Photography blinds

Who uses them and what kind, thanks

Heya,

I use blinds for birds. I use an Outhouse style blind for when I go some where and need a portable blind (it's a popup; fully enclosed so it can get hot for me in Florida). This portable outhouse blind can be used for all wildlife really.

I use a different blind when I'm at home and just feel like being close to my feeders for song birds, for that, I just use a PVC frame with some camo weather resistant fabric tied on and sit behind it (this is nicer in the breeze and you stay cool). This isn't portable, so it's just at my feeder 24/7 and I walk out and sit down and watch song birds and photograph them through the fabric without leaving my house basically.

Outhouse version (portable) for all wildlife (though I do 99% birds):

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I have a Dog House and I'm just about to see how the LensHide from LensCoat works out

Photo from Pondrader's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (832247)

I'm thinking of getting a Tragopan V5. Has anyone here used one? Any pros or cons?
Thanks
Don

You might also read the thread "Blind Help" in the Bird Talk section, a lot of discussion on blinds there.
I'm currently working on a permanent blind that I hope to enjoy for years to come, it is an 8 x12 building, has 5 windows, a walk in door and 1/2 loft. I have it sitting in the middle of 50 acres and hope to photograph deer, turkey and coyote from it. It will also be used for storage and possibly my new home after my latest lens purchase.
The blind that Martin has shown is easy to set up and I think they are great for one person. I have one like it and believe it is called an Outhouse, not sure.

I also like the hub blinds because of the size but I don't like to use them for a short period of time, usually set them up for at least several days. The larger hub blinds are great if you have a friend or two wanting to join you. Seems like I can manage to pinch myself every time when setting up a hub blind unless the wind is dead calm.

I've also used material like Martin mentioned but use sharpened fiber glass fence post instead of pvc pipe. Fast, affordable,but does lack protection from the weather that I often look for.

Fishbreath wrote in post #18230196
Who uses them and what kind, thanks

I use blinds quite a bit. I usually make my own. Each spot at which I use a blind would be best served by a custom blind made just for that one situation, so I often erect a blind made right there on the site out of some basic materials including camo cloth, sticks and branches gathered from the site, spring clamps, safety pins, etc. Sometimes I carry a step ladder into the area and incorporate that into the blind. Sometimes I take sections of 1/2" electrical conduit in with me if it is in an open area, such as prairie, in which I won't be able to find sticks and branches.

I keep a small backpack with me and in this I keep a few yards of camo cloth, safety pins, scissors, a leatherman, a small folding saw, and spring clamps. With this stuff, I can pretty much fashion a blind anywhere in just a few minutes. It is nice to also have a pad or a heavy tarp, as the most effective way to photograph from a blind is normally to lie prone on the ground with the camera just a few inches high. It is really nice to have a pad or a tarp under you when lying prone for hours on end.

Inasmuch as commercially available blinds are concerned, I do have an Ameristep Chair Blind which I have used quite a bit. And I also have an Ameristep doghouse blind, which I had to cut up and modify to better fit my needs. The problem with many commercially available blinds is that they don't give you a way to lay flat on the ground and shoot with the camera really low (like 6 to 12 inches off the ground), so you have to start cutting the thing apart to make openings down nice and low for better low-angle shooting.

I am currently working on a new blind. It will have a frame made out of PVC pipe and then have heavy camouflage Cordura material custom sewn to fit over the frame. The Cordura material will extend all the way around the frame, and even have a floor. This blind will be used specifically when I photograph lekking birds on the open prairie, including Sage Grouse, Sharp-tail Grouse, and Prairie Chickens. The reason for the PVC frame is due to the severe winds that are often present out on the prairie; I will need a rigid frame to keep the wind from whipping the material around, which frightens the birds. The reason for the heavy Cordura material is because I will sleep in the blind overnight, so that I can already be in place early in the morning before sunrise. It is a lot easier to pack everything into an area in the late afternoon than it is to do so in the wee hours of the morning......heck, I don't know if I could even find half of these places in the black of night! So it's just easier to take everything in the evening before and then just spend the night in the blind. The heavy Cordura with the built-in floor will make the blind a better place to spend the night, and will keep out two things that I hate - strong winds and restless mice.

