Using Ground Pods for Wildlife Photography

**Open to View Description and Links**
I use a ground pod for many of my successful images, both on the ground and from my truck. In this video, I cover the use of my DIY Ground Pods.
Link: Mini-book for constructing a ground pod: amzn.to/3sR22JZ
Camera Equipment
Naturescapes Skimmer Ground Pod: amzn.to/486Bu7J
Eckla Ground Pod: amzn.to/3sSwAew
Canon EOS R7 Body: amzn.to/45XAssY
Canon EOS R6 Mark ii Body: amzn.to/3N9wVAV
Canon BG-E22 Battery Grip: amzn.to/2yIdlrO
Canon 24-105mm f4 L RF: amzn.to/2yKqCQC
Canon 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L RF: amzn.to/43EyUml
Canon 600mm f4 L: amzn.to/2YdDFEK
Canon 1.4x Teleconverter: amzn.to/3cSWod7
GoDox TT685C Electronic Flash: amzn.to/2zuwHkx
Vlogging Equipment
Canon EOS M50 Camera with 15-45mm lens: amzn.to/2Gfw2rb
iPhone 11: amzn.to/36ALQiZ
Deity D4 Duo Mic: amzn.to/2GngBwX
BOYA Lav Mic: amzn.to/2GqwPoZ
Takstar SGC-598 Shotgun Mic: amzn.to/2SlsQfS
Car Phone Windshield Mount: amzn.to/3jur73U
Tiffen 49mm Neutral Density Filter Kit: amzn.to/3cU3zCQ
Supports
Innorel RT90c Tripod: amzn.to/3WP14sp
Vanguard Alta-Pro 263AT Tripod: amzn.to/45J5K7m
Naturescapes SkimmerSack II: amzn.to/3iNivo9
Camo Netting: amzn.to/3heqXME
UniqBall Head: amzn.to/2S9Xr09
Manfrotto MVH502AH Head: amzn.to/2S3tzTh
Wimberley Gimbal WH-200 Head: amzn.to/2yJvntS
Blinds or Hides
Ameristep Hunting Blind: amzn.to/3aOgFR1
Tragopan V6 Photography Blind: amzn.to/2Qgwu9R
Bags
F-Stop Tilopa Bag with Pro Large ICU: amzn.to/3eRKbaa
ThinkTank Photo Airport Accelerator Backpack: amzn.to/34t4Sqj
Gloves
Manzella Gloves: amzn.to/3o2IueL
Heat 2 Gloves: amzn.to/31jCqVs
Heat 3 Gloves: shootthelight....
This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I am compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site.

[@Dashbshots]

If you add a soft cushion to the top of your camera, you could take naps while waiting for the animals.

[@MooseHenderson1]

Indeed but then I might miss the animals

[@daylight5500]

Just a thought, putting a folded large towel on the table would help with the bolt head when on a table as in this video.

[@MooseHenderson1]

Excellent observation

[@SueTay.]

What a great video Moose, thank you so very much for sharing with us.

[@MooseHenderson1]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@marthabradas8873]

Thanks for showing many good techniques and as always, thanks for showing a way to build your own ground pod. Save those $$'s. Have a great week and looking forward to the next video Moose!

[@MooseHenderson1]

Thanks so much Martha

[@RVNmedic]

Nice Moose. Thanks!

[@MooseHenderson1]

Thank you too!

[@charlottewilson4680]

that is a very handy tool.

[@MooseHenderson1]

Yes, indeed

[@SharaBinghamMills]

Hi Moose! I hope you get a huge audience for these videos. Good luck!

[@MooseHenderson1]

Typically, about 500 or so folks see them, but I appreciate every viewer and their time they give to see these videos. I hope they are of value to them and you.

[@TerryC69]

Hi Moose! Being able to view the subject at eye level gives the image an intimate quality that utterly amazes me. Thanks for showing some of the techniques for achieving this.

[@MooseHenderson1]

You are so welcome

[@dorisharrison9885]

Enjoyed watching, very informative 😊😅🍁🍁💜

[@MooseHenderson1]

So glad! Thank you.

[@thegroundedstarseeds]

Thank you dear friend for this interesting video, as always I have learned much from your experience. I have to say I particularly enjoyed the photo montage at the end with this beautiful harmonious music accompanying your amazing wildlife photography. What a great photographer you are, but also great videography. Gratitude for the beauty you bring in our lives!

