Wildlife Photography across the Water: Bits and Bobs

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Bits and Bobs

Today there are a lot of smaller items that are designed to make your life easier, more comfortable and therefore more efficient, I must admit for being a sucker when it comes to shopping for camera gear and clothing and if the shop has camo then my wife knows where to find me, My local store is Dicks outdoors as i mentioned in my last post and at the moment it has some great offers and being the start of the hunting season it has lots and lots of camo stuff, Here are a few items that i have bought and use

Cap with inbuilt lights-You may think this is a bit of a gimmick but i spend a lot of time walking through woodland in the dark, If you have camera gear in both hands then the only place for the torch is in your mouth which after a short period of time makes you dribble-i know i have the tee shirt, There is a button under the peak that is hidden but easy to feel through the cloth, Press it once and you get 2 green lights, press it again and you get 2 white lights and press it a 3rd time and you get 3 bright white lights-great for freeing your hands up and finding stuff in the dark, I will be the first to say that i am not a fan of peaked caps for photography as the peaks always get in the way but this one uses out way the negatives and when i shoot i just spin the cap around

Seat pad-Sitting/kneeling in the wood land floor can be uncomfortable especially if its wet or cold, This seat pad has a special filling that warms up when you sit on it-great in the winter,There are no chemicals its all in the stuffing and at $5 its a bargain, I use mine a lot and its great, It has a handle so when i carry it i place it in the knob of the wimberley head and it acts as a shoulder pad, protecting my delicate skin when i have the camera and lens mounted on the tripod

Camo boots-I bought these as soon as i first saw them, I have always wondered why they were not invented and i have never seen them in Europe, They have a clear plastic over the toes for extra protection and when i first bought them they were bloody uncomfortable and need breaking in, Made from Goretex and have scent lock technology they are fit for purpose

Bum Bag/Fanny pack-A handy item for days when you just want to take a light load-maybe some extension tubes,extenders,a small lens or some food, There are also 2 bottles so you wont go thirsty, I am off to the Smokey Mountains next mouth and i will use this for trekking to waterfalls and keeping my Lee filters in-dead handy and something i wish i had when i used to shoot in the Swiss Mountains

For these items and more check out Cabelas, Dicks outdoors and Gander Mountain

Dave

2 comments:

Peter Edge22 September 2009 at 18:25
Blimey Dave, I am all for integration into the community you live in but' a fanny pack??? it has a whole different meaning here. Can i suggest some fill flash for the cap shots.
Pete
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Dave23 September 2009 at 02:25
Hi Pete

I tried some fill flash but it completely wiped out the small lights-hence the slightly blurry (mk3 type) images-i had to stay still for 5 secs and at my age thats not easy
Here you can say to a woman nice fanny and they take it as a compiment

Dave
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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.