I can't believe I never tried this before!?!

[@worldskipper02]

Thanks Brent the kind words and for reviewing my product, I really appreciate it! It brings me a lot of joy to see others use something I created to make amazing art. Also, thanks to all your viewers who've purchased my GroundBase Pro's (new name)! Thanks for your patience as I ramp up production and get them out the door. I hope everyone can use my tool to capture some amazing shots!

[@ericklarson7773]

Thanks!

[@7inrain]

I love those coots with their white shield on their head and their distinctly red eyes. I also have them in my local pond here in Germany and they are quite used to humans so I can approach them to only a few feet distance. And when they go after prey or underwater plants they do exactly the same little dive jump here as you got it at @9:40.

[@BrentHall]

Coots are always fun to watch!

[@ChadTracyPhoto]

Love it! At the 18:26 point you talk about taking a photo of the sunset and "when the light gets under that"... I say the same thing. I call it "underbelly" -- ohhhh, we gonna get some good underbelly. Anyway, great stuff as always. **A fellow photog from Maine.

[@alangilbertson8239]

I picked up on the same comment. Just a throwaway phrase, but it carries so much - physics of the sunset, earth curvature, the lot. Brilliant.

[@HansMartinØvre]

Nice pictures! Never used ground pod before, but I have made one myself. Used a freesbie, glued a circle of plywood in the bottom, and made a platform of plywood in the middle for a tripod head. Should work well.

[@BrentHall]

Oh nice, that sounds like it'll get the job done!

[@Kellysher]

Loved to see the editing process too!

[@BrentHall]

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that. I think I'm going to try to do that more often.

[@pauls5981]

wow those pictures of those beautiful ducks captures everything loving your channel thank you have a great weekend

[@BrentHall]

Hey thanks, I really appreciate that!

[@pauls5981]

@BrentHall anytime Brent seeing your work making me take photos but not to your level

[@karlnotyourbusiness4429]

Great idea but I'd match the GroundPod with my gimbal head. Great because you can balance it perfectly and no need to tighten and loosen constantly. If you let go it stays in position but gives fluid motion at all angles when in use. I know a Wimberley is $500 but I use a sub-$100 jobby and it performs perfectly.

[@suedenim9208]

If you already own one, great, but I don't see a need for an expensive gimbal on a ground pod. Standing at a tripod you can move around a lot to swing the lens all over the place and still stay behind the camera. With a ground pod you just need a modest amount of movement in the head because you pretty much need to move the whole ground pod for anything more than a modest amount off center.

[@cloudpandarism2627]

brent whats going on? you are pushing out one episode after another! well done i love these frequent uploads. keep them coming

[@BrentHall]

I'm definitely trying!

[@terryroth2855]

I very much enjoyed this outing, Brent. I especially enjoy photographing ducks. I have a similar stadium seat that I have used for nearly twenty years for similar applications. Enjoy Spring!

[@CharlesGarvick]

Nice video and great images. Take a look at Mossy Oak Graphics for your lens. I have several lenses with their products on them. Works well and without the bulk of a lenscoat.

[@mabramek]

Ground pod definitely useful in many situations. My 3d printer isn't big enough so I printed in 4 parts and screw it together🤷‍♂️🙈

[@BrentHall]

That's some ingenuity right there. Do what you gotta do!

[@TheRealTonyCastillo]

Just picked up a ground pod a month ago, and a gimbal for it, discovered the gimbal is a little low so had to buy that extender to raise it an inch. Gimbal will lower that lens another 4-6 inches. I have a rolled up camping sleeping pad that I think I will try out next time I go out and lay around on the ground. Another great video Brent.

[@BrentHall]

Oh nice! Yeah, I'd like to get a gimbal head at some point.

[@zephalu]

Besides the great pictures, your videos are always entertaining and informative. Camera Lady does a great job following you too. I bet she had fun getting over that log also.

