# Tripod/camouflage for birds/wildlife?



## tayassu (Aug 29, 2014)

Ok, my recent vacation to southern England has showed me how much fun I have shooting birds, so I want to get more deeply into it. I think my camera and lens (7D+70-300L) are sufficient for my needs right now. My question is about accessories.
Do you use a tripod/monopod/shoot handheld and why do you do that? 
In case of tripod/monopod which pod/head combo are you using? 
Are you using any sort of camouflage? 
If yes, what type, a blind, a throwover or something like a ghillie suit? 
I have a Leica Ultravid 8x32, is that sufficient for my needs in the field?
Questions about questions, but I appreciate every answer and am looking forward to the insights in your technique!  Thanks!


----------



## Omni Images (Aug 29, 2014)

Hi tayassu,
My first bit of advise if you want to photograph birds, would be to get to know your subject before you worry about gear and camo stuff.
I recently meet a bird watcher here in town, an old retired guy who has just moved into the area, he regularly post photos of birds I have not even seen down here, he knows the habits and movements of them so much, he can just rock up in the right place at the right time and get shots of all sorts of birds.
He doesn't use camo gear, he just uses a Mk3 with a 100-400, he's overweight and not likely to crawl along the ground in a ghillie suit .. but he get the shots because he knows where they are and how to approach them.
I wouldn't say you need camo gear as much as just technique. Different birds need different approaches. I find the best way is to move into an area and be still, you will find the smaller birds move around and at times will be all around you .. but if you see them and follow them they will keep moving away from you.
That is the reason I am considering the 300m F4 as it has a 1.5m min focus distance, the 400F5.6 is about 3.5m
The 100-400 I think is 1.8m and the 70-200 I use is about 1.4m
Other birds will require a different approach where you may need to sit and hide ... but you need to know them first, follow them see what and where they go ... no point sitting in the bush for hours on end in your camo gear and nothing comes close to you ... you need to sit somewhere where you know the bird will land.
I have been chasing a Azure Kingfisher for two years down at a local park .. I know each branch he is going to sit on, so I can sit in wait with my camera focused... in fact one day I sat down in place .. I took a shot with my flash etc to test the flash distance/exposure of this branch ... checked the image on the back of the screen ... then looked through the viewfinder again at the branch and low and behold it was sitting on the branch with a fish in it's mouth ....
So get to know you subject first and you'll get a much better hit rate and get much closer, than using all the camo gear ...
It's movement more than them being able to see you that will spook them.


----------



## surapon (Aug 29, 2014)

Dear Friends.

http://www.birds.com/blog/birdwatching-whats-with-the-camouflage/

http://www.carolinawildphoto.com/CamoNotes.htm

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/bp/blending

http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Birds/Archives/2012/Bird-Vision.aspx

Enjoy
Surapon


----------



## randym77 (Aug 29, 2014)

Great links, surapon.

I've often wished I could photograph birds in the ultraviolet range. Seemingly solid black birds like crows have infrared patterns on their wings that signal age, sex, maybe even individual identity. Invisible to us, but very visible to other birds.

We mammals have poor color vision. Apparently, we lost it, during the millions of years our ancestors were nocturnal burrowing creatures hiding from the dinosaurs. We primates have good color vision for mammals, but fish, reptiles, and birds all see more colors than we do. Kind of deflating to realize that your goldfish has better color vision than you do.

Unfortunately, the technology to photograph BIF in the ultraviolet range is not there yet. Or is prohibitively expensive, anyway. 

As for camouflage...I never bother, and neither do the hardcore birders I know. Some have camo covers on their 800mm lenses, but I think that's more to protect the lens than for camouflage, since the photographer wielding it doesn't wear camo. 

If you have a really long lens like a 600mm or an 800mm, you'll probably want to use a tripod and gimbal head. Ordinary tripod heads won't do.


----------



## Don Haines (Aug 29, 2014)

My kit is as follows:
Camera and lenses
Tripod
Folding camp chair
good book

The first thing you have to know is that birds have better eyesight than you do. If you can see them, then they can see you.

What you want to do is to look and sound less threatening.... standing up, staring at the bird, and looking like you are about to pounce or chase it does not do.... get your camera ready on your tripod, sit down, read the book, and just generally appear to ignore them. After they get used to you, they might wander closer and you might get a good picture.... but be assured that chasing after them will not work.

I have had great success shooting waterfowl from a canoe.... paddle upstream/upwind of them, get the gear ready, and slowly drift towards them. Start moving around, waving the paddle, banging the gunnels, and they are gone!


----------



## randym77 (Aug 29, 2014)

Oh, I see you're using a 70-300L. I just returned from two weeks in Tanzania with that lens. 

