Luxury Hide

[artyman]

I made myself a blind from an old sheet and some remains of a net curtain to hang in the doorway of my conservatory. With my tripod set at the right height I get sit in a comfy chair and photograph the birds in the garden.

http://************/djz7kf/hide.jpg

[artyman]

You get a nice view of the garden birds. Visitors from todays session, Blue Tit, Male Sparrow, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Collared Dove, Black Capped Warbler, a recent visitor and the first time I've shot him today, plus of course the ubiqitous Robin shown here.

http://************/djz7kf/Img_4541c.jpg

[jgrussell]

I love your "hide" -- I would love to be able to do the same thing but the house isn't quite set up for it.

[Roy C]

I just shoot straight through a double glazed window from my study (while sat at my PC), no blinds or camo whatsoever. Its amazing how good a shots you can get shooting through windows. Here are just a few of the hundreds of shots I have got like this. When working on my PC I always have the Camera ready.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267/RoyC_photo/star2-1.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267/RoyC_photo/jackdaw1-1.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267/RoyC_photo/sh1.jpg

[artyman]

I find I just lose too much contrast and get reflections trying to shoot through Gouble glazing. I guess if the window is under a portch which would act like a lens hood it may be different. Probably helps to keep the windows clean as well :D

[Roy C]

I find I just lose too much contrast and get reflections trying to shoot through Gouble glazing. I guess if the window is under a portch which would act like a lens hood it may be different. Probably helps to keep the windows clean as well :D
The conventional approach to shooting through glazed windows is to have your lens right up to the glass and square on to the target BUT I get much better results by shooting at an angle to the glass (about 30 degrees in my case) and having the lens about 2 foot from the glass.
The window I use is not under a porch or any other covering and I have never noticed losing any contrast or reflections. As it happens the window I use is the only one in the house that never gets cleaned as it is upstairs in an awkward place and has only got a small top opening - the window itself was put in around 5 years ago and I reckon it must be this self cleaning stuff.
Here is a few more taken through the glass using a 400/5.6 with a taped 1.4 tc - now that is a lot of glass but the shots are not too bad IMO, not so good as not shooting through the window of course but that is to be expected.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267/RoyC_photo/wood1.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267/RoyC_photo/gold1-2.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267/RoyC_photo/robin1.jpg

[Hikin Mike]

That's cool! Here's my DYI Photography Blind (http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/?p=69)

[artyman]

Where's the comfy chair ? :D

[Hikin Mike]

Where's the comfy chair ? :D

Me? I have a cushion from my wheelchair pad. Since my legs (knees) can't been anymore, sitting on the ground is kinda comfy now...more than sitting on a chair. :D

[snowyowl13]

Nice shots everyone. I have been shooting through a double-glazed window all winter but it really isn't as good (for me) as shooting without the extra glass. I have a piece of 1/4" plywood with a 6"x6" cutout that fits into the window so that i can shoot without the glass and still not freeze the house. I think it was Canonloader who gave me the idea. Unfortunately ice built up on the outside of the window so that when I went to open it the crank for opening stripped.