[@RayneDr0ps]

Great video Brent! I just got my first 'long' lens (EF100-400L mk2) and looking to expand my photography this year with wildlife and birds. Not sure I'm ready for all the cool accessories but that ground pod looks like a great little tool and lighter than my tripod. Maybe not the most backpack (at least my backpack) friendly size though unless strapped to the outside. That shot of the Cinnamon Teal was beautiful!

[@BrentHall]

Oh nice, congrats! That's such a great lens. I had it for many years and always got great results with it, both for wildlife and definitely for landscapes. There are definitely varying sizes for the ground pods, so if you have a smaller bag you could still fit one of the smaller ones in there without any issues.

[@aaronm5149]

Great content. Seems like the combo of the R5 and 500 is allowing you to get some exceptional images/video. I’m planning to upgrade my R6 to a R5ii this year. I suspect I will be using my 150-600 Sigma for quite some time though. Wildlife is a fun hobby for me, so just having the reach on the zoom and the extra megapixels for cropping or 1.6 mode will be enough to get some reps in. Really enjoy the relaxed nature of your videos; thanks for providing inspiration to keep getting out.

[@bradenribbens7873]

Beautiful waterfowl shots! Absolutely LOVE the scaup shot!!!!

[@BrentHall]

Thank you! The Scaup was definitely a highlight for me too. I love seeing them but haven't been able to get too many decent shots of them.

[@WildAlberta]

Went and got a used frying pan drilled a whole in the bottom for my ground pod. Just wondering what head/gimbal are you using with your ground pod? For a pad look at a shooting mat.

[@seb2549]

Thanks for another video form the Lake. Yes on the ground pod (not sure why they are sooo expensive on amazon? but there are lots of DIY videos if you can't 3D print one) and yes on the ground pad, I used my wife's old yoga mat from Costco :)

[@alangilbertson8239]

I bought a ten inch frying pan from my local supermarket for £3. What's that, about $4? Sawed the handle off, drilled a hole on the bottom (after bashing the middle upwards a bit for a flush fit for the mount bottom plate) and fixed a camera screw mount (cost about the same as the pan) into the hole with epoxy. Tripod head of my choice screws directly onto the screw mount. Just the job!

[@do-not-reply461]

Great tips! For a ground pad, I use an old yoga mat. Works great!

[@danwhitton7966]

What are good resources to learn the eating behavior and locations you mentioned towards the end of your video for someone new and interested? Thank you

[@spidersj12]

That ground pod will be great in the snow as it will distribute the weight well, vs. standard tripod legs, which will sink into the snow, same for deep sand, if you were on sand dunes.

[@BrentHall]

What is snow?

[@spidersj12]

@@BrentHall Dude I hae 8 months of snow where I live... Only Sunday is it going to be around 0°C, it was September the last time it was that warrm.

[@seb2549]

@@BrentHall 😁

[@BrentHall]

@spidersj12 oh damn. It's 70°F here right now. I used to live in cold places like that. I don't miss it. Though I do like vacationing to snowy places... and then coming home to the desert 😁

[@aglobalnomad]

I'm curious how important camo actually is in these situations? Is staying still and quiet not sufficient, especially given the distance? What type of shots do you think you miss out on without the camo?

[@ChucoHiker]

Nice work! I am going to try to do some wildlife focused outings, so I really enjoy these tips and videos! I have 1/8” pad that I use under my tent with tyvek, and for lying around during hikes. Hopefully it is comfy for lying down for photos too. I don’t have a ground pod yet, that looks pretty handy!

[@KarenBrown-x7f]

Great video! The water fowl shots post production were strikingly beautiful as was the video of them. Not having a large and heavy lens but a 100-500 with extender, hand held will still work. But the ground pod is good food for thought so I appreciated the exercise as was the camo. We have super lite camping sleep pads that work well for laying on.

[@BrentHall]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! Yeah it will definitely work with that combo. I had the 1-5 for a long time and always got great stuff with it out here.

