Essential gear for Wildlife Photography. Make photographing wildlife easier with these basic items!
Essential gear for Wildlife Photography. Make photographing wildlife easier with these basic items!
We’ve established here before that Wildlife Photography is difficult, so how can we make it a little bit easier? In this week’s video we’ll talk about just that! Let’s discuss the best gear for wildlife photography, these are simple items you can use to make the process a little more enjoyable and a lot easier!
Photography and outdoor gear can get really expensive. But luckily, many of these items that I’ll cover today can be made right at home for a fraction of the cost. Take my DIY floating blind for example, or the many other homemade blinds and ghillie nets that I use in my photography. These are items that I rely on and use nearly every week, and many of them I made with materials that I already had.
I would love to hear from you, what photography gear or outdoor items do you use and rely on when photographing birds and wildlife? What did I miss in this video, let us know in the comments.
In this video, I talk a bit about blinds. If you’re interested in the different blinds that I use, check this video out here: https://youtu.be/HI1vkdq6vZo
As always, I appreciate the support and feedback that you all provide. It’s so fun to share these adventures with you, and I hope that you’re enjoying!
Join me in the field to photograph Bears or other wildlife on a group or private photography workshop – https://www.jimmybreitenstein.com/photo-workshops
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MAKING THIS VIDEO:
Camera – https://amzn.to/3wKMF1O
Vlogging Lens – https://amzn.to/2VQGOeP
Main Lens – https://amzn.to/3wiMhdb
Microphone – https://amzn.to/3rcHarM
Main Tripod – https://amzn.to/36KS52c
Vlogging Tripod – https://amzn.to/3hH3l6g
Fluid Head (Video head) – https://amzn.to/3DVcgt4
Tripod Head – https://amzn.to/3wOOzhT
Memory Card – https://amzn.to/3rgDe9p
Trusted Gear List – https://www.jimmybreitenstein.com/gear
– As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. As always, thanks for all you do!
– No drones were flown in National Parks or restricted areas while making this video. Please fly responsibly and only in allowed areas.
When i’m on a hike without a mono or tripod, i always have my knee paths on to get some painless stability on the floor. 🍻
Not camera gear or techie stuff but if away from civilization, the one item that I believe is essential has to be some toilet paper😮. You just never know …. Being relaxed and comfortable means increased patience and ultimately better pictures.
3:14 the cloak comment 😂😂. Job well done! Thank you for sharing, I think your list covered a lot of bases.
I almost always carry my camera using the Cotton Carrier with a safety strap attached to the clip on the right side and to the camera via Peak Design Anchor links. No worries about dropping the camera, it would only fall about a foot or so!
On the left side, I attach a monopod with the Wimberley MH-100 MonoGimbal Head for when I need the extra stability with a heavy lens. I use it as a walking stick most of time and since I attached the strap to the to the clip on the left side of the vest , I can drop the monopod when I don’t need it and retrieve it via the strap (like a wading staff while trout fishing) when I’m ready to move.
He ! Merci 🙏
awesome video great tips
I really like using the Cotton Carrier when I’m out hiking. I can click my camera and heavier lens right into it and know it’s safe while I have both hands still free to hike, scramble over rocks, etc.
You mentioned moster tings but not a solid grund pod and on The same topik a mono pod
I have little plastic beads in my window bag but I have found them to be too noisy and can spook the birds or wildlife. Any ideas for an alternate that mice won’t find and chew on while it’s in my garage or vehicle?
Things I end up using every time are a foldable, waterproof sit mat and the Merlin bird app which helped me many times to find birds to photograph, especially new species (the acoustic identification works in real-time and even offline).
Cheap, ultra light foam knee pads! They make a huge difference, and can double as equipment padding, elbow pads, seat pad.
For your ghillies suit – what did you use for the netting material? Could not see anything on linked video. Thanks.
Hi Jimmy, I agree with your gear in this vlog 100%. I like to have an ultra lightweight chair in my backpack. Furthermore, I am working on an ultra lightweight tent and hide (blind) combination.
Ground pod , yoga mat ,!!
Recommend that people avoid aluminum tripods if they plan to shot in the cold. I had an aluminum tripod in the Sax-Zim Bog in MN in January. It was -25 deg f and the tripod sucked the heat out of my hands like a heat sink. When I got back to NC, I purchased a carbon fiber tripod and never looked back.
Hi Jimmy, How are you doing? For me are toilet paper and repellent.
I use e-bird a lot to find birds that I want to photograph!
Some great information Jimmy and I agree with every item. The only one I don’t use is the spotting scope, I have one but I haven’t found much use for one in our area. One thing that I really like is a ground pod to be able to get those low eye level shots. They work great for me because it is difficult for and old guy like me at 75 to get down to those levels. Another thing I like to have with me on a long hike is a monopod rather than a tripod, it is much lighter and can provide good support when needed. One more thing I carry with me if I am in uneven terrain is a good walking stick, as you get older balance is not always the best. Everything is also quite expensive but most things you can find used and can save a lot of money. Have a great week and thanks for all your work and efforts to entertain and help us.
The bean bag for the car and a monopod with a head for walking. I have several binoculars but I carry the bigger ones only when I am in the car. Otherwise I carry some really small ones that can fit in my jacket pocketI. I have back issues when carrying weights for long periods of times so I try to minimise the things that I take with me.I don’t own a blind yet but I am going to invest on a rain cover for my camera and lens because they are not waterproof (the lens is but the camera is not) and since everything is so expensive I prefer to take care of my equipment. Also in all the years that I have been doing photography I came to the conclusion that I need as less as possible and it’s best to use what you actually need than end up carrying a bag full of unnecessary things. 😃
I keep finding myself incredibly frustrated with my gear. It needs to be lightweight enough for me to carry yet provide more stability. My camera has zero stabilization and neither does my long lens (drives me crazy) . My tripod and head barely does the job (okay for landscape but not wildlife) . I am considering on of those pop up blinds. I really wish I had gotten a more professional level tripod that could handle a larger smoother video head.
Nice video. Thanks a lot. What are you using against moskitos?
Great video! thanks 🙂 what are those new binoculars you’re showing on this review?
Great video Jimmy, and super useful. From your list I miss the guille net, and I’d like to try it. Yours looks really good; have you got a link to share about it? Thanks!