Hides and getting closer (1 Viewer)

[jolleychris]

Hi,

Im looking for some fairly general advice and suggestions to try and push what has become a very enjoyable hobby to "the next level".

I have been into photography for a few years now, and found that wildlife photography is particularly enjoyable and rewarding - particularly on those rare occasions when coming home with some decent pictures of whatever I went out to photograph!

One thing that has become quite frustrating though,particularly when trying to get some nice pictures of around the uk, is an inability so far to get close enough to some subjects to really do them justice and to get the shots that i dream of getting. There is only so much money that can be put into getting longer and longer lenses, the quest for more and more mm does not seem to be the answer. It will be a long time before i can afford to upgrade from my 100-400L lens to something of similar / better quality and longer focal length, so i am increasingly of the opinion that setting up a hide (the portable / pop up / small tent type) is the way to go.

The thing is - and this is where i am really hoping some more experienced wildlife photographers can weigh in - is that there seems to be little information about how to get into using a hide, what the rules are about where / when they can and can not be set up, and generally how to get into this approach to wildlife photography. I can imagine that a lot of research is required to locate a good spot for a hide, where you will not be disturbed or harassed by members of the public, and i presume that finding out who owns the land and obtaining their permission is the next challenge.

Do any of you make frequent use of a hide? what kind of places do you find yourself setting it up? can you give any general advice for things to consider / avoid?

Any advice would be well received and very much appreciated!

Many thanks,

Chris

 

[Overread]

I'm adding myself into this as well! I have to agree that on the subject of actually doing wildlife photography there is a lot of info on the camera gear - less on the hide gear and very tiny snippets on actual field skills.
I suspect a great part is that many outdoors types don't do as much typing and writing on the computer but also I think that it is a series of skills many learn, but don't fully respect that they have learnt them (ie they know what to do but are not sure how to say what they do). I also think its an area hard to learn through reading since you need field experience and also field advice in order to understand better where one is making mistakes.

 

[Keith Reeder]

Yep, as you suggest, fieldcraft is a really hard thing to capture as a set of skills you can write down (I know, I've tried) - much of it comes down to experience and intuition, in my... errrr... experience.

 

[jolleychris]

Many thanks for the replies.. i see the truth in getting out there and learning / experiencing in practical terms being the way forwards in terms of field craft..i imagine having someone well experienced in such things to learn from is also extremely valuable.

On the subject of setting up a hide though, i would still be keen to hear about peoples various experiences particularly in terms of choosing a suitable site, and where to look for possible sites, not to mention the legalities and practicalities in terms of what is allowed or not.

Many thanks,

Chris

 

[DOC]

Take a look into these threads - I think you'll get all the info you need :

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=92002
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=142362

 

[mothman]

Scrim netting is sold at country stores and packs into a rucksack or bag quite well

I carry a few green plastic clothes pegs as well, and these two things used together with fences and overhanging trees they make a good Ad hoc set up.

Field craft however is your first priority!

 

[ChrisKten]

I'm just someone that likes to observe and photograph Nature, so if you're waiting for a professional, I'm not him/her|=)| But a few things I've noticed over the years might be a help. Actually over 30 years of Fishing teaches you quite a bit, assuming you don't just stare at a Float.

For water birds, don't try to get close, let them come to you. I don't mean throw some bread in the water (although that works great for Ducks, Swans, Geese, and Gulls), but just sit on the bank and wait. Even Grebes, Cormorants, and Herons, will get quite close, providing you sit still and quiet. (I don't fish anymore, and I can't stay for long enough for "waiting for the birds" to work for me.)

Other birds will also come close if you just keep still and quiet. One thing animals don't like is being looked at, if they notice your two eyes locked on them they think you're a predator. However, they don't get spooked if you watch them through the viewfinder; I'd guess that a lens is just one eye to them, not many one-eyed predators?|=)|

One other way is an old Fishing tactic; Pre-baiting (EDIT: thinking about it; wrong description). Most of us do this daily, we refill feeders in the garden. The birds get used to food being in the same place each day, so visit each day. The same tactics can be used in the "wild", there's nothing stopping you smearing some peanut butter (or other food) on some tree branches, or on the tree itself. Just make sure not to tempt birds into a place of danger; so if you see birds regularly in a particular tree, it should be safe to put some food there. Over time, the birds will be feeding on the food you provide while you are still walking away. So you'll already be close enough for decent pictures.