[@dw.in.michigan]

I recently saw that ground pod on Etsy and marked it as a favorite. He has different sizes for it. I actually marked several of his products. I want a ground pod for low perspective astro - use it in combination with my gimbal. Glad to see it in use with a long, heavy lens. Lets me know it can handle my gimbal easily enough.

[@BrentHall]

Oh nice! I'm glad the video helped. 😀

[@mw4402]

I so appreciate your tips, and beautiful photography, thanks!

[@BrentHall]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@Uwe_Mueller]

Hi Brent, again a great and helpfull video. It was interesting to see that I have the same ghillie poncho as you. I now tend to use the compact poncho from Ghosthood, in concamo green (ConCamo = Confusion Camouflage). I prefer this type of camouflage and this poncho is lighter. Furthermore, the compact poncho is not that long. Has advantages when stalking if, like me, you are only 165 cm (64,96 in) tall/short. A neoprene lens cover protects lenses from bumps and scratches. One reason why I prefer to use lens protectors of LensCoat. The next point is when I stalk. Of course I also have the Optic-Camo from Ghosthood for my RF 600mm f/4.0 prime lens. But the neoprene lens protector is firmly attached to the lens and is therefore always with. Ground pods seem to be very comfortable. I'm wondering if a ground pod can be replaced with a spread leg tripod. Maybe not as comfortable as a ground pod. Do you have any experience? Once again you took some beautiful shots. Waiting for the next video of you. Uwe Greetings from Germany

[@Nonixification]

2:23 Mbyte/s not Mbit, its 8x the difference. Internet providers usually use Mbit as it sounds faster

[@BrentHall]

I've been eagerly waiting for this comment since the second I hit publish 😒😂

[@Nonixification]

@@BrentHall jeah i know it was just a small mistake, I just wanted to point out. :D Btw nice video!

[@ericklarson7773]

Brent, first off great job on losing the extra lbs. On this video you can really tell the difference. I have been patiently waiting for the perfect time to put a short editorial on one of your videos. Here goes. I had lots of good luck, honor and good fortune to be able to go on a solo workshop with Brent. For my 70th birthday, my beautiful wife, Karen purchased a day package from Brent. Most of the day we spent at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. At first I kept track of all the new Species of birds I had never seen before, But at 20 I quit counting. Brent knew where to be when. Somehow or other he even managed to get a bird that wasn’t even supposed to be in this part of the country, a Long-tailed duck. Normally they are only found in the Artic. Brent answered all of my numerous questions on camera settings, but he also answered many of my questions, that I never verbally asked him. I just observed the Pro in action. A few weeks back someone said to me that they loved my nature photos & asked what I had done to improve so much, in such a short time. I replied “PEB” Practice, equipment, Brent. I could write a book on that day, but a great analogy instead would be.. Of my 70 birthday gifts over the years, this one was the very best. If you ever feel like you deserve or want a well-deserved treat. Do a workshop/tour with Brent. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

[@dlw3006]

Like your videos, informative and down to earth, most of the time I kinda feel like I'm there with you and camera lady. I'm still trying to get the hang of my 60-600 Sigma and will have to look into the ground pod. Thanks for the link - I like to support the small shop entrepreneur and think it would be a good addition to the inventory. I like the deeper sides, you could put a lens cap, phone or small things inside off the dirt and that you don't have to put your lens/camera on the ground - especially when my old arms get tired would be a plus. For a pad I have been thinking of a yoga/exercise mat. They are a cheap find at Goodwill, usually 4-6 bucks, longer, light weight, easy wash off and depending on thickness roll up pretty small - although at 74 getting down, usually easy, but up again can be a bit of a challenge lol. Also your wonderful review and other's thumbs up got me to pull the trigger on a new Shimoda bag when it came up on Kickstarter last year. I don't do any long backpacking so thought the Shimoda Urban 30L would be a good choice - it just came a week ago - I like it. Think I will convert my old Calumet( another good company gone) bag to macro stuff. This has gotten too long but one last thing - when you camo up does your wonderful Camera Lady camo up too and what about a pad for her comfort lol?