IMO, you don't need a tripod for that lens. I'm not particularly strong, and I had no problem using it hand-held. 

I'd say go out and start taking photos. You don't need to buy anything yet. Your experiences in the field will tell you what you need.


----------



## viggen61 (Aug 29, 2014)

tayassu said:


> Ok, my recent vacation to southern England has showed me how much fun I have shooting birds, so I want to get more deeply into it. I think my camera and lens (7D+70-300L) are sufficient for my needs right now. My question is about accessories.
> Do you use a tripod/monopod/shoot handheld and why do you do that?



All of the above! It depends on the situation, what I want to carry, what I am carrying, etc. 

Monopod is great for traveling light.
Tripod is the best stability, but not nearly so light
Handheld is the lightest, but with a large lens, not so easy to keep steady.



> In case of tripod/monopod which pod/head combo are you using?



Tripod: With a large lens (I use it with a 100-400), a gimbal is a great option. When properly adjusted, the camera & lens "float" in perfect balance, so it takes little effort to move, and it stays where you put it.

Monopod: Probably best with a monopod head that only has one adjusting axis. 

I'm not a huge ballhead fan, especially for long focal lengths. I find that the advantages of rapid adjustment and (almost) infinite number of positions is outweighed by a lack of precision (getting it exactly where I want it) and repeatability. But others swear by them.



> Are you using any sort of camouflage?
> If yes, what type, a blind, a throwover or something like a ghillie suit?



I have some camoflage jackets in one of the Realtree patterns. Im many cases, simply wearing drab clothing that somewhat mimics your surroundings is fine. A solid green or tan jacket & pants work ok in many situations. Shun team colors, anything bright (with the exception of so-called "Hunter" orange for safety). No real need to be shelling out for expensive camo clothing unless you're really going "into the bush".

As for blinds, many different things will work. Even a car. I go to a couple wildlife refuges that have auto tour roads, and you can often get pretty close to skittish avians just by rolling up in the car slowly. I've gotten many great shots that way. I know a guy who built a "shed on wheels" that he can roll around his backyard to photograph birds. So long as they can't see you as a predator, they'll go about their business.

And I can't overstate the importance of patience. There's a turnout on one of the auto tours I frequent that gets a lot of sparrows & warblers. Soon as you pull up, thy scatter, but, if I shut off the car and wait 10-20 minutes, they come back, and pretty much ignore the car.

Some birds will always be a challenge, though!


> I have a Leica Ultravid 8x32, is that sufficient for my needs in the field?


Binoculars? Sounds like they'll be fine. I tend to prefer 10x, as that more closely resembles the view at 400mm with my 7D. I've got a pair of Nikon 10x binoculars, and they're fine for me, but I don't think I'd trade Leica for Nikon! You may also want to think about investing in a set with larger objectives. An 8x40 gathers more light than an 8x32, and is easier to see with in the often dim light of forests.


> Questions about questions, but I appreciate every answer and am looking forward to the insights in your technique!  Thanks!


You're gonna want a longer lens. 400mm is about "entry level" for birds, though 300 can be good at times. I started out with a 70-300, but went to a 100-400 very quickly.

Here is an excellent online reference. Secrets of Digital Bird Photography. (http://www.digitalbirdphotography.com/windows/cover.html)

Good luck!


----------



## DominoDude (Aug 29, 2014)

*cracks knuckles, stretches arms and dives in*

Here's part of my process:

My general approach is that the first time I visit a location, where I want to shoot birds, I look around to get a feel for what kind of trees/bushes grow in the area. Are there any traces of other animals? Can I hear/smell/see anything that gives indications of what types of birds to expect in that location? Even more than habitats suitable for nesting, I look for water in all forms nearby - water is crucial for all lifeforms, so it'll better be around!
Secondly I try to build a mental map of how the light and shadows behave, and I snap a few shots of the surroundings. At first visit I don't expect to bring home any superb bird shots. It's more of a reconnaissance.

When I go back to shoot "for real" I go handheld with a 400mm (and with a few other lenses in the backpack). The camera is set up for what I expect to find, and the lens prefocused to the distance at which I'm guessing I will most likely find my "prey".
Normally I don't use camouflage, but I do have a ghillie suit with me if needed. As much as possible I use the surroundings to my advantage, and I tend to not smell like a fresh rose... (The word "reek" should come to your mind.) The phone is on silent/vibration. I move slowly and patiently.

If there are any natural blinds, or birding towers, in the vicinity, I use them. What I see, I see with my naked eye or through my 400/5,6.

