Wildlife Photography across the Water: boots.cabelas

Monday, 22 November 2010

Wrap Up

Even though the temperature is forecast for 75 degrees here tomorrow winter is just around the corner, The nights for one are getting cold and that mean wrapping up and staying warm, I have a couple of very cold trips planned in the next few months and have been getting ready by getting good quality clothing, Staying warm and dry is not just important for your comfort-if you are not comfortable then you wont be enjoying it and whats the point in that- and also for your health, i am just shaking off a bad cold that has bugged me for nearly 3 weeks now as i wasnt prepared for a cold few hours in my hide and have paid the price, When dressing for cold weather always dress in layers-base,mid and top layers, There are lots of choice for base layers-vest and long john type pants and most outdoor places will sell them, Always try to get some that 'wick' the sweat away as if you are walking far you will sweat and as soon as you stop you will get cold, get good makes like Helly Hanson or North Face, I have just bought a new mid layer top by Spyder and its very nice, Comfortable and very warm, Last year i waited for the sales and then bought some insulated bib trousers ready for this winter, I got them for about $20 which is ridiculous as they are well made and very warm and waterproof, Last Xmas santa dropped some boots down the chimney, They came from Cableas, These boots are the absolute business, I spent a week on the New Jersey shore last January when temperatures never rose above zero for 10 hours a day and never once had cold feet-amazing boots and worth every penny, Its your Head, Hands and Feet where most of the body heat is lost so for my head i have a Mad Bomber-Again very warm and comfortable and for my hands i have just purchased some mittens with built in fingers which also take a handwarmer if needed, I purchased them from Dicks sporting goods but for some reason they are not on their website, I have used Sportchief jackets and trousers for years and they are still in good condition and work well which shows that its best to spend a little extra, There are a huge selection of good quality winter clothing around now, These are what i use and recommend but just visit any outdoor shop and try for yourself, Its money well spend and could help save your life if you are lucky enough to be able to photograph in less visited areas

Dave

Sunday, 3 January 2010

Time to keep warm

I have been an outdoors man for as many years as i care to remember, As a kid i was a keen fisherman and this went on through my youth-until i was 30, I fished for specimen carp,pike,barbel and chub as well as other species and at one point i held the largest fully scaled carp in the UK, Fishing year in and year out through all weathers taught me one thing-If you are not comfortable then you are not enjoying yourself and you may as well go home, For most of us photography is for enjoyment and i for one love to shoot in cold conditions, The light is sweeter,especially when there is snow about, but to be outside in minus temperatures for long periods of time means that you need to dress accordingly, Dress in layers and dress in quality clothing, This is no time to skimp on costs, The chink in my armour for a while has been decent boots, i have survived for years on skeetex boots and these have done me proud but all good things come to an end and now is the time to invest in a good replacement, I thought of getting some sorrel boots as these have been highly rated for years, But after looking around i went to Cabelas and bought some of their extreme weather pac boots, these arrived when i was at the Outer Banks and i have yet to put them through their paces, my friends leave on Monday and i expect to be out early tuesday, the weather in NC like most of the USA is going through a cold spell and this will be a good test until i get up to New Jersey in a week or so, First impression of the boots is of quality, they are a large boot mainly through padding and insulation,They are rated at -150 so should be good for anything the weather throws at me here,Europe,Japan etc, They seem comfortable and have a replacable inner boot which is a nice touch, Cabelas has a sale on at present and these boots are around $120 which is a bargain, I went for the camo version but other styles are available-More details here ,so dress accordingly and stay safe

Dave

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.