[@dylannewton76]

Aussie Duade Paton has many vids utilising his skimmer ground pod. If you don't follow him you definitely should check him out. Exceptional bird photographer.

[@RVNmedic]

Thanks Brent. Get a yoga pad. They roll up small and they're light.

[@Mikhail_S_P]

Any body knows name of the pad for body. No on description 😞

[@MartinFransson]

Ground pods are great! I tried one on some baby swans, hoping to get some of that footage out soon.

[@dcurleyifa]

Great vid Brent and you have just sold a ground pod 👍🏻 I have been looking for a quality GP for months and your recommendation has really helped.

[@amyandmark1999]

Another excellent video Brent! Awesome photos, I particularly liked the breeding plumage Ruddy shots and the Lesser Scaup. And thank you for sharing some of your editing style and tips, very helpful for us lesser talented at that skill! If you don't mind, I have an equipment question. I currently use an R7 (love it) and an RF 600 for my birding. I'm thinking of upgrading to an EF 500 f/4 or 600 f/4 and expect I'd be using a 1.4x teleconverter most of the time. In the video, you mentioned you were using it stopped down to f/8 for sharpness. Would you say you'd avoid using the combo (EF 500 plus 1.4x TC) wide open at f/5.6? One of the main reasons I'd be upgrading is to be able to significantly lower my ISO's I'm needing with my 600 f/11, but only going down to f/8 isn't quite the improvement I was hoping for. I was more looking forward to the 2 stop advantage at f/5.6, but wouldn't ever use that if the images aren't sharp enough. Sorry that got so wordy, I appreciate any guidance and info you can provide.

[@BrentHall]

This was actually the first time I've ever stopped that lens down. I almost always shoot wide open with it. Even with the TC on there it's stupid sharp wide open. Sharper than my 1-5 was.

[@amyandmark1999]

Thank you for the reply,Brent. Continued success!

[@msmith2016]

What gimbal is that Brent? I haven't seen you use it before.

[@perryelder5045]

Also, you can attach a wimberley gimbal head for even more mobility while laying down, also what brand is the hat on your head

[@BrentHall]

Definitely! I just don't have any gimbal heads, so I used what I had. The hat is this one: amzn.to/3IRwSXH

[@pluggednickels7321]

Just curious why you would use crop mode? Wouldn’t it be better to crop in post. Is card space the reason or something else

[@BrentHall]

If I know I'm going to crop anyway, then crop mode really helps the AF lock on and stay on better, because the R5 struggles with small ducks on the water and small/distant things in general, so making them larger in the viewfinder really helps the AF.

[@BigRedSpot]

I need to find a spot like that. I was thinking of getting a bed roll as a pad to lay on.

[@Jimmiehammarstrom47]

Great photos! Do you photograph in full Raw or compressed Raw?

[@BrentHall]

I've been in CRaw for a while now. Haven't noticed any quality loss at all and it really saves on storage space.

[@KevinNordstrom]

I really need to get my hands on a ground pod but with the 100-500 I use it's kind of pointless with how stupid light it is lol. Wonderful shots Brent. Waterfowl are my favorite.

[@BrentHall]

Yeah, that was always my whole reason for not trying one before. With the smaller/lighter lenses, I just never needed or wanted one, but with this lens, it's quite nice now, lol.

[@travisstidham1839]

Great video. Will you share what lens you were shooting. Was is a 500 prime f4? With a 1.4 converter? Looks like a great setup

[@BrentHall]

Thanks! I did mention that, in the beginning of the video. It's the 500mm F4 mk ii and 1.4 tc mk iii on the R5.

[@travisstidham1839]

@BrentHall thanks Brent. I did hear you but wasn't 💯 percent if I was correct. What I heard. Have you tried a 600? Do you have a preference? As always I appreciate your great videos .