If I could afford it, my setup would be different, but I will have to cope with what I've got, and make the best out of it.
Whenever I can I try to pick up some usable knowledge from other birders and wildlife shooters (for example Brutus Östling -> http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/ambassadors/brutus_ostling.do and http://www.brutusphoto.com/aboutprof.php).

And a final tip: If I get birds really close to me, I try to not be curious about them, but make them be curious about me.

What will get you closest to birds? If you grab a handful of seeds and chase around in a park, full of pigeons and sparrows, for 10 minutes, or you take the same handful of seeds and slowly walk into the park, opening the hand and then wait?


----------



## randym77 (Aug 29, 2014)

I just want to add...yes, the longer the better for birding lenses, but if a super telephoto isn't in your budget right now, consider the Kenko 1.4 extender. I've used it with the 70-300mm f/4-5.6L and was very pleased. Yes, you lose a stop, as expected, but overall the image quality and the focusing were very good. I like it better than my Canon extenders.


----------



## tayassu (Aug 30, 2014)

Thanks a lot for all the practical experience, especially to Omni Images, that was the best help I've had about that topic (no offence to the others)! I have a couple of ideas where to shoot, so first thing is a walkstool and time... Let's see what turns out to be my technique...  Thanks again!


----------



## Keith_Reeder (Aug 30, 2014)

My turn...

Firstly, two things that are _completely unnecessary_ for successful bird photography are camo, and a tripod.

It is entirely possible to shoot all day at 600mm (which I do, as a matter of routine, with my Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 OS and 2x converter) and get critically sharp images without a tripod: good hand-holding technique and image stabilisation provide an entirely vaible alternative to a tripod.

I've been photographing birds since 2006 and haven't used a tripod once - and I do just fine (many of these are at 600mm, handheld).

I link to that page advisedly, because it demonstrates my next point: _fieldcraft_ is what gets you close to birds, not camo. 

Here, I'd settled myself down on that rarest of things, a quiet stretch of beach on the NE England coast (wearing a plain, olive green jacket), and - although I was in full view of the waders ("shore birds" to our US friends) - by me keeping still or moving slowly (and where possible when the birds were otherwise occupied), and not doing anything to stress or panic them, they were, at one point, walking over my feet.

That's the real skill of bird photography - knowing how to interact with your subjects. For the most part it's not too hard: move slowly, be patient, don't threaten, and things will usually pay off. 

Doesn't work all the time every time, of course - in my part of the world we don't have "leash laws", and arsehole dog owners infest our beaches, often _encouraging_ their dogs to harass the birds, and once a bird is spooked, all the fieldcraft in the world won't help.


----------



## Omni Images (Aug 30, 2014)

Hey Tayassu,
Thanks for the kind words, glad to be of help.
I have been hanging out with other birders and have picked up some other tips from them.
One guy has a few things he does .... firstly he has a small speaker connected to his Ipod and plays bird calls.
He also had a hand full of mealworms and other bait he throws out where he wants them.
Another guy told me of a friend of his who places water trays in spots and comes back after a while to take shots of the birds that congregate near it. Though I think these methods cheating !

I do use a monopod, I find it easy to walk around with, light weight etc.
I do use a flash (580EXII) most times, as the birds can tend to flit about between the shadows and it does bring out the colours in their plumage, I don't have a better beamer, and don't seem to need it yet.
I'm seriously considering a new lens, I'm just using the 70-200ISF2.8L just now, I have a 2xIII but not that happy with the quality, I think the 300F4 or the 400F5.6 would be sweet ... I don't have the money to get a "Big White" and I am leaning towards the 300F4 as it can focus down to 1.8M and perhaps a 1.4 converter ... the 400F5.6 is about 3.5M min focus and I can regularly get much closer than that so I think I would get pretty frustrated being so close and not be able to focus down to that close, thus losing a shot so close.

Images attached,
Eastern Spinebill 70-200 flash at min focus distance 1.4m
Eastern Yellow Robin 70-200 flash at min focus, 1.4m
Lewins Rail 70-200 flash at min focus 1.4m
Variegated Fairy Wren 70-200 flash 1.4m
All these birds are tiny, I didn't use any sort of camo, just sit or stand and wait, the longer min focal distance of the bigger lenses would have made these shot possible .. save perhaps using a tele converted on a 600 or 800.


----------



## weixing (Aug 30, 2014)

Hi,
I now use a video monopod most of the time as I like to walk around and I find video monopod are more stable and easy to use than normal monopod. I bring my tripod if I intend to stay at one location for extended period time. 

