{"id":26766,"date":"2014-09-24T06:57:22","date_gmt":"2014-09-24T12:57:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=26766"},"modified":"2014-09-25T11:56:34","modified_gmt":"2014-09-25T17:56:34","slug":"tips-tricks-and-strategies-for-using-your-vehicle-as-a-mobile-blind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2014\/09\/24\/tips-tricks-and-strategies-for-using-your-vehicle-as-a-mobile-blind\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips, Tricks and Strategies For Using Your Vehicle As A Mobile Blind"},"content":{"rendered":"

Depending on the types of locations where you typically shoot, using your vehicle as a mobile blind for photographing birds may be a viable, even perfect\u00a0option for you.\u00a0 Perhaps the biggest\u00a0obstacle to great bird images is getting close enough to them for good image quality and birds\u00a0generally don’t allow a close approach by photographers on foot.\u00a0 But in many locations birds have become acclimated to vehicles and traffic so using your\u00a0vehicle to get close to them makes sense.\u00a0 And it works!\u00a0\u00a0Most of my shooting is done from my pickup.\u00a0 Birds often seem to pay no particular attention to humans inside vehicles but that changes so very quickly as soon as you open\u00a0your door.<\/p>\n

One of the testaments to the fact that birds don’t like close approach is the\u00a0bundle of cash photographers are willing to lay down for high quality super-telephoto lenses but even if your investment in gear is a modest one you’ll want to protect it in the vehicle\u00a0as you traverse bumpy roads and make quick stops as you search for birds (it definitely gets your attention the first time your lens and camera, resting on the car seat, crash to the floor when you hit the brakes).\u00a0 But\u00a0you also want it available for use on a moment’s notice and not strapped down so that it takes time to retrieve it.\u00a0 Believe me, birds don’t wait for photographers.<\/p>\n

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\"my<\/p>\n

So here’s my personal solution to that problem.\u00a0 I call it my “lens caddy” and I absolutely love it.\u00a0 It carries my lens with attached camera body securely but yet when I need it I simply reach under the lens and instantly\u00a0lift it out.\u00a0 The caddy fits on my folded down center console – if you look carefully you’ll see that it’s secured with wood pieces that fit tightly\u00a0into cup holders in the console.\u00a0 The lens foot fits into a precisely cut rectangular slot that I cut into the base of the caddy, the front of the lens is supported by\u00a0a curved wood piece with attached felt pads for protection from abrasion and the camera is supported by another wooden base at the rear.<\/p>\n

You’ll also notice a small, circular cut-out in the base of the caddy.\u00a0 A circular projection on my teleconverter fits into that cutout when I remove it so that it won’t slide around or drop to the floor (or into the door side-pockets as has happened in the past).\u00a0 I always place the tc into that cutout with the “red dot” pointing the same direction – that way I don’t even have to look to check its orientation when I grab it and it goes back\u00a0on in an instant (time is usually of the essence and I don’t want to be fumbling around with the tc).<\/p>\n

I’ve used this same caddy for\u00a07 years now, though I’ve modified it several times to fit three different vehicles (two pickups and one small car)\u00a0and several camera\/lens combinations.\u00a0 With all the crazy maneuvers I’ve done on rough, dirt or gravel\u00a0roads in that time my lens has never come out of the caddy.\u00a0 At most, on the roughest roads (and I do mean rough<\/em>), I’ll momentarily rest my hand on top of the lens to help stabilize it a bit.<\/p>\n

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\"mia's<\/p>\n

I also built a lens caddy for Mia who rides in the back so we can both shoot the same direction out the windows.\u00a0 Her caddy is secured tightly to the seat at back by the middle safety belt and at front by a bungee cord that hooks under the seat and to the front of the caddy.\u00a0 Since she rides in front when there’s no immediate possibility of birds there’s also a small bungee cord that wraps over the top of her\u00a0lens and hooks to the eye-bolt that you see in the photo.\u00a0 That cord secures her gear even better while she’s\u00a0riding in front.<\/p>\n

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\"my<\/p>\n

If you’re shooting out the window you need something to support and protect your lens and dampen vibration.\u00a0 I’ve used a variety of “gadgets” over the years but never found anything better than my “Noodle” (Mia came up with the idea).\u00a0 It’s one of those swimming pool “noodles” that kids like to bash each other with but\u00a0we put\u00a0them to a more productive use.\u00a0 They have a hollow core so we cut them to length, slit the bottom so they fit over the window glass and then wrap them in duct tape to mute the loud colors and give them more support.\u00a0\u00a0The front window in my pickup is deeply curved so I’ve modified it to fit the curve.<\/p>\n

Noodles come in a variety of textures and diameters but I prefer the sturdy, relatively\u00a0stiff ones with a diameter of 3 1\/4″.\u00a0 If you decide to go this route you’d best get your noodle very soon – except in warm climates they’re usually not available in the winter months.\u00a0\u00a0We sometimes get ours at Wal-Mart (though if we can find them somewhere else\u00a0that’s where\u00a0we’ll buy them).\u00a0 Noodles are ridiculously cheap (especially compared to some of\u00a0the alternatives) and I think they work better.\u00a0 They last for many months and when one wears out\u00a0I simply replace it.\u00a0\u00a0 I can get two or three from a single $3\u00a0noodle.<\/p>\n

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\"mia's<\/p>\n

This is Mia’s Noodle on the back window.\u00a0 That window has no curve so the Noodle is easier to make.<\/p>\n

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\"mirror<\/p>\n

One issue with shooting from your vehicle is the side mirror.\u00a0 As you can see, mine is huge and here it’s not even extended for trailer pulling.\u00a0 The position of the typical mirror is often exactly in the direction that you’ll want to be shooting so it can be very frustrating because the darn thing’s in the way.\u00a0 The problem can be somewhat mitigated by creative driving as you’re approaching your subject but it can never be totally solved (unless you rip the mirror off the door but I suspect that\u00a0Trooper Mitch Voss of the Montana Highway Patrol would disapprove of that strategy…)<\/p>\n

Most folks won’t have mirrors this large and thankfully…<\/p>\n

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\"mirror<\/p>\n

mine can be folded back and mostly out of the way but even in this position it can occasionally\u00a0be a pain in the butt.<\/p>\n

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\"lights<\/p>\n

I’m often surprised by the number of bird photographers I see cruising for birds with their lights on.\u00a0 As skittish as birds are I don’t want any<\/em> added element that might\u00a0flush them or make them hide.\u00a0 I once had a Toyota Matrix that had daytime running lights that could not be turned off – they drove me nuts!\u00a0 I tried putting duct tape\u00a0over them (not practical) and bribing the dealer to rig a system for turning them off (he refused).\u00a0 \u00a0I understand that some folks can’t turn them off but I’m pretty sure that many who don’t, can.\u00a0 If you can I’d suggest doing so, especially during low light in the morning or evening.<\/p>\n

I’ll never buy another vehicle with daytime running lights that can’t be turned off (in my current pickup they can be).\u00a0 I would also never buy a vehicle where the back windows don’t roll all the way down, for obvious reasons (thanks to Facebook friend Christine Bogdanowicz for the reminder about that last\u00a0little tidbit – she just returned from an extended trip “out west” and by mistake rented a car whose rear windows didn’t roll all the way down, which she regrets).<\/p>\n

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\"pickup<\/p>\n

So here’s a look at my entire “mobile blind”, complete with Noodles in place, mirror pushed forward and mud and dust from my recent excursions – yesterday’s was Cascade Springs and the Alpine Loop.<\/p>\n

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Here are\u00a0a few additional tips and suggestions for shooting from your vehicle:<\/p>\n