Camouflage

[Beauty Through a Lens]

I've been reading up on wearing camouflage for wildlife photography to see if it actually helps you get closer but Google can't seem to give me a straight answer. So you're experience does camouflage work? Just basic camouflage not that high end scent hiding one.


I'll most likely be photographing birds and deer and maybe bears if I'm lucky.

[Ziggy]

They see you before you see them.

[IzzieK]

You should be talking to Brian(Flying Squirrel) -- he has his hiding place somewhere and he even have some landscapes from his hidey place.

[Loose Canon]

Millions of hunters are not wrong! Some even use ghillie suits. The idea is to break up your outline.

As far as getting closer to wildlife probably not. Camo won’t necessarily help if you are moving already. The idea is that wildlife will get closer to you.

Turkey, for example, is said to have at least three times better eyesight than humans. They can see an eye blink at 100 yards. When hunting them complete environment matching camouflage is required, including face net and gloves. They can also make out un-camouflaged lens barrels, camera bodies, etc. You have to sit completely motionless, sometimes for hours and maybe they will come to you (and you have to call them).

Deer, on the other hand, are a little different with a different kind of eyesight. Light reflecting off a lens also tips off.

It is generally perceived that scent and movement are far more important with them.

If I were getting serious enough to consider camo, I would peruse the hunting sights and get up to speed on what they are doing.

[Manfred M]

If you are in an area where the wildlife is used to humans and does not feel threatened by them, then they tend to get close to you. I've gotten within a couple of meters of deer before they took off on me. On the other hand, I've been in a part of a major African National Park, where tourism was barred for several decades and the best we could do is see wildlife in the distance.

Google gives you a darn good clue; it depends.

We sat beside this beauty (no more than 2 - 3 m/ 7 - 10ft) away for a good 30 minutes. There were just the two of us sitting in a truck. Again, inside Etosha National Park, where there was lots of human activity.

[Saorsa]

They see you before you see them.

Always

[dennybeall]

It depends on the animal. Movement, or lack thereof, is critical. Either don't move or hide in a blind. Camo is not needed for deer but critical for turkey. Mammals can smell you from a long way if you're downwind from them, so stay upwind.
And bears can hear and smell very, very well but can't see very well at all.
Little partial answer just to give the idea that you need to research the specific subject.

[Shadowman]

Check out this photographer's website and television program.
http://www.caseyanderson.tv/Expedition1.html
He uses a combination of cameras, some remote motion sensor and standard digital, and also seems to wear whatever is comfortable for the weather conditions he's encountering.

[Beauty Through a Lens]

So long story short I shouldn't wast my money?

Love the photographs.

[chauncey]

As has been said...something/anything to break up the human form. I do a lot of shooting from
my truck but, let me just step out of the truck and the subject is gone.