I can't help with Stalking, as with me, it's more luck than skill. Animals are much more alert to danger than we can imagine, one lapse in judgement and it's often their last. I'm not saying that you can't stalk prey, but most of us aren't very good at it. I've never used a Hide, so can't advise on that.

Anyway, just the thoughts of an amateur. Someone knowledgeable might come along and tell you what I've typed is rubbish, listen to them.|=)|

 

[mike from ebbw]

Fieldcraft,as been said,is a very complexed area to get into in terms of putting into words.I have a small section on Nature Photography Tips on my website if you want to have a look.It will just save me writing it out again here ;0).

 

[Cleme]

Fieldcraft,as been said,is a very complexed area to get into in terms of putting into words.I have a small section on Nature Photography Tips on my website if you want to have a look.It will just save me writing it out again here ;0).

...some good advice on your site. I'm not sure many of us can cope with naturally smelly gear in the house/car but I'm sure you're right about the deodorant/aftershave. Just be sure to leap in the shower as soon as you come back from some wildlife watching/photography, I suppose!

 

[Ashley beolens]

The biggest poblem I have always had when stalking birds (locally so in Milton Keynes) is you can have the greatest fieldcraft in the world, but you can be certain that if you are sitting patiently waitibg for a water bird to come to you or sneaking up on the skulking little brown jobs, someone will walk straight up to you and ask what you are trying to photograph, completely spooking your 'prey'. Anyone with advice on how to stop that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mike from ebbw]

...some good advice on your site. I'm not sure many of us can cope with naturally smelly gear in the house/car but I'm sure you're right about the deodorant/aftershave. Just be sure to leap in the shower as soon as you come back from some wildlife watching/photography, I suppose!

LOL,this is purely for species such as Foxes etc.Truly wild Foxes that are not used to close human contact (ie,out on the open hill and not in parks/gardens etc) will smell you a mile off and scarper long before you have even seen them.

 

[mike from ebbw]

The biggest poblem I have always had when stalking birds (locally so in Milton Keynes) is you can have the greatest fieldcraft in the world, but you can be certain that if you are sitting patiently waitibg for a water bird to come to you or sneaking up on the skulking little brown jobs, someone will walk straight up to you and ask what you are trying to photograph, completely spooking your 'prey'. Anyone with advice on how to stop that would be greatly appreciated.

Its happened to me many times.The only way to avoid it is either getting right out in the sticks or on private land.A good way is to find a local nature loving farmer and ask if he wouldnt mind you going on his land to photograph wildlife.A nice way of saying thanks is to give him a print or two of the species you have shot.

 

[Cleme]

It's happened to me many times.The only way to avoid it is either getting right out in the sticks or on private land. A good way is to find a local nature loving farmer and ask if he wouldn't mind you going on his land to photograph wildlife. A nice way of saying thanks is to give him a print or two of the species you have shot.

...you could wear something on your back saying 'Don't approach - I bite!'

Seriously though, some farmers are very keen on wildlife and are positively interested to hear about what's on their land but don't have the time to keep watch.

I'd prepare a little sheet (A3/4) with a few of your photos and phone number on it to take with you - put them through a few doors to follow up later or have one ready to break the ice.

My girlfriend's dad is a retired farmer and will frequently know what's in his garden from the song before we've seen it. There's an area of woodland he knows where he swears there used to be nightjars, so we're aiming to have a patient evening or two there this summer to see what happens. He hasn't been down there for so long that we can't work out when he would have last heard them.

He has someone on his land to cull the excess deer so I'm sure that a visiting photographer wouldn't be a problem, given the right approach and other circumstances.

 

[Keith Reeder]

Anyone with advice on how to stop that would be greatly appreciated.

I'm thinking of buying a *&%@ing gun...

Ironically, the last two or three times that's happened to me, it was another photographer.

 

[crazyfingers]

I think that a forum dedicated to fieldcraft would be a forum that I would read regularly. It would be real useful. My humble opinion as an enthusiastic newbie.

ETA: We'll I need a slap. The technique forum is one that I had not seen yet. Let me go see.