Sometimes it's the ancillary equipment, all the other stuff we use in the field, that can be the most important pieces of equipment we own. As wildlife photographers working in the 21st century, we are bombarded by marketing and advertising for the latest greatest cameras and lenses. Should we buy this camera? Should we switch camera manufacturers? "If only we had ___ lens, our photography would be so much better!" But the truth of the matter is that the equipment you already have in your hands will get the job done. Working professionals like ourselves used to use manual focus lenses, with film that had only 5 stops of dynamic range, and only 36 frames per roll of film. And yet, we still managed to create compelling photographs and make a living selling those photographs to magazines and such around the world. 

In this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss one of their all time favorite pieces of gear that has absolutely nothing to do with cameras and lenses: floating blinds. 

Floating blinds have the power to completely transform the way you approach you wildlife photography. From your ability to approach and photograph birds and mammals around the water, to the type of images, the look and feel of the compositions, floating blinds are a critical piece of gear in our kit. 

Because floating blinds are a unique concept that most photographers may not have heard of or are not familiar with in North America, Jared and Annalise discuss all the ins and outs of the different floating blinds they like to use before the next episode of the podcast where they dive into the stories behind their time photographing in the endangered Prairie Potholes Region of North Dakota. 

In the Summer issue of PhotoWILD Magazine, there will be a feature article all about the the strategies we use for working from these blinds: how to use the topography of the landscape to funnel animals to you, how to eliminate 90% of the landscape around you so you concentrate your efforts where the lion's share of the wildlife is guaranteed to be, and so much more. https://photowildmagazine.com