--------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------

Here's a different kind of blind I made several years ago (pictured below). I used a collapsible sawhorse and a 2' by 4' piece of white foam insulation to help me blend into snow-covered ice. I just cut a hole in the foam to stick my lens through, and then I zip-tied the foam board to the legs of the sawhorse. This was for an area along a riverbank where the river ice was in the process of breaking up. I had tried to use my doghouse blind, but it stands, like, 5 feet tall and is camouflage - so it really stood out against the ice and no ducks would come anywhere near it. Hence the need for a low, white custom blind made just for this situation.

When the ice breaks up, and you have a lot of open water and also a lot of remaining ice, the ducks really like those conditions, and prefer the area right where the ice ends and the water begins. So it was imperative to be right on this water/ice transition.

The first shot shows the bind from across the water, as the ducks would see it. As you can see, I took some chunks of ice and placed them at the base and sides of the blind to help its shape blend in a little bit better. I couldn't cut the upper corners of the blind down because then the yellow sawhorse would be visible......and the sawhorse was a square with sharp corners, anyway, so it still would ahve stood out. As it was, the sharp corners of the foam board did not cause the ducks to be alert or concerned.

The second shot shows the inside, or backside, of the blind. it's hard to see clearly, but there are layers of tarps and bubble wrap; these were used to help keep me warm, because it gets cold when you lay prone on the ice for hours on end!

One problem with the blind is that it was only 24" tall, which menat that I couldn't even kneel, lest the ducks see my head. So I had to stay in a prone position at all times.......really tough when you have to pee real bad (I love my coffee and take two thermoses out there with me).

I do have blinds, I'm looking into one from Lenscoat. But as a rule I just don't use blinds or at least haven't in the past few years. About the only place i've used one is on the front deck shooting Evening grosbeak's. Other than that I posted a pic of me in my blind back a while ago shooting the fox.

I should add I almost never shoot ducks that much,.. They are like the grosbeak's skittish as all get out

Fishbreath wrote in post #18230294

Hosted photo: posted by Fishbreath in
./showthread.php?p=182​30294&i=i121046114
forum: Wildlife

my Ameriastep outhouse? blind

I've been using this same blind, with some success shooting small birds. I find the windows to be awkwardly positioned if you're shooting upwards into trees, so having a small stool/chair inside helps out. Otherwise, it's nice and portable, great for the price.

I live in a suburban area, and behind the neighborhood there's a wooded "conservation area" in between subdivisions that has a small stream running through it. I was set up in the blind there last weekend ~40 yards from a walking path, wearing sunglasses with a balaclava. Well, some ladies were strolling by, they look down and somehow picked my blind out; they then start coming into the woods! It's a swampy area, with thick tangles of briars, almost impassible, so I was certain they'd give up, but nope! These two women started getting pretty close, scared away the veritable flock of woodpeckers I was shooting. In an upscale area (DC metro), a guy in a camoflagued hut wearing black ski mask and sunglasses with a big camera looks mighty terroristy, so I quickly stripped and waved to them announcing I was bird watching LOL. So it works for birds, but suburban moms, not so much.

Don and Judith wrote in post #18230355
I'm thinking of getting a Tragopan V5. Has anyone here used one? Any pros or cons?
Thanks
Don

I have an earlier Tragopan, about 3 years old, I like it quite a bit, although I rarely use it. I have two blinds, one is an Ameristep Doghouse and the Tragopan, right now I have my Ameristep set up in the backyard, I will leave it out there until rainy weather makes me bring it in, I like it pretty well, it's lighter-weight than the Tragopan, which is really not that heavy, but if I have to grab one in a hurry I'd go with the Ameristep.
The Ameristep is really a hunting blind, not so much a photography blind.
The Tragopan is a photography blind, it was designed by photographers for photographers. I do not like that I don't have a really good way to lay down in mine though, if you do end up getting the V5 you should not only have that ability but also have the ability to sleep overnight should you ever want to, and I would. These suckers ain't cheap, but they are VERY well made, I cannot say that about the Ameristep, I mean, it's O.K., but the workmanship on the Tragopan is in a league by itself. Laying down to get that low shot that makes a nice vantage point is not something I have in either, I do wish I had that. Oddly enough though, NOWHERE I know of locally (where I now live, or where I did live) had any places that I could lay down to shoot, it's pretty weird...