About camo, as long as you don't wear super bright shirt, you should be fine... field craft are more importance. I waer long sleeve camo shirt mainly because I don't have a dull colour long sleeve shirt, so I brought the long sleeve camo shirt... also, long sleeve shirt and long jeans are good as it can provide some protection against insect bites.

Enjoy your birding and have a nice day.


----------



## weixing (Aug 30, 2014)

Hi,


Omni Images said:


> Hey Tayassu,
> Thanks for the kind words, glad to be of help.
> I have been hanging out with other birders and have picked up some other tips from them.
> One guy has a few things he does .... firstly he has a small speaker connected to his Ipod and plays bird calls.
> ...


 Nice shot... when I start birding, I also use flash as most birding book/website out there said so, but after I flash a juvenile kingfisher and it's nearly fall off from the branches  , I become a nature light shooter now... ha ha ha ;D 

Anyway, I personally don't like the result of flash as the colour of some birds will change (may be my flash skills are lousy) and look different from what you see from your naked eye. I like my birds image to look as close as to what I see with my eyes.

Have a nice day.


----------



## DominoDude (Aug 30, 2014)

Tossing in a li'l more info:

I noticed the mention above of playing sounds. I've done that with just one single species, and it was extremely successful. However, one should be careful when doing so. If playing an alarm call while the birds are busy nesting, you can spook them so much that they'll abandon the nest. Xeno-canto is The site to use for finding good bird sounds, and it can help you identify birds if you encounter a bird you cannot see, but only hear.
(Xeno-canto -> http://www.xeno-canto.org/ )
Omni Images also mentioned baits, and to that I can add what a birding friend of mine used while we were looking for a European Stonechat: He had a low plastic box with red squirmy mealworms in it. It had a clear lid, on which he placed a few of the mealworms, while the rest stayed "safe" and unreachable under the lid. The box was placed on the ground with a rigged branch near it, and the birding friend setup his camera so he had focus on the branch. A method he had used before with great results.

If the MFD is too long on a lens, adding an extension tube of suitable size can help.

Happy hunting!


----------



## tayassu (Aug 30, 2014)

Ok, there is general agreement that camo is not important, that's good, my €€€ are staying where they are 
Thinking about it, I don't need binoculars that much, so mine will do the job. I am not a flash type guy, I like the look of natural lit photos better, also I don't have the gear and skill for it. That way, my cash will go into
a) the 7DII - maybe better autofocusing
b) the 100-400 II for an extra 100mm
c) a Gitzo Monopod with the RRS Monopod Head for comfortability
I'll think about it... Meanwhile, I'll try to improvement my field craft, what is most important. 
Thanks for all the help!


----------



## Steve (Sep 8, 2014)

So this topic is like a week old but I wanted to throw my $.02 in

Why do you want to do bird photography? This may seem like a "duh" question but there are lots of reasons people get into it, ranging from listers who want to document rarities all the way to the Great White Hunters that use photography as a stand in for trophy hunting. I think for most people its a way of appreciating wildlife while having something to do besides just stand there and look at it. At any rate, its helpful to know why you want to photograph birds because it will let you know how far to go. If you like hiking and taking snaps of cool birds you happen to see, no need for a bunch of gear - a 7D and 100-400/400 prime are probably top of the line for those needs and you could get away with far less.

If you are looking to get a little bit deeper, then I'd repeat what other posters have said and be conscious of field craft. Learn about birds, where they like to be and when they are active, how tolerant they are of people and know when you are stressing them out. The best advice I can give here is leave your camera at home sometimes and just go birding. Don't worry about getting photos, just observe. Go out on bird hikes with other, better birders and learn from them. Look through field guides in your spare time, read the local birding listservs and forums, just generally try to get to know the animals. 

Once you are comfortable with that, finding good spots is the next most important aspect. There could be awesome places that birds congregate at and are phenomenal spots for birders but are useless for bird photography either because of distance or available light at peak times or they are airports/industrial lots/private land, etc. Good spots for photography are places where you can set up and sit for a while with the sun at your back (ideally in the morning), a good clean background, low human traffic, and that birds like to frequent. 

Now, gear. I do wear camo sometimes, mostly if I am out hiking in a spot, not planning to set up a blind but think I might like to find a spot to sit tight in some brush. It is true that birds have excellent eyesight, but camouflage will certainly help with some species. If it didn't, duck hunters wouldn't be camoed up head to toe. The other thing that is nice about camo is that its kind of like putting on your game face. You put on the camo pants and shirt and you feel more like you are there to do the job. More comfortable lying down in some mud or bushwacking off trail to some little secluded pond or whatever. Camo isn't in any way _necessary_ for 99% of bird photography, but its useful for some situations. One thing that I would absolutely, definitely definitely definitely recommend is WADERS. Get a good set of chest waders and a wading jacket or rain shell. Even if you don't walk out into a lake with them, they are great for keeping you dry in the reeds and muck. They are even super useful on the beach keeping sand out of your clothes and making your drive home a lot more comfortable. 