[@jefferyrobbins3468]

Love the Bufflehead clips. What a hard duck to expose right, but so colorful. Thanks. I'd be scared to death to use that $650 Canon plastic lens hood you have for fear of breaking it. Have you tried one of the light strap on nylon travel ones, such as by LensCoat? If so, how did you like it?

[@BrentHall]

I've actually looked into those lenscoat travel hoods, but haven't tried one yet. I might look into them some more for some upcoming trips though.

[@cathco9]

Hi Brent. Would you please reply on using crop mode on your R5. I don't use it because it drops the megapixels down to 17. But, in the day, we had even lower mp and were happy. I'm torn about this. I shoot in CRAW. I did try crop mode on one outing, and was happy with the results. I shoot with the RF 100-500mm.

[@suedenim9208]

Can you fill the full frame? If so that's great and you should use all the pixels. Especially for smallish animals it can be hard to get close enough to fill a full frame, and if you can fit the subject in the crop sensor portion you're just wasting processing power and card space by capturing all that stuff around you subject just to crop it out later. OTOH, that extra space helps when you don't get the subject centered. I saw a red-shouldered hawk a couple of days ago while driving, and was able to get some pictures after pulling over. It landed on the ground and while I was paying attention to good focus on the eye it stuck one wing well out to the side, and just a hair past the edge of the frame (on an R7). Would be nice if Canon offered another option and had perhaps a 1.3x crop in addition to the 1.6. I'd think that would be a relatively easy firmware update.

[@MrCat-rk9ir]

The ground pod goes better with the FlexShooter Pro

[@archereegmb8032]

My back was aching, just watching you laying there. How long can you stay like that before you stiffen up?

[@BrentHall]

Yeah, it gets painful quick, especially with all of my back and shoulder injuries, but if I'm seriously invested in getting a certain shot then I'll stay there for up to a few hours pretty easily. Getting back up is always the hardest part, and the next chiropractor visit is never fun.

[@hawgbreath]

I would love to use a ground pod like that but here in Florida we’re lookin’ too much like gator bait for that. I’ve walked up on a 9 footer before while watching an 11 footer. Thanks for the cool shots of these ducks, I really like the male shoveler stretched out like he’s sneaking up on something.

[@suedenim9208]

I'll try to remember that for whenever I get around to visiting the Everglades. Does standing make you safer all by itself, or is it all about being able to move more quickly?

[@davidfitzpatrick7399]

NatureScapes Skimmer Ground Pod II, for Ground Level Bird & Wildlife Photography has been around for many years and I saw a guy from Australia using one and I bought it a few years ago.

[@kclarkeadventures]

Bass pro sells a shooting pad that rolls up and is water proof.

[@BrentHall]

Definitely gonna look into that...

[@darekpro6117]

nice shots!

[@BrentHall]

Thank you!

[@tim1398]

Is the ground pod that much better than a tripod with collapsed legs that can swing out 90deg? I hate to carry more gear.

[@BrentHall]

Idk, I don't ever use tripods for wildlife photography, but what I do like about the ground pod is that it's much easier to move around because it can slide over the ground when you want to move or re-position. Easier than a tripod I would think.

[@suedenim9208]

My 2 cents: If you're sitting or laying down it's a lot harder to be behind the camera if you swing it more than a little bit towards the side. In theory you can slide the ground pod around when your subject isn't close to 12 o'clock. Moving an extended tripod is fairly easy on level ground, but moving a tripod with the legs splayed all the way out isn't. It's more to move, and probably means rotating the legs which may require you to move more. If you're happy with tripod you can try laying on the floor with your camera on a bean bag or towels in a frying pan before buying a ground pod or drilling a hole in your frying pan.

[@ilpoheikkila4773]

Amazing video!

[@BrentHall]

Many thanks!

