One of the most difficult aspects of wildlife photography is finding and getting close to willing subjects. The ability to achieve frame-filling images is often a challenge and is the goal of almost all wildlife photographers. This can be accomplished by working with habituated animals, shooting from your vehicle or even hiding from your subject so that they are unaware of your presence.

While I typically prefer to work unencumbered and free to move about, this is not always possible. I am then required to hide from my subjects and this can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Donning camouflage clothing and blending into the natural surroundings is one option. Quite often I will build natural blinds using sticks, grass or reeds…anything I can find in the immediate vicinity. But more often than not, my choice is to use a portable pop-up blind that enables me to not be tied to one specific area and I can easily move the blind to a new location if necessary. A good blind allows for more freedom of movement than camouflage clothing; you are more comfortable yet you remain completely undetected.

I have enjoyed using a pop-up blind so much that I have taken to carrying one with me at all times. The model I use from Ameristep can be popped up in about 10 seconds and taken down in almost the same time. It is originally designed for bow hunters yet works better for photography than any of the photo specific models I have tried. It is freestanding to aid in maneuverability but can also be staked and tied down for adverse weather conditions.

Choosing the right blind is important and ultimately leads to a better experience. Price is a consideration as well as durability, fabric noise, ease of set up and shape of the blind. Some portable blinds have the tendency to become somewhat cramped and it is important to get a model that fits your shooting style and size. If you tend to get somewhat claustrophobic, a blind with a larger footprint may be more your style. If you are a little on the tall side then make sure you get one with enough headroom. Either way it is important to be comfortable. The more comfortable you are, the more alert you are. You will also stay in the blind longer and have more chances of success. Comfort makes for better images.

Special consideration should be taken with the shape of the blind. You should consider where the blind may be used and pick the style that most closely fits the environment. If you are likely to encounter high winds while the blind is set up, like I do here on the prairie, then a more round, dome style model is the best choice. If you will use it only in heavily wooded areas where wind is not a consideration then a taller, more flat fronted model can be used. It is also important to pick the style of camouflage pattern that fits the terrain you will be using it in. I have found this to be less important than shape but it doesn't make sense to have a snow camo pattern in the southern hardwoods. Close is often good enough and several models have different covers that can be purchased for different environments.

The definition of camouflage is the ability to blend into your surroundings. Inside the blind, your terrain is different than it is in the woods. While many photographers pay little attention to what they have on while they are inside the blind, I have found that it is just as important as it is outside. Most interiors are covered in black material and absorb light very well. They make an almost shadow-less, dark interior. To blend in with this new "environment" wearing dark colors that blend with the black background help to keep you from being detected and allows a little more freedom of movement than you would otherwise get.

Window openings for the lens are an important feature and something that all of the hunting blinds are not able to accommodate easily. I like having a variety of choices and the blind that I use has two different size windows zippered inside one another. The larger window opening zips open to allow for more than one shooter at a time or using the smaller window only helps you to remain more concealed. I cover the window openings with camouflage netting and cut slits cut in them to allow the lens to fit through. The netting helps to conceal movement and some types even help to block human sent.

Fabric selection is another consideration and particularly important when the animals you are seeking are extremely wary or spooky. Soft cotton cloth or other brushed fabric is the quietest while nylon is the noisiest. My Ameristep blind has a coated nylon shell that while not completely silent offers some reduction in noise. Its best feature is that it allows me to remain dry and waterproof in all but the nastiest weather conditions. This can't be accomplished in some of the cotton canvas blinds or the uncoated nylon ones. This is something that becomes very apparent when on a Sharp-tail Grouse Lek during an April snowstorm.

Once you have selected a blind and are adept at setting it up and taking it down quickly, (practice doing this at home) it is time to find a subject and location on which to use it. Depending on your subject it may become necessary to set the blind up before hand to allow the animals to become accustomed to it. I find this is particularly necessary with wary animals such as deer, turkeys at their roost sites, pronghorn etc… Sometimes animals pay little attention to them and allow you to take them down and set them up with each use.

Some photographers think that the use of blinds is mainly for photographing birds. While they do work well for this, mammals that can be patterned and return to the same general area time after time can be effective subjects as well. I have used blinds to photograph deer, elk, turkeys, pronghorn, songbirds, grouse, owls and waterfowl. Their use is limited only by your imagination and the ability to pattern or attract your subjects.

If you have been avoiding using a portable blind because you thought they were ineffective, hard to set up, cumbersome, cramped or too expensive…its time to move out of the dark and into the new world of pop-up blinds. They can quickly become another tool in your image-making arsenal and allow you to start shooting blind.

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