and Siberian Jays’, many Tits, including the Great, Crested, Blue and Siberian, as well as the Great Spotted Woodpecker, Ravens, and a short but incredible encounter in the evening gloom at the Eagle Owl hide with a Eurasian Pygmy Owl. The pygmy owl was both a ‘lifer’ and a real thrill for me as this was the first time I had seen and photographed this species in the wild. Arriving just before complete darkness had descended, the owl landed on a small perch just metres away from my position in the hide. It stayed only a few moments before it disappeared silently into the night. Encounters such as this can never be planned and are pure serendipity.

This photograph of the Pygmy Owl would have been impossible just a generation of camera equipment ago. Shot at ISO12,800 at f4 at just 1/20th of a second, handheld with the Canon EOS R3 and Canon RF600mm F4L IS. The combination of the image stabilisation in the lens, working in conjunction with the IBIS in the EOS R3, enabled me to hold the camera and lens steady for a pin-sharp image, even at just 1/20th of a second. No flash or artificial lighting was used for this photograph. In near-total darkness, the Canon EOS R3 was able to find and lock focus on the eye of the owl – an incredible feat of modern technology.

The Golden Eagle and Eagle Owl extension proved a fantastic way to wrap up Finland in 2023. I will return to Finland in September 2025, for my Wild Wolves of the Taiga forest workshop. The workshop will run from the 15th to the 22nd of September, typically the peak time for Autumn colour in the Taiga forest at this latitude. On this workshop you can expect close encounters with Wolves, Bears and even Wolverine. Typically, on an average day, we will enter the hides in the early afternoon and return to our accommodation in the evening. We stay in nearby local cabins that are cozy and comfortable. For 2025, I will take just five photographers with several places already spoken for. If you would like to join or would like more information, please drop me an email to register your interest.

In September 2023, I led my semi-annual workshop in northern Finland to photograph the wild wolves, bears, and wolverines of the Taiga forest. Perhaps this year, I should have renamed the workshop Wild Bears of the Taiga forest, as the local brown bears put on a daily show for us during the week-long expedition. Wolves were thin on the ground this year, the result of an illegal shooting of the Alpha male and female that had grown up in this area and that I had photographed as pups several years ago (they are featured in my book Never Cry Wolf). The good news is my local operator has advised that the pack has now returned to the area and is being seen most days again.

Throughout this workshop, we photographed five different bears. Often, multiple bears were very close together, providing opportunities to photograph their interactions. This time of year, the bears are on an eating frenzy as they try to fatten up before the long winter hibernation.

From our hides, we photographed the bears at a range of as little as a metre to 800mm. I prefer longer lenses in this part of Finland because I can use telephoto compression to place the bears against the forest. Wide-angle can also work exceptionally well, however, when the bears approach close to the hides. Throughout this workshop, I personally shot several thousand images and am currently still editing and processing my favourites. As time permits, I will update this post with additional photographs.

Many of the hides have the option to shoot from a low-angle port for both ground and eye-level photography. My preference is always to try and shoot as low as possible, both to create a more intimate eye-level capture and to help clean up the foreground, which can often be muddy this time of the year.

During the 2023 workshop, we photographed almost exclusively at the ‘Paradise hides’, which are set up in front of a large open area inside the Taiga forest. Experience has shown me that this is the best location for clean backgrounds that provide a wonderful sense of environment. We also took the opportunity to photograph at the Lake hides, where we photographed two brown bears swimming in front of the hides. Some of us also took the opportunity to photograph the squirrels nearby to our accommodation.

I will be returning to northern Finland in the Autumn of 2025. The workshop will run from the 15th to the 22nd of September, typically the peak time for Autumn colour in the Taiga forest at this latitude. In this workshop, you can expect close encounters with Wolves, Bears and even Wolverine. Typically, on an average day, we will enter the hides in the early afternoon and return to our accommodation in the evening. We stay in nearby local cabins that are cozy and comfortable. For 2025, I will take just five photographers with several places already spoken for. If you want to photograph these fantastic animals, please drop me a note to register your interest.

I have just published episode #83 of my Wild Nature Photography Podcast. In this long overdue episode (apologies for the significant delay), I give my thoughts on two new Canon Lenses, the RF 10-20mm and the yet-to-be-officially-announced 200-800mm telephoto lens (look for the official announcement of this lens in the next few days). I also briefly discuss the new HDR feature in the latest version of Adobe Lightroom and the excellent new Point Colour / HSL local adjustment capability that is now available inside the individual masking tools in Lightroom. I also give my initial impressions of the 8th edition of the Bird Photographer of the Year annual book (includes three of my commended photographs) and Scott Portelli’s new Antarctica book (reviews of both will be coming in future podcast episodes). Additionally, I provide details of my upcoming webinar for BenQ on post-production. This webinar will be held on the 8th of November and is free (you just need to register). I also discuss the main topic of this episode: what happens when serendipity meets technology and my experience photographing the European Pygmy Owl in near total darkness in northern Finland with the Canon EOS R3 and Canon RF600mm f4L IS USM lens. By way of preview, the European Pygmy Owl will be the November photograph of the month for 2023.

On Wednesday, November 8th, 2023, at 6pm AEST, I will present another webinar for BenQ – RAW Processing for Optimal Results. This will be a deep dive into the Lightroom / Camera RAW pipeline and will include a look ‘under the hood’ for many of the control sliders to help get a better understanding of what is really going on and how and when to use different adjustments for optimal results. The webinar is free to attend, but you do need to register HERE for the event.

The 2023 8th annual edition of the Bird Photographer of the Yearbook has landed on my desk in Australia. This was the first time I entered Bird Photographer of the Year, and as I wrote on receipt of the news, I am thrilled to have had three images selected for inclusion in the annual book. Of the thousands of entries in the competition, fewer than three hundred (or less than 1%) are selected for inclusion in the book. Having three photographs chosen from the few I entered is lovely news, and I could not be happier with the result. The Gyr Falcon photograph was commended in the Bird Behaviour category, the Kittiwakes in front of the glacier in Svalbard was also commended in the Birds in the Environment category, and lastly, the Adelie was commended in the Comedy Bird category. You can order the Bird Photographer of the Year Book 8 online at the BPOTY website (www.birdpoty.com). The BPOTY books are fantastic references and an absolute must-have for any bird enthusiast or photographer interested in birds. I also reviewed the previous editions of Bird Photographer of the Year in Podcast number 57 – available HERE. I will review the 2023 edition in an upcoming podcast. Congratulations to all those included in the book, and I look forward to entering again in 2024!