[@rustyanddebbieperkins]

So is camera lady in camo also?

[@bensaunders616]

Yoga pad. Light, pretty cheap, full size.

[@johnnyguerra3754]

Does camera lady have her own ghilie suit or camo?

[@Adam-qs5ir]

Man, I always have my telephoto I'm using and a wide angle on me. Just in case a sunset like that sneaks up on me.

[@ScottBaker1]

Stealth level improved! lol

[@BrentHall]

😀😁

[@randylowden1902]

I enjoy your videos and style. Please put a LensCoat over that beautiful glass!!! There is absolutely no reason not to! After spending the money on the lens you can't be worried about another 100 bucks to protect it and hide it from the waterfowl.

[@19Photographer76]

Now, if you had the Z8 or Z9 you could just turn on auto capture and you wouldn't miss the action shots. For me, that's too much 'stuff'. Enjoy the videos with the two of you, they flow much better. Yes, you got some nice shots but get there before the water keps wavy.

[@Ericbjohnston5150]

Get a 12 inch fry pan at a yardsale or swipe the cooks. Get a block of hardwood. Screw it to frypan. Run a carriage bolt up through center. Mount tripod head. Couple bucks worth of parts.

[@CarlosBenjamin]

Hahahaha….. I loved the series of foot splashes without the bird. Felt like I was the photographer…..

[@BrentHall]

That's definitely how it goes sometimes! 😅😂

[@gpfeiffer1]

It’s not hard to make a ground pod from an aluminum frying pan.

[@leniehulse1621]

Brent you need my husband to help you with a checklist. 🤣🤣

[@larbueno]

This isn’t a suggestion, but my observation…and I’m confident I will be criticized for it, regardless! First off, thank you for the tips and your knowledge. The material you covered here, you did thoroughly. However, I think you could’ve done this in less than half the time and still gotten your idea effectively across. I am appreciative of the information, but as someone who values every minute of my education time, I also have to make much more time to go out and do the filming of wildlife that is for me, just like you…your passion. Since I won’t spend 25 minutes on a video like this, I’ll just skip through it, and gain what I think are the main points, but knowing full well that I am probably missing one or two important moments that I was too impatient to fully wade through.

[@colintraveller]

Same or inspired by what Duade Paton uses ..

[@colintraveller]

I don't know why but for some reason ...Watching this reminds me of Bill Murray in Caddyshack .. Must be the hat ...

[@jeffolson4731]

I am enough older than you that going out without a ground pod and a yoga mat is not an option. I don't always use them but I always have them. I yoga mat is a good option because they are cheap, light, and long.

[@edkaminski6355]

That is one large bird in the video thumbnail. I hope it was not feeling carnivorous when you found it.

[@BrentHall]

He did give me a few concerning looks! 😅🤣

[@gamebuster800]

Who cares about the gear - i want that hat

[@Kellysher]

Brent, love the channel. But, man it freaks me out to see anyone carry a camera and big prime without a strap. Maybe that’s a guy thing! Being an older woman I wouldn’t even want to carry my 100-500 without a strap for some extra support and protection! I would not bank on my grip strength! I’ve never seen a cinnamon teal. Just beautiful!

[@BrentHall]

I guess I feel the opposite...I have a hard time trusting my big prime to a little strap, 😅 I just prefer holding it most of the time. Plus I just haven't spent any time or money looking for a good strap, though I'm certainly not opposed to getting one. And yeah, that Cinnamon Teal was awesome!

[@Kellysher]

@@BrentHall I use a black rapids cross body. I still hold the tripod foot when walking. I don’t let in bounce around. But I can let it go to grab something out of my pocket. It can get weird if you are wearing a backpack and need to be conscious of which you put on first for tangled straps!

[@IsaiahMcAllisterImagery]

I wish I could afford a camera lady. #notinthebudget

[@suedenim9208]

If you do it right they can be free or even bring in more money. Many of them come with other benefits, too.