The Tragopan is not as lightweight as the Ameristep, and it really has WAY too much stuff that comes with it, I am not sure about the V5, but mine sure does, I mean there is Velcro this and Velcro that, this pouch has this and the other has that, it's a LOT to keep up with when out and about.
The Tragopan is all it says that it is and that really says a lot, but if you want a quicker set-up then you might want to also grab a cheaper outhouse type, they are really good for what they are, they probably won't last as long, but they don't cost what the Tragopan does either.
The Tragopan has GOOD, QUIET zippers!
The Ameristep does not.

Anyway, you won't be going wrong with it, although for its price you can buy a lot of doghouse types cheap! The thing is though, you definitely get what you pay for.

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being perfect:

Tragopan-8 (Mainly because it is so durable and made so well, being heavy is a strike against it, but it's not THAT heavy, and it does do what they say it will and does that very well)

Ameristep Outhouse-6 (It is easier to carry and store only slightly, the zippers are nothing special at all, it is made out of the normal cheap tent stuff)
Both have super loud Velcro screened windows, I love Velcro but when you are in a hide that is not something that you want to have to do is unzipping loud zippers or Velcro, you'll see what I mean.

Both do a pretty good job of covering you, that is the main thing, one of the good things about the Tragopan is that it is heavier and the wind is not a problem, although metal tent stakes are provided with both.

I spent 8 hours day before yesterday in my Ameristep and around 6 hours in 20F degree yesterday with no problems, so I know that you would like the Tragopan.

Randy

Tom Reichner wrote in post #18231389
I use blinds quite a bit. I usually make my own. Each spot at which I use a blind would be best served by a custom blind made just for that one situation, so I often erect a blind made right there on the site out of some basic materials including camo cloth, sticks and branches gathered from the site, spring clamps, safety pins, etc. Sometimes I carry a step ladder into the area and incorporate that into the blind. Sometimes I take sections of 1/2" electrical conduit in with me if it is in an open area, such as prairie, in which I won't be able to find sticks and branches.

I keep a small backpack with me and in this I keep a few yards of camo cloth, safety pins, scissors, a leatherman, a small folding saw, and spring clamps. With this stuff, I can pretty much fashion a blind anywhere in just a few minutes. It is nice to also have a pad or a heavy tarp, as the most effective way to photograph from a blind is normally to lie prone on the ground with the camera just a few inches high. It is really nice to have a pad or a tarp under you when lying prone for hours on end.

Inasmuch as commercially available blinds are concerned, I do have an Ameristep Chair Blind which I have used quite a bit. And I also have an Ameristep doghouse blind, which I had to cut up and modify to better fit my needs. The problem with many commercially available blinds is that they don't give you a way to lay flat on the ground and shoot with the camera really low (like 6 to 12 inches off the ground), so you have to start cutting the thing apart to make openings down nice and low for better low-angle shooting.

I am currently working on a new blind. It will have a frame made out of PVC pipe and then have heavy camouflage Cordura material custom sewn to fit over the frame. The Cordura material will extend all the way around the frame, and even have a floor. This blind will be used specifically when I photograph lekking birds on the open prairie, including Sage Grouse, Sharp-tail Grouse, and Prairie Chickens. The reason for the PVC frame is due to the severe winds that are often present out on the prairie; I will need a rigid frame to keep the wind from whipping the material around, which frightens the birds. The reason for the heavy Cordura material is because I will sleep in the blind overnight, so that I can already be in place early in the morning before sunrise. It is a lot easier to pack everything into an area in the late afternoon than it is to do so in the wee hours of the morning......heck, I don't know if I could even find half of these places in the black of night! So it's just easier to take everything in the evening before and then just spend the night in the blind. The heavy Cordura with the built-in floor will make the blind a better place to spend the night, and will keep out two things that I hate - strong winds and restless mice.

--------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------

Here's a different kind of blind I made several years ago (pictured below). I used a collapsible sawhorse and a 2' by 4' piece of white foam insulation to help me blend into snow-covered ice. I just cut a hole in the foam to stick my lens through, and then I zip-tied the foam board to the legs of the sawhorse. This was for an area along a riverbank where the river ice was in the process of breaking up. I had tried to use my doghouse blind, but it stands, like, 5 feet tall and is camouflage - so it really stood out against the ice and no ducks would come anywhere near it. Hence the need for a low, white custom blind made just for this situation.

When the ice breaks up, and you have a lot of open water and also a lot of remaining ice, the ducks really like those conditions, and prefer the area right where the ice ends and the water begins. So it was imperative to be right on this water/ice transition.

