wild by nature
B
linds are absolutely essential
tools for wildlife photographers.
In many situations, they afford us
the best—sometimes the only—oppor-
tunity to observe intimate moments in
the lives of wild animals. They allow us
a degree of proximity while lessening
our disturbance, which increases the
chance we’ll be able to see and pho-
tograph natural behavior. I own many
varieties of blinds, from ghillie suits
to pop-up hunting blinds to top-of-the-
line professional photography blinds.
Some kinds are better for certain set-
tings and species than others: A ground
blind, in which one lies flat, is great
for waterfowl on ponds, while a body
blind or ghillie suit might be best for
a woodpecker nest in thick forest. (For
more on these types of blinds and their
uses, read my earlier column on the
subject, “Using Photo Blinds,” on the
Outdoor Photographer website.)
My most useful and frequented blind,
however, wasn’t originally purchased
for wildlife photography. I can’t bring
it on planes, but it’s extremely porta-
ble. It’s my most spacious blind, with
room for lots of gear as well as crea-
ture comforts. It allows me to see in
all directions and to open and close
windows at the touch of a button. As
you’ve probably guessed by now, my
favorite blind is my car.
The obvious advantage of cars as
blinds is that you can travel near and
far in them to find and follow your wild
subjects. Not only do they bring you to
the location of wild animals, but also
cars often increase the amount of timeyour presence will be tolerated by ani-
mals, giving you a greater chance to get
the shot you’re after. This is because,
overall, animals are more comfortable
with humans approaching in cars than
they are with them approaching on foot.
This has been my own experience no
matter where I go and has been con-
firmed by many other photographers
and wildlife watchers I know.
Of course, sometimes we have no
choice but to shoot from cars. Some
places require us to stay in our cars,
such as areas in national parks where
wildlife like bears and bison roam, or
along some wildlife drives in national
wildlife refuges. Some people are lim-
ited to their cars by disabilities and
mobility issues.
There’s certainly an art to wildlife
photography from a car. I want to share
some of the strategies and tools that
have helped me successfully capture
photos of wildlife from my car.Support For Long Lenses
If you use a telephoto lens of 400mm
or more, there are several options
available for support and stability
when shooting out a car window. At
the high end are window mounts,
made by manufacturers like Kirk
Enterprises. These are aluminum sup-
port devices that you clamp onto the
door and pair with a tripod head. Keep
in mind your window will need to be a
good size to fit this in, with your cam-
era on top of a tripod head.
Perhaps the most commonly used
supports are beanbags that sit on yourcar door or window; you place the bar-
rel of your lens on these. They come
empty and can be filled with all manner
of materials, from buckwheat hulls to
beans. You want to fill it enough so
that it provides solid support yet not
to the point where you can’t shift your
lens around as needed. The most useful
beanbags are U-shaped, so they “hug”
the edge of the door or window. Bean-
bags are very useful when traveling
overseas, as you can fill them when
you get to your destination with a quick
trip to the local grocery. You can also
use them in a pinch as ground pods by
turning them upside down and cradling
your lens or camera in the dip.
Some beanbags have a plate that
can be inserted, onto which you can
attach your tripod head or use a pan-
ning clamp. LensCoat makes one I use,
the LensSack Pro. The mounting plate
is made of lightweight aircraft-grade
aluminum with a 3/8”-16 mounting
screw allowing you to mount a gimbal
or ballhead. This can provide stability
for cameras with lenses up to 800mm.
On the other end of the spectrum, a
cheap and easy trick is to simply adapt
a pool noodle as a support. Slit it along
one side so it can fit over your window,
cut it to the right width and cover it in
duct tape to both silence any squeaki-
ness and tone down bright colors.Ensuring Sharp Shots
Temperature difference between the
car interior and the outside can create
distortions in the air that can prove
deadly to your photos. If you’re in aRolling Blind
9ÕÀV>ÀV>Li>ÛiÀÞivviVÌÛiLi« ÌL`°
Try these tips to get the best results.
Text & Photography By Melissa Groo34 Outdoor Photographer outdoorphotographer.com