[@dfhepner]

This was interesting. If you glue some magnets to the cloth it would be easy to put up with out opening he door. Also make for a quick get-a-way.

[@MooseHenderson1]

I like the magnet idea, will get a few from Wally World and glue to the camo cloth.

[@dfhepner]

@@MooseHenderson1 if you can find someone throwing out old hard drive. They have strong and small magnets. I used black Shoe Goo to glue magnets to cloth.

[@MooseHenderson1]

@@dfhepner I need some Shoe Goo anyway

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

@@dfhepnerwhere on / in the HDD are the strong magnets located?

[@dfhepner]

@@dimitristsagdis7340 they are on either side of the pick up arm. When you take one apart you will see them.

[@tomwhite160]

Good ideas!

[@MooseHenderson1]

Glad you like them!

[@jamesterrance]

Good video; good ideas. If I'm on the beach I'd much rather use the ground pod than a tripod because it's so easy to move. I did watch your video re making a pod and bought a pan at Goodwill for $5. I raised it quite a bit--3 inches--and use a gimbal. Without the gimbal I just couldn't get my head low enough to see through the eye piece.

[@MooseHenderson1]

Raising the camera is a good option as seeing through the eyepiece is essential unless you use the articulating screen for photography

[@rcgrant9310]

Moose, Sir -- Thank you for taking the time and effort to share your helpful photographic hints. Also appreciate the listing of the gear you use. Looking forward to future videos.

[@MooseHenderson1]

You are very welcome

[@Noisette1011]

Really excellent overview thank you 👏🏻 Answered every question I had!

[@MooseHenderson1]

Thanks

[@Jerseymikephoto]

Great video on ground pods Moose!

[@MooseHenderson1]

Thanks Mike

[@rickray1701]

Great video Moose! I like that pan base idea. Is that a dovetail mount in the pan? I might have missed that detail. Hey I was watching this video and went back through your video list and had an idea for a video. For some of us it would be really helpful to have a camera settings 101 video that goes through the various settings in a camera, what they mean and do, how different lenses change them, how a environmental differences affect them, etc. Even anatomy of the camera would be great! A DSLR for a beginner can be intimidating. You present so well that it would awesome to have a tutorial on camera science from you 😁

[@MooseHenderson1]

The mount in the pan is called an arca-swiss style mount and it mates to the arca-swiss plate on the camera lens. Thanks for the ideas, I am working on an entire series on basic photography. I hope to start posting these videos in a week or so.

[@deborahlh7747]

The photos taken at ground level are stunning!

[@MooseHenderson1]

@@deborahlh7747 agreed

[@camplapidary]

Good morning, Moose! I should probably take one of my old frying pans to make one of these ground pods. Seems really useful. Next month (10/14/23) in Utah is an annular eclipse. Next year in Texas will be a total eclipse. I'm planning a trip 200 miles south of home to experience the Utah event for sure. I'm gearing up and learning what I can in the time being. I'll be shooting mostly video for my channel, but I'm sure I'll take a few photos as well. I know you'll be in Canada... I've scanned through your videos looking for eclipse relevant material but didn't see any. As always, I'd love to hear anything you have to say on the subject.

[@MooseHenderson1]

It really helps hold things steady at ground level, you could put gopro on it for low shots and such

[@rongarrett1366]

As clumsy as I am I'd probably gyre my gimbal in the wabe.

[@chriskeele5516]

Nice video! I like using a gimbal head with my ground pod because it's not often that the ground I'm on is perfectly level. I've had trouble getting sharp shots, though, especially when I'm panning to shoot a duck that's pretty close. Do you have any tips on how to keep the camera stable in that case?

[@MooseHenderson1]

It is important to have the ground pod on stable ground, sometimes, I need to mound up the sand or snow to give a stable base under the entire ground pod. If it rocks around, you will get unsharp pictures.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

Hi Moose, tnx any bean bag with a screw already built in , you would recommend? I be come across some but can’t remember if there were any good. In general I use a monopod inside the car.

[@MooseHenderson1]

I tried one about eight years ago and did not like the design, so can not recommend one or remember the brand

[@daveb6176]

Why don't you use the frying pan the other way up.

[@MooseHenderson1]

The purpose of pan is to slide along the ground, inside down would not slide