The first shot shows the bind from across the water, as the ducks would see it. As you can see, I took some chunks of ice and placed them at the base and sides of the blind to help its shape blend in a little bit better. I couldn't cut the upper corners of the blind down because then the yellow sawhorse would be visible......and the sawhorse was a square with sharp corners, anyway, so it still would ahve stood out. As it was, the sharp corners of the foam board did not cause the ducks to be alert or concerned.

The second shot shows the inside, or backside, of the blind. it's hard to see clearly, but there are layers of tarps and bubble wrap; these were used to help keep me warm, because it gets cold when you lay prone on the ice for hours on end!

One problem with the blind is that it was only 24" tall, which menat that I couldn't even kneel, lest the ducks see my head. So I had to stay in a prone position at all times.......really tough when you have to pee real bad (I love my coffee and take two thermoses out there with me).

Hosted photo: posted by Tom Reichner in
./showthread.php?p=182​31389&i=i84813633
forum: Wildlife

Hosted photo: posted by Tom Reichner in
./showthread.php?p=182​31389&i=i42352811
forum: Wildlife

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I remember this!
I remember being so impressed by so little, I mean that in a good way.
That just goes to show you that you don't have to spend money or go to extremes to make it work, not just that, but you can make it to your specifications as you did.
That seemingly nothing of a blind inspired me to do similar as time went by.
Ducks don't know what foam core is...

Randy

Personally, not that anyone asked...
I have two blinds, one is an Ameristep Doghouse and the other's a Tragopan, I use them both for different reasons.
Also though, I use a ghillie or just rely on my camouflage to 'hide'.
I LOVE a ghillie the most, but if there is a way to get tangled it will, and I don't mean just a little, you could probably die out somewhere and they find you years later wrapped up in a small shrub! (You think I am kidding) I also have some camouflage netting that I really (want to) like, it does the same thing, I'm honestly really surprised that I am still alive to type this. Both of these things will grab hold of anything that will let it, or as I really believe, that nature is getting me back and grabs me. I come back home with sticks, burs, grass, and more than likely bugs too, and God only knows what else. As far as what they are capable of though I am a big believer in them, but I have to be in the right mood to want to use them, they can tend to get you riled up out in the boonies and you're cussing at it for getting snagged yet again and a deer looks at you like you're nutjob! (I had to finally resort to sign language cuss words when I am out so as to not scare off the wildlife)
I usually lay down on a pond's bank and bury myself in the grass or weeds and just blend in as much as I can, the only duck I know that still knows I am there is a Bufflehead, they are probably from outer space 'cause they seem to know everything...

If I had a choice I will usually just go with camouflaged clothing, it's way easier and it 'can' get the job done, that is, for those that believe in camouflage, some don't, I know. If I am on a trip and I may use it all, or could if i wanted.

The good about tent blinds is that they do not grab stuff along the way, they can keep you warm in the Winter, keep mosquitoes at bay (sort of) in the Summer, you can sit comfortably inside, move around, pee when needed, and have a snack all without too much noise or movement. They are pretty handy. If I screw up what would've been THE PERFECT SHOT while in one and I sign, "*$&# - @%+&", I am the only one that knows...

Randy

What were you hunting Randy,.. For me out in the field with a gun or a camera is the same approach. I do call it hunting for both. I find I don't zip and unzip.

Most of the time here my blind is the terrain around me and camo cloths

Today just standing on the ground ... there's always one in the crowd.

The only thing wrong with camo clothing is movement. in the blind you can lift a hand or move to grab a T-con. with just clothing one has to be quite disciplined in the art of movement

Photo from Pondrader's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (833714)

I am not a hunter, but I still like to play like one, like you said, they are close to the same, hunting and shooting a camera.
Yeah, one should never use a zipper while you're out hiding, it's crazy to, but, in my case (and I should've said) my Tragopan was new to me and I wasn't exactly sure as to how stuff worked or where it was at. I didn't read too much in the manual and I just winged it... heheh
One of my favorite things is to just walk 'into' some trees, bushes or ivy and get lost, that's about some of the best camouflage there is, of course there's bug that might crawl on you, but...

I love your doe shots, I have seen a lot of deer but those are some beautiful deer, I am sure they are fitted with their thicker coats for y'all's harsher Winters, but still, they look good!

Randy