Camera support for photographing out passenger side

Last week I spent a day a Brigantine. There were lots of birds. If I

stopped the car, the birds were not bothered. If I opened the car

door, they frequently (always for the mergansers) flew away.

Unfortunately, they were ALWAYS on the passenger side of the car. Does

anyone know of a window mount or other piece of equipment that will

support the camera while you shoot out the passenger side. My vehicle

has a console in the middle, so sliding across the seat is not

possible. Have any of you constructed a piece of equipment that will

solve this problem? I have a couple of ideas, but they are really in

the beginning stages. Thanks for your help.

I'm not quite sure what you are asking for. You seem to be looking

for something that will allow you to sit in the driver's seat, but

shoot out of the passenger's window. Wouldn't that give you a very

restricted shooting range - basically straight out of the window, with

very little up/down or left/right movement?

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I've seen people set up tripods inside a vehicle. Tripods on which

each leg is individually adjustable (Bogen 3221 for example, or

a Benbo) are required of course. Clearly anything attaching to the

passenger window frame will be out of reach. Your best bet is clearly

to pursuade someone else to drive!

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BTW how was Brigantine? Is the snow goose population peaking? I called

them about a week ago and they said they had 5K-10K birds around, but

they didn't think they's hit the peak yet.

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The situation you found is typical. I've just about given up on

getting out of the car there (for photography). 95% of my best

shots there were taken from inside the car. The birds are normally

very nervous about any attempts to get out and set up a tripod.

I have photogrpahed for many years out of my vehicle. I suggest using the GROOFWIN POD from L.L.Rue (800) 734-2568 or www.rue.com/ It is not cheap, $169.95 plus tax & shipping, but well worth having.

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The GROOFWIND POD (window, ground, or roof) support also needs a seperat ball head attatched to it, but believe me, it is worth having. I regularly shoot at national wildlife refuges out of either the driver or passenger window with the GROOFWIN POD supporting my 600mm lens & camera!

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As far as a console in the middle of your car, I can only tell you that this is exactly why one of the main reasons I purchased a Ford Explorer was due to the ease of scooting back and forth between the driver side & passenger side. You either will have to deal with climbing over the console in your car, or get another car.

I like shooting from my vehicle. It is convenient, quick, and seldom

bothers the birds. I have a jeep (CJ5 style). I straddle the back

seat with the tripod, and hold it in place with bungee cords to

prevent it tipping over when I move the vehicle. Since the tripod is

now up fairly high (about 7 feet above the road bed), to minimize

vibration (optimize sharpness) I have found it necessary to hang a 2

pound sandbag (actually rock bag in my case) just below the apex of

the tripod legs. Of course the enginge also must be off. I take off

the jeep doors and roll up the sides, but leave the top in place (it

provides shade as the sun gets higher and maybe functions to break up

my silhouette). I set up the vehicle this way when I arrive near

where I want to start shooting.

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I will slowly cruise the area of interest and when I want to shoot I

just stop, kill the engine, and slide between the two front seats into

the back and rip off a few rolls. On to the next spot. Quick,

effective, and usually not distrubing to the birds, even though I am

in full view. One foot on the ground though, and the birds are gone.

I can't explain the difference. Maybe a parrot can tell us why.

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My brother works in a similiar fashion from the back of a pickup

truck. He uses an assistant (driver, sometimes me) so he can just

stay in the back as the truck slowly moves from spot to spot. I don't

think this is quite as successful as shooting from my jeep; the birds

seem somewhat more wary.

The easiest method is to simply keep driving when you notice a photo

opportunity out the passenger side. Then, when you get out of view of

the animal, turn around and ease back being ready to shoot out the

drivers side. You'll miss some shots but much of the time the animal

will still be around if you don't waste time. Don't let them see you

turn around though, or many animals will flee. Keep your hands low on

the steering wheel and don't make quick movements when you move them

up to the camera. Quick movements scare most wild animals to death.

Also, don't stare directly at the animal, giving them the look of a

predator. Look somewhat off to the side when you're not looking

through your viewfinder.

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I use a Bogen 3221 tripod in my Toyota Corolla. When it's set up, I'm

basically pinned in the driver's seat. But with it, I can shoot rock

solid and can drive along slowly without moving my camera up and down.

As soon as I kill the engine I'm ready to shoot. If you can't get a

tripod to work in your vehicle simply make yourself a beanbag and use

it off the edge of the window. It works but is not as steady as the

tripod.

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Good luck...Rich

I was at Brigantine also last Saturday and ran into the same problems

a couple of times. What I do is stop my car a little before the

subject I will be photographing (not directly parallel). I quietly

get out of the car, slap my 600mm on a 3221 (with legs closed, using

as a monopod) and move to the back of my Jeep Cherokee. I brace the

lens against the back of my jeep (to steady it) and click away. It

has worked well and did not seem to cause any of the birds to fly

away. I got some great shots of Great Blue Herons, Green Winged Teals

& Snow Geese. At some points this weekend thousands of Snow Geese

would fill the sky and fly overhead for minutes at a time which

allowed for some great frame filling & in flight shots.

I had the same problem in my area of Florida. What worked for me was

to mount an inexpensive ball head (Bogen 3262QR ~$40) to a large jawed

wood clamp. Be sure to turn off the car, don't move around, and use a

cable release. My major complaint is that although I get the picture,

this kind of nature photography isn't much fun.

I've been photographing out of the passenger's side of my car for

years. It always seems that the interesting species and/or good light

is over there despite my best efforts. I think that a bean bag kept

by my big lens is the best way to keep ready for any quick situation

on either side of the vehicle.

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As far as your "console" is concerned, I don't really know what

you're talking about, but I always drive manual transmission sedans

and have a gear shift to lean across. If the photography is good,I

don't even notice what kind of awkward position I might be it.

You could drive in reverse, that way your driver's side window will

always be on the side where your passenger side window normally is.

Of, you could buy a mail truck. Geez, sorry, couldn't help a little

humor. NJ State Troopers and park personnel don't take to kindly to

driving in reverse.

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Perhaps you could rent or borrow a vehicle for a day? I have an

Accord, and shooting out the passenger side window is impossible. i

am reading this thread with interest as well.

What kind of camera/system do you use?

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If you use Nikon, an F3 or F4 with an Action Finder might help quite

a bit as it will allow the camera to be farther from your face.

I use a Nikon F5. I hadn't thought of the action finder as a solution.

However, I checked B&H and it costs (grey) $830. I appreciate

everyone's willingness to help. Thanks.

Try a good bean bag. We manufacture the SafariSack�,

which is available for only $36. http://

www.KinesisGear.com

Our bean bags are frequently used on top of a

GROFWIN, instead of a ball head.

Also see: http://db.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-

msg.tcl?msg_id=0000i0 for more discussion on this

topic.

I have a Nissan PU and use a 3221 straddling the passanger seat

with one leg raised and sett on the door's arm rest. My longest lens

is a 300mm and I have 1.4x. The limited range of view through the

passinger window from the drivers seat is a problem -- sometimes I

have to stop my vehicle at an odd angle, sometimes that does not even

work. For the driver's side, I have just purchased a Groofwin -- am

currenly using it with a bean bag but plan to get another ball head

to go with it... The Groofwin from the drivers window works great.

One problem is shooting birds on the water from a vehicle on top of a

dike results in a kind of downward angle of view -- getting down on

the same level as the birds would be more photogenic (IMHO).