Wildlife Photo Chat, Episode 250: Aaron Todd

Date: February 24, 2026
Host: Ray Hennessy
Guest: Aaron Todd

Episode Overview

In this lively and insightful episode, Ray Hennessy welcomes back wildlife photographer Aaron Todd for a deep dive into winter duck photography, the challenges and joys of extreme field craft, creative use of equipment like floating hides, and reflections on perseverance, motivation, and the value of photographic contests. The conversation covers technical discussions, hilarious field anecdotes, conservation initiatives, and future plans—all with honest self-reflection and their signature warmth and camaraderie.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chasing Ducks in Winter: Passion & Adaptation

• Winter as Prime Duck Season: Aaron is passionate about waterfowl, especially during winter when typical puddles and wetlands freeze over, forcing both birds and photographers to cluster around rare open waters.
  • "All the wetlands, ponds and lakes that I would usually like to visit for waterfowl are all frozen over... I prefer winter photography the most, to be honest. And winter duck photography is the best." — Aaron (01:27)
• Travel & Perseverance: Rather than give up when local spots are inaccessible, Aaron is happy to drive further, get up early, and face the elements for new opportunities.
  • "Oh, no, I'll drive anywhere for the opportunity... It's all part of the fun for me. This isn't my job. It's a hobby, and I wouldn't do it unless it was a ton of fun." — Aaron (03:18)

2. The Value of Challenge and Perseverance

• Hard-Won Images: Both Ray and Aaron discuss how the most challenging conditions can lead to the most meaningful images—and debate whether that 'effort' actually shows through to viewers.
  • "...the harder you have to work and the more severe the conditions, the better the photos. And I'm not sure whether it's just a feeling of satisfaction from having earned it...that shows in the photos in either overt or subtle ways." — Aaron (04:15)
  • "Does it really show through sometimes, or is it just I want it to...?" — Ray (04:58)
• Ebb and Flow of Motivation: They muse on waning motivation, the privilege of opportunity (especially in Ray’s full-time lifestyle), and the balancing act to avoid burnout.
  • "Have I lost my edge, to really push myself?... I find myself going all in and...I'm like, okay, I still got it. It's still there...But I worry that I'm gonna lose it." — Ray (05:57)

3. Fieldcraft & Floating Hide Techniques

• Importance of Early Setup: Aaron emphasizes the necessity of getting to locations before sunrise and becoming "part of the environment" to photograph wary waterfowl.
  • "If you're showing up after they can see you, you're toast...there's no sneaking up on a duck." — Aaron (21:36)
• Changing Bird Behavior: They discuss how some birds seem to have started accepting Aaron’s floating hide as part of their territory, allowing closer encounters.
  • "I had a female [merganser] come up right underneath the float and then bump out and go right in front of me and sort of look back like, what? What was that?" — Aaron (24:07)
• Techniques to Overcome Environmental Challenges: When talking about deeper water use of hides, Aaron shares his use of a custom seat, swim fins, and lessons learned about balance and control in varying conditions.
  • "I put a little seat that I've made that'll hang under the pontoons...so I can still move with my feet...but I'm not, you know, my eye isn't pressed to the viewfinder the whole time." — Aaron (34:06)

Notable Segment:

Discussion on the difficulty of using long lenses in a floating hide (37:11–41:09)

"It takes the tiniest ripple in the water to start bouncing that hide around...looking through the viewfinder, it was like there was an earthquake going on." — Ray (38:44)

4. Coping with Extreme Weather: Safety and Comfort

• Layering Systems & Equipment: Aaron details his cold-weather workflow: oversized dry suit, layered insulation, adhesive warmers, and advice on pre-assembling gear to minimize time exposed to the cold.
  • "It's a dry suit, and it's multiple layers of warm clothing beneath the dry suit...I also use a body warmer...and I, I've surprised myself...I've done -15, -20 Celsius days..." — Aaron (45:05)
• Glove and Footwear Solutions: Ray brings up the upgrade from chemical toe warmers to USB battery-heated socks as a game-changer—a tip Aaron appreciated.
  • "The battery operated sock thing was a joy...kept my feet completely warm..." — Ray (46:50)

5. The Absurdity & Joy of the Pursuit

• Funny Stories & Field Encounters:
  • The camaraderie between Ray and Aaron is peppered with humorous tales—like surprising a kayaker by popping out of a floating hide (56:41) or returning to the car as a spectacle caked in mud, leeches, or ice (49:58, 54:06).