Tripod. For your current setup, I don't see any reason to use a tripod. If you get way more into it and buy a super tele then yeah, tripods are great for a lot of shooting situations. Don't let that other guy fool you. I shoot my 300 2.8 + 2x TC handheld all the time but I'll still throw it on a tripod if I'm in a hide or not planning on going anywhere for any length of time. They have their place and most any good bird photographer will own and use one if they have a long lens.

Binos. Absolutely. I cannot even fathom anyone doing bird photography without binoculars. Those Leica's are probably just great. The only problem would be if you feel they are too dark. Maybe head down to the local Audubon store or Cabela's or whatever and compare your current binos with some of the others they have. A good binocular test is to look into some dark shadows, like under a car in the parking lot of the store, and see which set gives you more detail in dark areas. I just got some Vortex glasses that are pretty amazing for the price but Leica and Swarovski is where its at if you've got the money.

Lastly, some photo tips based on common mistakes made by every single novice bird photographer (including me): Get on eye level at every opportunity. The shots will look better and more intimate and the backgrounds will usually be cleaner. This means crawling on your belly for shorebirds and water fowl. One of the most common things to see in novice bird photography is a top down shot of a duck in a pond. It looks bad. Same for passerines in trees. No one wants to see a picture of a bird butt shot up into a tree. 

Watch your backgrounds. You don't want a bunch of twigs and bushes and grubby bog water in your shot. You can almost always get a better background by moving slightly one way or another. Flight shots usually look better if there is some sort of nice, smooth out of focus land features in the background, as opposed to uniform blue or gray sky. Also, watch your foreground. Sticks and leaves crossing the body of the bird look bad. 

Go out in the early early morning. Ideally, before dawn. Birds and wildlife are most active in the early morning and the light is best right at dawn. Keep the sun at your back and try to avoid shooting into the sun unless you are going for a specific style of backlit shot. You get a ton more subject detail with low, directional sunlight shining over your shoulder.

Try to fill at least 30-40% or more of the viewfinder with the bird if at all possible. Even the best lenses don't really resolve well enough to make nice images if the bird is a dot in the middle of the frame. This one is really tough because getting close enough, even with very long lenses, requires tons of patience and experience. 

Good luck and enjoy. Its a really fun hobby!


----------



## tayassu (Sep 9, 2014)

Well, Steve, thanks for the enormous, but also enormously helpful answer. 
I do bird photography not only for the photos but also for the experiences with the animals, but I usually for me don't like shots that happened by accident. Therefore, I now have drawn conclusions.
As you and all the others suggested, no need for a tripod, at the time, maybe when the new Sigma 150-600 S shows up... Camo, let's see... Binoculars, just fine. That said, I'm well equipped.
For field craft purposes, I registrated myself on a birdspotting information portal and got myself the Larsson birding guide. I am going on my first real trip tomorrow to one of the birding hotspots in my region, have found out in which species there I'm interested most, looked at their common habits and listened to their voices.
Thank you for your very helpful tips, they brought me along the way quite a bit!


----------



## NancyP (Sep 10, 2014)

Creature comforts: Depending on where you are shooting, a gardener's kneeling pad, a folding stool, a narrow (body width bit of plastic, eg, large garbage bag) can be helpful for stake-outs. Water bottle! (in winter, thermos with hot drink). Know your hunting seasons and locales, steer clear of hunters, wear bright ("blaze", "hunter") orange vest or hat. Hand-held versus monopod versus tripod depends on subject, terrain, degree of patience. Hunters' or hikers' two-part glove/mitt system is helpful. Mine is a hunters' glove of spandex with silicone palm and fingers, covered by a mitt with flip-back flap exposing the fingers and thumb when needed.


----------



## Steve (Sep 10, 2014)

NancyP said:


> Hunters' or hikers' two-part glove/mitt system is helpful. Mine is a hunters' glove of spandex with silicone palm and fingers, covered by a mitt with flip-back flap exposing the fingers and thumb when needed.



I have some of these - they're pretty cool. Mine have the little pocket for chemical warmer packets, too! 

A good, super cheap camo method for stuff like water fowl is to go to a hunting or army surplus store and get a couple yards of lightweight camo mesh cloth. It'll fit in a hiking bag and you can pull it over you when you find a good spot. If you can find some long sticks, you can even make a little temporary tent.


----------