    "I must be quite a peculiar spectacle to somebody who doesn't know what's happening, right?" — Aaron (53:33)
    "I popped out of the floating hide...she ju. Almost tipped over. I scared the hell out of her. She wasn't expecting. She was like, what the heck?" — Ray (56:41)

6. Working Harder, Going Further

• Dealing with Crowds and Competition: They discuss how to handle increasingly busy locations, advocating for more effort and scouting to secure solitude and unique images rather than frustration.
  • "If you work hard enough, you can get away from everybody in all scenarios...it just means you gotta hike further...but if the flip side is you're just upset all the time...you got to put in the effort sometimes." — Ray (58:16)

7. Duck Diversity & Favorites

• Changing Favorites by Season: Aaron and Ray reflect on how their favorite duck species changes with season or behavior, spotlighting long-tailed ducks, blue-winged teal, mergansers, and how each can surprise and delight.
  • "I do, I love them all...my very favorite ducks right now are long tailed ducks in their winter plumage." — Aaron (61:49)

8. Innovation and Future Ambitions

• Expanding Into New Techniques: Aaron’s next step is getting in the ocean with the floating hide to photograph puffins at water level in Newfoundland—a subject not often captured this way.
  • "I'm planning to bring my floating hide...and I'm hopeful for some opportunities to get in the ocean with some of these birds and get some eye level shots..." — Aaron (70:01)
• Ray’s Ambitions with Underwater Housings: Ray shares ideas for combining wider focal lengths and dramatic cliff backgrounds for unique puffin images, including the technical and safety challenges involved.
  • "That's the interesting thing...Nikon has that beautiful old F mount lens...the 300F 4PF, which is minuscule." — Ray (67:31)

9. Reflections on Photo Contests

• Personal Satisfaction vs. Subjective Judging: Both share nuanced perspectives on what contest success means, how often the "best" images (as judged by the photographer) aren't the ones selected, and how contest recognition serves as a quality benchmark, not an absolute.
  • "Did you get any into the final round?" — Ray (83:24)
  • "I did. I was fortunate to get a few photos get through to the next round..." — Aaron (83:31)
  • "It's a measuring stick for me...It makes me happy to know that I've gone from a novice to someone who can at least have some images that compare." — Aaron (85:09)
  • "I have the images I'm the most passionate about...and inevitably, those tend to me, tend to be not the ones that are chosen." — Ray (87:52)

10. Giving Back: Conservation Initiatives

• Art for Wildlife: Aaron discusses building a website to sell prints, with proceeds donated to conservation organizations. He highlights inspiration from Shane Kaelin and collective charitable efforts by Canadian wildlife photographers.
  • "I'm really, really interested in how I can use my art...to support conservation initiatives...I've developed a website...taking the proceeds from any images that I sell and donating them to wildlife conservation." — Aaron (93:22)
  • "Through the nine auctions that Shane has organized...we've raised over $90,000 for different charities just through Shane's initiative..." — Aaron (94:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I'm not saying this to brag. I'm just saying this is what's possible. I've done -15, -20 Celsius days where people's cars wouldn't start. But the photography opportunity is still there if you get out." — Aaron (46:38)
• "There's just little elements that are evident in the picture that make it unique from others that may have been easier to get...I like to think that we're rewarded for making the effort." — Aaron (05:37)
• "If you find that...sites that you had that you love to visit...started to get a little bit more traffic...that just means I have to find a new place that offers the same opportunities and put the work in. And if it means it's a bit harder to get to, all the better, because other people are less likely to make that effort." — Aaron (59:55)
• "No photo is ever worth a serious injury, let alone death, you know, it just is not worth that for me." — Ray (78:13)
• "That's, that's where I'm going with this, is trying to find a way to use what I'm creating to give back to the environments and the wildlife that I love. And even if it's just a small bit that adds to bigger and larger initiatives...then I do think it matters." — Aaron (97:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Early Passion for Ducks & Driving to Lake Ontario: 01:27–03:51
• Perseverance & Value of Hard Conditions: 04:15–05:57
• Motivation, Burnout & Joy in Shooting: 07:41–11:45
• Navigating Schedule, Opportunity, and Burnout: 11:45–13:16
• Personality Traits & Fieldcraft: 14:30–16:34
• Morning vs. Evening, Waterfowl Skittishness: 18:35–20:36
• Floating Hide Techniques: 21:10–34:06
• Challenges of Long Lenses in Floating Hides: 37:11–41:09
• Staying Warm: Clothing, Dry Suits, Battery Socks: 45:05–48:08
• Funny Outings, Surprising the Public: 49:58–56:43
• Getting Away from Crowds: 57:12–59:54
• Favorite Duck Species (and Why): 61:49–64:51
• Future Goals: Puffins in Newfoundland, Underwater Work: 67:31–76:14
• Photo Contests: Approaches and Reflections: 83:22–92:53
• Conservation & Using Art for Good: 93:22–97:54

Closing Thoughts

Aaron's infectious enthusiasm for ducks, willingness to push personal limits, and generous spirit shine through this episode. Whether wrestling a floating hide in minus 20 Celsius, plotting new creative challenges, or selling prints for conservation, Aaron embodies the joy and grit of wildlife photography. Ray and Aaron's candid discussion on motivation, technique, and the emotional roller coaster of contests is both relatable and inspirational—reminding listeners that the hardest-won images (and the experiences along the way) are truly the most satisfying.

Links referenced by Aaron in the episode (to be included based on show notes):

• Aaron’s Print Website (for conservation donations)
• Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective
• Shane Kaelin / @4elementsphotos
• Brian Matthews / BWM Photo on Instagram

This summary was crafted to capture the humor, candor, and passionate expertise that make this episode a must-listen for wildlife photographers and outdoor enthusiasts alike.